Harris Ranch, Alexander’s Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris, Morton’s the Steakhouse, House of Prime Rib. San Francisco is riddled with many high end, fine dining restaurants specializing in steaks. But, if you’re on a budget (as I often am), what would it take just to enjoy a nice piece of steak without breaking the bank? Well, as intimidating as it sounds, it actually is easy to prepare a delicious steak right in your own home! We found this great post on Off the Meat Hook that gives simple instructions and useful tips on how to cook a steak right on your stovetop.
To highlight, some awesome tips she gave were:
- Buy a good quality steak! She suggests grass fed over traditional grain fed steak. Like she prefers, we recommend a ribeye cut. Though, the next step may help turn a cheaper steak into a greater product if budget is a large restraint.
- Take the steak(s) out an hour before cooking and salt generously with coarse, big-grain sea salt. From a tip she learned from Steamy Kitchen, we have also noticed that it helps enhance the flavor by drawing out the water and relaxing the proteins in the meat.
- With tongs, hold the fat-covered edge of the steak in the pan until it releases some grease and browns before laying it flat on the pan to cook.
- Use the finger test to determine if your steak is done. She found a great explanation at Simply Recipes which we have included below. Don’t cook the steak to the desired temperature since the steak will continue to cook as it is resting. Rest the steak(s) for 5-10 minutes before serving.
As with many other things, practice makes perfect! Soon enough, you’ll be sure to impress your guest(s) or significant other with a delectable homemade steak.