Month: October 2022

Roasted asparagus, or baked asparagus (it’s the same thing!), definitely tastes different from boiled or steamed asparagus. In fact, it’s different enough that some people who think they don’t like asparagus at all might really enjoy it this way!

Depending on how long you cook it, roasted can be fresh and crispy, or warm and extra sweet. And there are so many different ways to season it, you’ll never be bored. I know I’ve never gotten bored of it!

In this article, I’ll go over everything you need to know to make delicious oven roasted asparagus. I’ll start off by talking about how to prepare the asparagus. Then I’ll talk about how to roast it. And finally, I’ll go over a few different finishing touches you can add to make your roasted asparagus extra special.

Preparing The Asparagus

When you’re making roasted asparagus, there are a few things you need to do to get it ready for the oven. Some of it is just what you’d have to do when preparing any vegetable for cooking, but there are a few things that are particular to roasting, so read on! First, we’ll talk about washing. Then, we’ll go over trimming the asparagus. Finally, we’ll talk about using oil and seasonings.

Washing

Before you cook your asparagus, you need to wash it. Washing gets rid of dirt, sand or chemicals that might still be on the spears. There are a few different ways to wash your asparagus.

• Let some lukewarm water run over the asparagus, and rub them gently to clean them. Be especially careful not to damage the tips. Young, fresh asparagus is actually not too fragile, but you still don’t want to break off the tips!
• Let the asparagus soak in a bowl lukewarm water. Rub the spears gently, or stir gently to get the dirt and sand out. Let the dirt deposit at the bottom, then just lift out the asparagus. Don’t leave them in too long, or they can get waterlogged, which can prevent them from roasting properly.

Lukewarm water is best for cleaning vegetables. It’s much better at getting dirt off than cold water!

Once the asparagus spears are clean, gently pat them dry. If they’re still wet, they may not roast properly – the water will turn into steam, and prevent you from getting nicely browned roasted asparagus.

Trimming

Asparagus is one of the easiest vegetables to prepare. The only part you need to trim off is the tough end, because it can get woody and stringy as the asparagus ages. It’s not bad for you, but it’s not very pleasant to eat!

There are two way to trim off the tough, woody ends.

• My favorite way is to hold the asparagus by its middle in one hand, and then use the other hand to bend the woody end down until it snaps off. The asparagus will naturally break off where it starts to be tough, so you’re left with as much tender asparagus as possible.
• You can also use a knife to trim off the ends. Just slice off about an inch or an inch and a half off the woody end. The fresher the asparagus, the less you’ll have to trim off.

If you have very thick asparagus, you can also peel the base instead of breaking it off. A lot of times it’s just the outside that’s tough, and the inside is just fine, perfectly tender. It doesn’t work as well with thin asparagus though, because there’s so little left after peeling!

Sometimes, it can feel like you’re trimming off quite a bit of that yummy asparagus… but it doesn’t have to go to waste! You can use the trimmed bits in a vegetable stock to add some nutrients and flavor, without having to actually eat the tough, stringy parts.

A Bit of Oil

Unlike some other methods for cooking asparagus, you need a bit of oil for roasting. Why? Well, roasting is a dry heat cooking method, which means moisture gets sucked out of the vegetables. If too much of that happens, your asparagus might look limp and lifeless after roasting.

A bit of oil helps protect it against drying out, keeping it much fresher looking. And it also help the asparagus brown nice and evenly, giving it a nicely spread out caramelization.

Both olive oil or vegetable oil work great, so use whichever you prefer. Olive oil has a slightly different taste, but it goes great with asparagus. Just use about a teaspoon per pound of asparagus, and toss the asparagus in the oil to make sure it’s evenly coated.

Notes

• You can use extra oil to help the asparagus brown more quickly. I’m not a huge fan of using lots and lots of oil though. If you use too much, the asparagus itself gets oily and I don’t really like that.

Seasonings

You don’t actually need any seasonings to make roasted asparagus. With just a bit of oil, your roasted asparagus will be very yummy. But seasonings do let you add more complex and interesting flavors, so that you’ll never get bored! Here are a few different seasoning you can add.

• Spices. You can use simple spices like salt and pepper (coarse salt is even better). Or you can jazz it up a bit and use cumin, paprika, cayenne pepper, nutmeg, curry… anything you enjoy! Just try it out and see how you like it.
• Fresh herbs. Some fresh chopped herbs like tarragon, rosemary, thyme, sage, basil or parsley can make a great addition to your roasted asparagus. Just sprinkle the herbs on top of the asparagus before roasting. You can add as much or as little as you like!
• Dried herbs. You can also used dried herbs instead of fresh. You use them the same way as fresh herbs, except generally, you don’t as much, because they taste stronger.
• Aromatic vegetables. A little bit of minced onion, garlic, or shallots really add a lot to roasted asparagus. Again, use as much as you like… I love garlic, so I never hesitate to add a bit more! You can even top the asparagus with some sliced mushrooms. It adds a wonderful flavor.
• Fruit juice or zest. Citrus fruit in particular are great with asparagus. You can drizzle a bit of lemon, orange or even grapefruit juice over the asparagus, or sprinkle some zest on top. Again, use as much as you like – just a hint of lemon juice can add a nice, subtle flavor, but a bit more orange juice can add some delicious sweetness, too.
• Vinegar. A little splash of balsamic, red wine or cider vinegar goes great with roasted aspragus. You can add it after it’s done cooking, but if you add it from the start it’ll cook a bit, making it sweeter and milder.
• Nuts, seeds, or dried fruit. You can add some nuts like pine nuts or slivered almonds, or sesame seeds, or even dried fruit or sun dried tomatoes. The nuts and seeds will get nicely toasted and flavorful as they roast, and the fruit can add a touch of sweetness.
• Cheeses. Some freshly grated Parmesan or crumbled feta make a great addition to roasted asparagus. You can add them in towards the end of the cooking time, or right from the start, depending on how melted and cooked you like the cheese.
• Anything else? There are so many other seasonings you can add. You can toss the asparagus in a honey/lemon/dijon dressing, or add a bit of honey or soy sauce, or add some bread crumbs for texture. Just use your imagination and come up with your own delicious ideas.

Once you’ve picked your seasonings, just add them to the asparagus, and toss to spread the seasonings evenly.

There are so many possibilities for seasonings… just mix and match, try different things. You’ll end up with a whole new dish every time! And you can choose seasoning that will complement the rest of your meal, too.

Roasting Asparagus

Once your asparagus is washed, trimmed, and coated with a bit of oil or seasonings, you’re ready to roast! It’s really super simple.

Here’s how you do it.

1. Preheat the oven to 400F.
2. Place the asparagus in a baking dish. It should be big enough to hold all the asparagus in single layer.
   • You don’t want to overcrowd the asparagus. If you do, the steam escaping from the asparagus will become trapped, and end up steaming your asparagus. And then you won’t end up with the nice caramelization you get from roasting.
   • If you like, you can line the dish with foil to limit cleanup. But I find that with the oil coating, nothing really sticks, so it’s easy cleanup either way!
3. Roast the asparagus in the preheated oven until it’s cooked to your liking. Keep an eye on the tips – they’ll cook faster, so you want to make sure they don’t burn. You can shake the pan once or twice to make sure nothing is sticking.
   • Thin spears might be cooked in as little as 5 minutes if you like them still pretty crisp, but can take up to 15 minutes if you like them soft.
   • Thicker spears can take anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes to cook, depending on how cooked you like them. If you prefer your roasted asparagus soft, leave it in longer!
   • You can test how done the asparagus is by poking it with a knife, or by taking a little bite.
4. Serve, and enjoy! You can serve the asparagus as soon as it’s cooked, or let it cool to room temperature. It’ll be delicious either way. Keep in mind that the asparagus will continue to cook a bit after you take it out of the oven, so it’ll get a bit softer. You can plan for that by taking it out a minute or two earlier.

And that’s how to make roasted asparagus. At this point, you’re ready to serve, but there are a few finishing touches you can add. Just check out the next section for some ideas.

Finishing Touches

Once the asparagus is cooked, you can add some finishing touches to make the dish even more special. Here are a few ideas:

• Sprinkle some cheese over the asparagus. You can use Parmesan, or crumbled feta, or any other cheese you like. It won’t be as melty as if you had added it during the cooking time, and it’ll feel more refreshing.
• Sprinkle with some lemon juice, or garnish with thin lemon wedges. Again, it tastes fresher than if you added the juice before roasting.
• Drizzle a bit of vinegar on top. It’ll be a little more pungent than if you add it before roasting, since the acidic taste won’t have a chance to boil off. But it can be really nice if you don’t use too much!
• Top with pan-fried onions or mushrooms. It’s a lot like roasting the asparagus with onions or mushrooms, except that you can add a lot more, and let them caramelize even more.
• Top with fresh chopped herbs. It’ll give a really nice look, and the herbs will taste much fresher than if they had a chance to cook. I find it’s more summer-y.

And that’s all you need to know about making roasted asparagus! It’s simple, takes 5 minutes to prepare, but it can be an extremely elegant dish for any crowd. It’s great to impress when you don’t have a lot of time, or just to enjoy with your family.

Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. And I’ll admit it, I’m one of those annoying people who start humming Christmas songs as soon as Halloween is over. Although I try to keep it to when I’m alone so that I don’t drive everyone else crazy!

But I can’t help it. It’s just such a wonderful holiday.

I love everything about it – the spirit of giving, the lights, the magic and wonder, the prettily-wrapped presents, and of course, the food!

Christmas food is a real treat. We all have our own special recipes for Christmas dinner that we only make that one time of year.

And the anticipation just makes them even better.

But if you want a perfect Christmas, having a good collection of recipes for Christmas dinner isn’t enough. If you’ve ever suddenly found yourself in charge of the whole Christmas food production, you know that it’s not easy at all.

Christmas dinner takes a lot of planning and organization, and when you don’t have years of experience under your belt, sometimes it can be a little tough. But don’t worry. There are a lot of ways to make sure you have an awesome and relaxing Christmas dinner.

So read on for some tips and advice. I’ll talk about how to organize your time and plan out your meal ahead of time. Then, I’ll go over some cooking methods and recipes for Christmas dinner.

The Secret Is In The Planning

The first time I had to make Christmas dinner all by myself, it was totally overwhelming. I love cooking, I love the holidays, and I had a bunch recipes for Christmas dinner ready to go – but it was still a lot to handle.

In the end, I started to feel stressed out, and decided it was better to cut down on a few dishes and have a fun, relaxing Christmas instead.

But what if you want it all? A nice relaxing time without sacrificing your favorite side? Well, the key is planning ahead: spread the work out over several days, know your recipes, and make lists!

Spread Out The Work

• Some foods keep well for days. Every Christmas I make gingerbread cookies and truffles, and they stay good for at least a week when they’re all wrapped up. Make sure you have a few of those items on the menu, and make them as early as you can.
• Some recipes for Christmas dinner hold up really well in the fridge for a few days. My mom always makes pinwheel sandwiches a day or two ahead of time, and they always taste perfect.

The idea is to figure out what to make, and when. That way, you can spread out your Christmas cooking over a few weeks instead of 2 or 3 hectic days. So when Christmas rolls around, you have less to do, and more time to spend with your family!

Know Your Recipes For Christmas Dinner

• First of all, it means having a menu picked out and actually having selected a recipe for it, unless you know how to cook it without a recipe (which is awesome).
• It also means that you’ve read the recipes. Reading your recipes for Christmas dinner is important. Why?
  • A lot of recipes give you a time estimate on how long it’ll take to make. That time will make it much easier for you to plan out when to cook what.
  • The recipes’ll also let you know what ingredients you need, so that you can plan ahead and buy them for when you need them. You don’t want to be in the middle of making gingerbread only to realize you’re out of ginger!
• You can take this a step further. Ideally, you’ll already have made your recipes for Christmas dinner once or twice before. Either on a previous Christmas or as a test run earlier in the year.
  • Some recipes are harder than they seem at first glance, and the only way to know it is by trying them out. If you know the recipe, you won’t have any bad surprises come Christmas day.
  • Some recipes aren’t as good as they sound, or just don’t work for your taste buds. If you’ve used a recipe before, you’ll know just what to expect.
  • A recipe you’ve made before is a lot more comfortable to work with. That’ll make cooking Christmas dinner a whole lot less stressful.
  • It’s okay to have a new recipe or two – but just make sure that for the most part, you’re confident about what you’re making. And don’t be afraid to do a test run for a dish in November!

For me, Christmas is all about the traditions. I’m happy to make meals I know and I’m comfortable with. The recipes for Christmas dinner that I use are an important part of the Christmas tradition. And since I only make them once a year, I really look forward to them!

Make Lists

The last bit of advice I have to help you have a stress-free and awesome Christmas is to make lists. It’s something I learned from my mom, who really is the Queen of List-Making.

She makes lists for everything, and the whole family teases her about it, but the fact is she makes Christmas happen, and she makes it look easy, when I know it’s anything but.

And the lists are the key. It’s a reminder of what to do, and what to buy, and when to do what.

So what do you make lists for to help you out? Pretty much anything.

• Make a list for all the meals you plan on eating. What are you having on Christmas Eve? Christmas morning? What about recipes for Christmas dinner?
• Once you know what you’re making, make a list for when you plan to make each dish. It’ll help you spread out the work over a few days or weeks, and it’ll put things in perspective – if your meal plan has you cooking 12 hours a day for 2 weeks, it might be time to cut back a bit.
• Afterwards, you can make a list for what you need to buy and when. Some recipes for Christmas dinner need fresh ingredients, so be sure you plan time to go buy those whenever you’re making that dish.

Lists are a huge help because they cut down on unexpected surprises. If you plan things well, you won’t be missing a key ingredient. You won’t realize you forgot to make mashed potatoes. And you won’t find yourself with 16 dishes to make on Christmas day, when all you want to do is eat a sugar cookie and watch a roaring fire.

Christmas Food Cooking Methods

Planning is one of the keys to a great Christmas. Knowing how to cook the meal you want is the other!

In this section, I’ll talk about how to make some traditional Christmas meals. Not just recipes, but the whole story – how to cook a turkey so it comes out just right, or what makes a great chicken pot pie.

Turkey

Nothing beats a turkey with all the trimmings for Christmas dinner. But making a turkey can be a little bit stressful – it’s Christmas, a huge holiday, and the whole family is going to be there.

But you know what? Turkey might be easy to mess up, but it’s just as easy to get it right, once you know the right steps.

In this series of articles, I’ll tell you all about making the perfect turkey – everything from thawing to making an awesome gravy!

Pies

Another great treat we often had for Christmas at my place is different meat pies. We had them for our Christmas Eve dinner, and had the leftovers for our Christmas brunch.

• One of my favorite pies is chicken pot pie. To find out how to make one, check out our article on making an easy chicken pot pie.
• Tourtiere is a French Canadian holiday tradition. It’s a meat pie seasoned with some wonderful holiday spices, and when it’s cooking, you know it’s Christmas! Find out how to make it by checking out our article on tourtiere.

Recipes For Christmas Dinner

I always think it’s best to understand the cooking techniques behind a recipe – it’ll help you make improvements, or even adjustments if something goes wrong.

But sometimes, there’s just nothing that beats Mom’s secret recipes for Christmas dinner.

So here’s a little collection of delicious recipes for Christmas dinner that I know you’ll love! And I hope they make your Christmas as awesome as they make mine.

So what is a pureed soup?

Well, unlike a vegetable soup, it’s a smooth blend of flavors that can be as simple or as complex as you like.

It’s actually similar to a cream soup… without the cream. Which means it’s not quite as rich – and that can be a good thing! You get all the goodness of the food, but you won’t end up feeling heavy or too full.

And of course, the best pureed soups are the ones you make yourself! I know, I say that about almost everything – but I really believe it! You just have to know how to do it.

Luckily, pureed soups couldn’t be any easier to make. One simple technique, and you can experiment with just about any vegetable you can imagine! So let’s find out how.

In this article, I’ll go over how to make pureed soups. First, I’ll talk about the three building blocks that make up a pureed soup: the soup base, the thickener, and the main vegetable. Then I’ll show you how to put it all together to make a delicious soup.

What Are Pureed Soups Made Of?

The Soup Base

• Some aromatic vegetables. Onions, leeks, and garlic are great choices, because they add lots of flavor and complement lots of vegetables so nicely. You can also use carrots or celery, or some minced ginger, depending on what type of soup you’re making – just remember, you don’t want to overpower your main vegetable.
• A little bit of butter or oil to saute the aromatics.
• Next, you need a good stock. Any kind will do – chicken, beef, vegetable. Each will add its own particularities to the soup though, so pick something that will go well with your vegetables and spices.
  
  • Nothing beats a homemade stock. To find out more, check out our articles on making homemade stock.
  • You can also used canned stocks or broths if you don’t have anything homemade on hand. It’s not quite as awesome, but you’ll still end up with a great soup.
  • Finally, you can substitute some water for some of the stock if you don’t have enough. It won’t add as much flavor, but you’ll still have all the delicious vegetable taste.
• (Optional) You can also add some seasonings to your soup. What kind? Anything you can imagine. Rosemary, sage, and thyme are some classic, tasty herbs. But you can also experiment with others – for example, cinnamon, ginger, and cloves go great with squash.
  • You can add these seasonings at any time during the cooking process… in fact, you may want to add them later rather than sooner – it’ll let you taste how the spices blend in with your vegetables.
  • Certain herbs should be added at the start, especially fresh herbs that need time to release their flavors, like a sprig of fresh rosemary.
  • It’s better to add the spices in a little bit at a time, taste, and then add more if you think it’s not strong enough. It’s much, much easier to add seasonings than to remove them!
• (Optional) Wine makes a delicious addition to pureed soups. Just add a bit to the aromatics before adding the stock, and let the alcohol boil off a bit. Or add it directly to the soup – just be sure to let it cook to get rid of the alcohol.

And that’s it! Just use these simple ingredients, and you’ve got the first part of a great pureed soup.

The Thickener

• • Potatoes are probably the most common thickener used in pureed soup. They do a great job, and they’re mild enough that their flavor won’t overpower your soup.
    • Just cut them up into one inch chunks and cook them in the broth until they’re soft enough to mash.
  • Rice can help thicken pureed soups, too.
    • Again, just cook a bit of rice in the broth – but remember, rice absorbs water, so you’ll end up with less broth than you started with.
    • Or, you can add separately cooked rice to the soup before pureeing it.

• Beans and grains are good thickeners.
  • You can use canned beans, or cook up your own dried beans and add them to the soup.
  • Grains like barley or quinoa can be cooked right in the soup, adding lots of nutrients on top of thickening the soup.
• There are lots of other thickeners out there. If it becomes soft when you boil it, and gets thick when you mash it, then it’s a great option for a thickener. Just be sure to use something that’ll complement the flavors in your soup, and not overpower them.

And that’s it for the thickener. What could be easier? Just another vegetable, or some grains or beans added to the pot!

The Main Ingredient

How To Make A Pureed Soup

Making a pureed soup is just a matter of putting the three basic building blocks together. And it’s so simple!

Here’s how you do it:

1. Make the soup base.
   
   • Chop up the aromatics and cook them in a bit of butter or oil, long enough for onions to get translucent but not brown.
   • If desired, add a bit of wine. Bring it to a boil, and let it reduce by about half.
   • Add the stock.
   • Add the seasonings. You can do this at the end, too, if you prefer, unless you’re using herbs or spices that need time to release their flavors (like a lot of fresh herbs).
2. Add all the vegetables and thickeners, based on how long they need to cook.
   • For example, turnips would need to cook longer than broccoli, so you’d add the turnips first, let them cook a bit, then add the broccoli.
   • Be sure to chop up the vegetables in small chunks that’ll cook quickly. They don’t have to be perfect – they’re going to pureed, after all. But they should cook fairly evenly.
3. Gently simmer the soup until all the vegetables are soft.
4. Puree the soup.
   • I find that using an immersion blender is the easiest way to do it. You can just blend the soup right in the pot it cooked in, and you’re done!
   • You can also use a regular blender. You should puree in batches, making sure not to fill the container more than halfway. Be careful to do it slowly, and vent steam regularly. If it builds up, the top could fly right off and throw very hot soup everywhere – very messy and dangerous.
   • If the vegetables are soft enough, you can puree them with a potato masher or by pushing them through a strainer.
   • You can make the puree as smooth or as coarse as you like it. Some people like their pureed vegetable soup a bit chunky, others prefer it silky smooth. Try different ways to see what you like best!
5. Taste the soup, and add any seasonings that you feel are missing. Maybe some salt, pepper, ginger, cloves… whatever goes well with the soup.
6. Serve, and enjoy.

And what about quantities? Well, to be honest, they really don’t matter very much. It really depends on what particular ingredients you’re using and what you like. But here are a few guidelines:

• You need about enough broth to cover the vegetables you’re cooking. Too much more, and you’ll end up with a very thin soup.
• A medium sized potato will do a good job thickening 2 to 4 cups of liquid. Use more if you have a very thin soup.
• Don’t be afraid to experiment. You can always add more liquid to a soup. And, it’s not as easy, but you can often blend in a bit of extra thickener.
• If you’re using wine, one part wine to six parts broth is a good ratio… but again, feel free to try different things out to see what you like!
• Season lightly at first and then taste. You can always add a little bit more, but it’s hard to take the seasoning out of a soup.

And there you have it! Now you can make any kind of delicious pureed soup you like. It’s simple, but so tasty and satisfying.

Enjoy!

Home › Cooking Beef › How to Pan Fry SteakIf I’m in the mood for a nice, juicy steak, I think barbecue first. But you can pan fry steak, too, and get wonderful results.

Sure, when summer comes around, what could be better that cooking steak on the grill? But what if it’s cold out, or rainy? What if you don’t have a barbecue? You don’t want to be stuck wondering how to cook steak when the craving hits.

And this is where learning how to pan fry steak comes in. It’s not quite the same as cooking steak on the grill — there are a few important differences that make it its own unique cooking method.

In this article, I’ll tell you all about how to pan fry steak. First, I’ll talk about which cut of meat to select. Then, I’ll talk about how to season the steak — from spicing to marinades. Next I’ll go over the actual process of cooking steak in a pan. Finally, I’ll talk about deglazing the pan to make a delicious sauce to go along with your steak.

Selecting a Cut

Alright, so you want to pan fry steak. The first thing to do is to pick a cut of meat. Here are a few things to look for when picking a steak for pan frying.

• Pick a tender cut of beef. In some ways, cooking steak on the grill and pan frying it aren’t so different. Both use a dry heat, which creates a delicious brown crust on the surface of the meat, and intensifies its flavor through evaporation. But a dry heat also causes the meat to become less tender, so to pan fry steak, you need to start with a tender cut — just like you would cooking steak on the grill.
• The steak shouldn’t be much thicker than an inch and a half. This is where pan frying steak is different from cooking steak on the grill.
  • When you pan fry steak, the heat is transferred from the pan to the meat by conduction. On a grill, the heat radiates to the meat. What does that mean? Well, it means that when you pan fry steak, the interior cooks more slowly. So, if you have too thick a steak, the outside will burn before the inside can cook enough. Yes, even if you like it medium rare!
• Fat or no fat? It’s a bit of a toss up. On the one hand, a bit of marbling will make your steak more flavorful. On the other hand, fat generally makes the steak less tender. It’s all about balancing flavor and tenderness.
  • A nice marbling of fat means very thin veins of fat throughout the meat. If they’re thick, they’ll make the meat very tough. So look for fat, but just in very fine streaks.

So what does all this mean? Well, here it is. The best cuts to pick to pan fry steak are the most tender ones — they usually come from the rib or loin sections of the animal.

Some good cuts are a rib-eye steak, tenderloin, porterhouse, T-bone, skirt steak, top sirloin, or filet mignon. Even a round steak or a flank steak can be great. Just be sure that the cut isn’t too thick!

Seasoning

Now that you know which cut of beef to pick, the next step in knowing how to cook steak is knowing how to season it.

Basically, when you pan fry steak, there are three ways to season it. You can rub spices on it, you can marinate it, or you can make a sauce. Since the sauce usually comes into play after cooking the steak, I’ll only go over marinades and spices here.

Marinating a Steak

What’s a marinade? Well, it’s basically a liquid mixture. You can take your food, in this case, steak, and you soak it in the marinade for anywhere from 30 minutes to overnight. So why marinate?

• Since the food is soaking for so long, the flavors from the marinade have plenty of time to penetrate deep. This can really add a lot of punch to a meal.
• If your marinade is slightly acidic, it’ll actually tenderize whatever meat you’re soaking it in. The acids in the marinade interact with the meat proteins and make the meat more tender.
  • Usually, the acid comes from vinegar or a citrus fruit like lemon
  • You can also use things like milk or yogurt (although I wouldn’t particularly recommend those for steak!).

So when do you want to marinate steak? Well, when you pan fry steak, you can marinate any cut that needs either a flavor boost, or a tenderness boost, or both.

• Tougher cuts like flank steaks, chuck steaks, round steaks, or even sirloin can benefit from a little tenderizing. The tougher the cut, the longer you should marinate.
• Very tender cuts like filet mignon, porterhouse, T-bone or even a particularly tender sirloin can actually get too soft if you marinate them. Generally, you only use spices or even nothing at all on those cuts.
• Some marinades, like teriyaki, are very sweet, and the sugar can cause the meat to burn when you cook it. Cooking the steak over lower heat can help, but that can make getting a rare steak with a nicely browned exterior just a bit more difficult.

Seasoning with Spices

If you have a beautiful, tender steak, there’s no need to marinate it. In fact, marinating it might make it too soft and ruin a perfectly good piece of meat.

Beef is pretty flavorful all on its own. A really good cut doesn’t even need any seasoning at all. But, if you’re cooking steak, and you want to add a little something, then you can add just a hint of spices.

Coarse salt, cracked pepper, and crushed herbs like rosemary or thyme, and fennel or coriander seeds, can all make a wonderful addition when cooking steak. But there are a few things to watch out for:

• • When you pan fry steak, adding salt can be a bit tricky.
    • If you salt the steak right before cooking it, it can actually make your steak tougher and less juicy, because the salt will cause the steak to lose moisture. The moisture at the top will also prevent it from searing properly, so you’ll lose some flavor.
    • Generally it’s best to salt steak after it’s cooked, either before the meat rests, or when it gets to the table.
    • Now, there is one trick if you want to salt your steak beforehand. They key is to salt it a lot, and at least at hour before, and rinse it and pat it dry before you cook it. Now, instead of just making the steak lose moisture, the salt will penetrate deep into the meat and enhance its flavor, and also prevent moisture loss when it cooks.

• Before putting any kind of herbs or spices, it’s a good idea to rub a bit of oil on the steak.
  • The oil will help the herbs and spices stick to the steak, and will help keep them from burning.
  • Oiling the steak instead of the pan means that the oil won’t smoke when you’re heating the pan.
  • The best oil to use when cooking steak is something neutral tasting with a high smoke point like peanut oil or safflower oil. It’s healthier and less messy! You can also use olive oil if you want a bit of a different flavor.
  • It’s not necessary to oil the steak, but it can make things easier. Try it out and see how you like it.

How to Pan Fry Steak

Knowing how to cook steak on a grill, and knowing how to pan fry steak are two different things. The mechanics of it are just different enough that you can end up with less than awesome results if you don’t know how to pan fry steak.

In this section, we’ll talk about preparing the steak for cooking, actually cooking the steak, and how to test for doneness.

Preparing the Steak

Here are a few important things to keep in mind before you pan fry steak.

• You’ll get much better result cooking steak that you’ve allowed to reach room temperature. Take the steak out about 30 minutes to an hour before cooking it. Otherwise, the steak will toughen when the cold comes into contact with the heat.
• The best pan you can use to pan fry steak is a cast iron skillet. Why? Well, there are two reasons:
  • Cast iron retains heat better than any of the non-stick pans. So when you add the steak to the hot, hot pan, the pan won’t cool down. And so, you get a better sear!
  • You can heat an empty cast iron skillet. You can’t do that with a non-stick or stainless steel pan, because it can damage it or release chemicals. Heating the pan empty is neat because it lets you oil the steak rather than the pan: you need less oil, and you don’t end up with a smoky kitchen while the pan is heating up.
• As mentioned in the seasoning section, you can rub a bit of oil on your steak. If you have a cast iron skillet, you won’t even have to add oil to the pan.

Pan Frying the Steak

1. Heat a pan over medium-high to high heat. If you’re using a non stick pan or have decided not to oil the steak, you need to add a bit of oil to coat the bottom, preferably an oil with a high smoke point.
   • If you like rare steak, set the burner to high. It’ll sear faster, but leave the inside less cooked.
   • If you like it medium or so, set it to medium high. The inside will have a bit of a chance to cook before the outside sears.
   • If you have herbs and spices that you think will burn, play it safe and sear the steak over medium high heat. Burnt spices really aren’t delicious at all.

   

2. When the pan is hot, add your steak. Let one side sear completely, then flip the steak over and cook it until the other side is seared.
   • Don’t move the cooking steak until it has formed a brown crust. It’ll stick at first, and if you move it you’ll tear off some meat. But it’ll lift off the pan as it sears, making it easy to turn.
   • Searing the meat and forming a brown crust is called the Maillard reaction, and it means flavor. That crust you get when cooking steak is what makes it outstanding.
   • When red juices start to seep through the top of the steak, you know your steak is rare. You can cook more if you want, or take it out of the pan right then.
3. If your steak isn’t cooked to your liking, reduce the heat to medium, and cook for a few more minutes on each side until it’s ready.
   • Don’t cover cooking the steak or you’ll trap moisture in the pan, and you’ll get… wet heat! You won’t get the evaporation effect that intensifies the flavor of the meat. It’ll just be a bit watery and bland.
   • If you have a particularly thick cut of steak, instead of finishing it off in the pan, you can put it in an oven preheated to 350F. It’ll heat more gently than on the stove, and that allows the inside to cook without scorching the outside. Again, don’t cover the cooking steak!
4. After you pan fry steak, let it rest on a warm plate for 5 minutes before serving. It’ll allow the juices to redistribute evenly.
   • Cover the steak in foil to keep it warm.
   • The steak will continue to cook a bit as it’s resting: its internal temperature will go up about 5 degrees. So be sure to take if off the heat a teensy bit before you think it’s done.

Notes

When you pan fry steak, always use tongs to flip the steak or move it around! Don’t use a fork, or you’ll pierce the steak and lose all the juices.

Testing for Doneness

There are three ways to test if your steak is done: by touch, with a meat thermometer, and by cutting it. And it’s pretty much universal, the best by far is the touch method, followed by the thermometer, followed by cutting.

The Touch Test

Whether you pan fry steak or cook it on the grill, this is by far the best way to tell if it is done. Unlike a meat thermometer or cutting into the steak, you’re leaving the steak whole. That means that you won’t have any delicious juices dripping out, and the steak will be that much better!

The only trick is, it takes a little bit of practice before you can tell how done a steak is just by pressing on it! But it’s definitely worth learning.

Just press lightly on the surface of the steak. Be careful not to burn yourself!

• If the steak feels soft, then it’s still rare. You can press the steak before cooking it so that you have something to compare to. A rare steak won’t be all that much firmer.
• If the steak feels firm on the outside, but it’s still yielding on the inside, then it’s medium.
• If the steak is very very firm and doesn’t yield, it’s well done.

If you’re just starting out cooking steak, you may want to press first, try to guess, and then cut to see if you were right. Just experiment until you get the hang of it.

Using a Meat Thermometer

Using a meat thermometer is a reliable way of checking if your steak is done. Unfortunately, it makes a small hole in the steak, and the juices can get out through it, so your steak won’t be quite as juicy.

Still, until you get the touch test down, a meat thermometer is great. Just stick it into the thickest part of the steak. Here are the different temperatures for steak:

• Very rare: 120F
• Rare: 125F
• Medium rare: 130F-135F
• Medium: 140F-145F
• Medium well: 150F-155F
• Well done: 160F

Cutting into the Steak

If you don’t feel confident about the touch test, and don’t have a meat thermometer, you can cut into the meat a bit to tell if it’s done. It’s really not the best way because you lose a lot of the juices, but it’s still better than a steak that’s not done to your liking.

And when you pan fry steak, you can always save those juices for a delicious pan sauce.

Just slice into the thickest part of the steak and see if the color looks right for you.

Notes

Some people will tell you that it’s a crime to pan fry steak to well-done. Now, it’s true that the more you cook a steak, the less tender it becomes, so a really good cut kind of loses what makes it so great in the first place. But there’s no arguing with taste, so if you like cooking steak to well-done, go for it… just don’t serve it to people who like their steak rare!

Deglazing the Pan

We’re almost done learning how to pan fry steak. In fact, you could just stop right here.

But one of the major advantages of cooking steak in a pan rather than on a grill — apart from avoiding frostbite in the winter — is that you can make an awesome pan sauce when you’re done.

Ok, so you’ve taken the steaks out of the pan, and they have to rest for 5 minutes or so. If you look in the pan, you’ll see all sorts of little brown bits stuck to the bottom. This is called the fond. It’s very flavorful, and will make the base of our pan sauce.

1. The first step is to pour out or spoon off the fat from the pan.
2. Next, you need to deglaze the pan. While the pan is still hot, just add a cold liquid like wine, beer, stock, broth, juice or even vinegar to the pan, and stir it very quickly, scraping the bottom. The fond should dissolve into the liquid.
   • If you use alcohol to deglaze, make sure to take the pan off the burner to avoid any fireball-type incidents. For other liquids, you can leave the pan on the hot burner.
   • The fond should be made up of brown bits… if it’s black, it’s burnt, and your sauce will taste like burnt, unfortunately. Still, deglazing is a good way to clean the pan if that happens.
   • If you use wine to deglaze, it’ll have a harsher taste than if you add it to the sauce later. Try both ways to see which you like better.
3. Now you have the base for a wonderful sauce, but you can make it even better by adding various ingredients.
   • Wine gives a nice taste to a sauce and goes great with steak. If you add wine, let the sauce reduce by about one half to get a good flavor.
   • Butter, of course, has its own yummy flavor, but it also helps the other flavors blend and carry better.
   • You can also add beef stock. It’ll add its own nice flavor, and just like butter, it’ll help the flavors blend better. If you add a good beef stock, you really don’t need butter.
   • You can saute some sliced mushrooms or aromatics like garlic or green onions to add a little kick to the pan sauce.
   • Herbs and spices can add a nice depth of flavor to your sauce. Try salt, pepper, rosemary, mustard seeds, or any other herb you like with beef.
4. The steaks should have had time to rest by the time you’re done with the sauce. Some of the juices may have pooled at the bottom of the plate they were resting in. You can add those juices to the sauce if you don’t have another use for them.

And that’s how you pan fry steak. It’s easy, delicious, and doesn’t take a whole lot of equipment or nice weather. So now you know how to cook steak all year round! Enjoy!