FOOD WITH MIGUEL MAESTRE THE PERFECT STEAK WITH GARY MEHIGAN How do you cook the perfect steak? Miguel and Masterchef Gary Mehigan have the answers. At Gary’s favourite butcher in Melbourne’s Prahran Market they get the low down on all things meat: What is the perfect cut to feed a family? How long should I cook each side before turning? All is explained and served with a side of salad! COOKING WITH STEAK Below are some simple steps* you can follow at home next time you set out to cook your perfect steak: 1. Before cooking, make sure the steak is room temperature – not too cold. 2. Rub salt & olive oil into the meat and make sure the pan is hot. 3. How long to cook the steak will depend on the thickness and what is the desired texture Therefore for a 2cm thick piece allow 2-3 minutes each side for rare, 4 minutes each side for medium, and 5-6 minutes each side for well-done. 4. Turn the steak only once, otherwise it will dry out. Always use tongs to handle steak as this avoids piercing the steak & letting juices escape. 5. To test if your steak is done, press the centre with your finger or tongs. If it’s rare the steak should feel soft, medium: slightly firmer and springy and well done: very firm 6. Transfer steak to a plate, cover with foil and set aside for 3-5 minutes to rest. This allows the juices to settle and the muscle fibres to relax, which ensures the steak is tender Source: http://www.taste.com.au/how+to/articles/77/how+to+cook+the+perfect+steak WHICH CUT OF STEAK DO I CHOOSE? Knowing which cut of meat to choose when at a butchers can be daunting. Yet with a bit of simple knowledge, we can be well-informed customers ready to select our meat with confidence – and ready to try cuts we may never have tried before. The simple rule to knowing your meat cuts is: a muscle that does very little work is very tender like a fillet while a muscle that does a lot of work will contain a lot of connective tissue so will be tough, like the shin. Tough meats are ideal for slow cooking which include casseroles, stews, curries etc. These meats are also the most economical and include: chuck, topside, round, blade, diced skirt steak, boneless shin (gravy beef) shin bone in (osso bucco), rolled brisket, un-corned silverside, oxtail. For a barbecue the best steaks are: rump, round, blade and oyster blade. The steaks should not be thinner than 2-3cm and not too thick (no thicker than 7-8cm) and have an even thickness all over. Try to cut through any lines of fat about 3cm apart – this stops the buckling as it cooks. Below is a list of expensive and economical cuts worth reading before your next trip to the butcher. EXPENSIVE CUTS Rib Eye Beef: best slow cooked or on the grill; on the bone, the more stick in the bone, the more flavour; also when there is marbling there is more fat. T-Bone : located on the back of the animal; one side of the T- bone sits sirloin, and the other side fillet steak; no or little connective tissue this is perfect for pan fry or BBQ. Sirloin Steak: taken from the hindquarter and is less expensive than other premium cuts; an easy cut of meat to cook as it is moist and tender, avoid marinating as it is already tender. Fillet Steak: from the spine where little work is done, so it is very tender. Rump Steak: located at the end of the spine at the rump, and in the centre of the muscle; suited to quick cooking on hot BBQ or pan but sliced no thinner than 1.5cm thick; can be sliced thin for stir fry. Eye Fillet Centre: from an area that does the least amount of work on the body; little or no connective tissue, this is a premium product, tender and juicy; best oven roasted medium rare with a béarnaise sauce or cut into steaks for BBQ or pan fry but careful not to overcook. CHEAPER CUTS: Shin Beef (Osso Bucco): from the bottom portion of the front or rear leg; as it is full of connective tissue this cut needs to be braised or slow cooked; suitable for soups and stews and can impart a full bodied flavour – even more so if it has been aged. Beef Ribs: used a lot in Chinese cooking, best when they are steamed first and then roasted. Brisket: located below the ribs; Ideal for slow wet cooking methods such as braising and casseroling – and is perfect in the slow cooker; often it is rolled and tied with string. This is good for shredding as it pulls apart when cooked, so it is popular to have served in between a bread roll. Roll of the Blade Steak: sits just beneath the blade bone, the shoulder blade, so a position where there is a lot of work on the muscle; mainly for casseroling, sinewy, gelatinous and can be full of flavour. Skirt / Flank Steak or ‘Hanger Steak: a long flat piece of meat located under the belly; go to a quality butcher for this cut or ask your butcher about this cut before purchasing; good for quick cooking such as stir fries, or any recipe requiring pan searing very quickly. It can be seasoned, sliced, diced or even rolled before cooking. Fillet Steak: sits along the spine of the animal where there is almost no movement or strain on the muscle; the most tender cut, so it is best for slicing into steaks for pan fry or BBQ for strips. Source: http://www.beefandlamb.com.au/Learn/Plate/Tools_and_Apps/Cuts_Chart GUEST CHEF: GARY MEHIGAN Gary is one of the most recognizable faces on television. Five series of Masterchef (and series 6 of Masterchef is currently being shot) and two series of Junior Masterchef, 1 of Celebrity Masterchef and one Allstars have excelled his profile from his earlier TV career on various shows like The Circle, David & Kim, Boys Weekend and Good Chef Bad Chef. Gary started out his apprenticeship and early years in London before coming to Australia where he worked in various highly regarded restaurants such as Sofitel Melbourne, Brown’s and Burnham Beeches. Gary today owns The Boathouse restaurant in Melbourne. He is also the author of three cook books: Comfort Food and another two with George Calombaris, Your Place or Mine and Cook with Us. His next book is due out in August 2014. BUTCHER: GARY MCBEAN Gary McBean is no stranger to working with meat. He followed in the footsteps of his forefathers (4 generations of butchers!). Gary established Gary’s Quality Meats in 1975, which has become a thriving retail operation situated in Melbourne’s Prahran Market. Gary is an expert in selecting and delivering quality meat. Gary’s butcher offers a range of cuts that have been aged over time which guarantees further flavour. Gary is Gary Mehigan’s preferred butcher and has appeared as a guest chef on Masterchef. RECIPES Gary cooked up his favourite cut of steak: scotch fillet and created a delicious sweet potato salad to accompany it. SCOTCH FILLET WITH SWEET POTATO SALAD 2 x 300g thick scotch fillet 1 small packet 80g wild rice 1 tsp flaked salt 1 large pomegranate 40ml olive oil 75g thick Greek yoghurt 1 tbsp thyme leaves 1tbsp organic tahini 1 tsp black pepper crushed Juice & zest of 1 lemon 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil ¼ clove garlic, crushed Sweet Potato Salad Flaked salt 1 medium sweet potato Cracked white pepper 6 cloves of garlic, skin on Pinch of sumac 50 ml extra virgin olive oil ¼ bunch dill 2 asparagus spears ¼ bunch mint leaves (chargrilled) Ingredients Cost: $24.73 (serves 2) Method: The Steaks Remove the steak from the fridge 30 minutes before you need it, to allow the steaks to come up to room temperature. Smear with half the olive oil and sprinkle both sides with ¾ of the salt papper and thyme leaves. Heat a good non-stick pan over a high heat. Add a dash of olive oil and add the steaks gently to the pan. Keep the heat nice and high so the steaks fry and begin to colour and caramelize quickly. Fry for 2-3 minutes on one side, they should be well caramelized and have that characteristic crusty surface. Turn the steaks over and repeat for 2-3 minutes on the other. You can cook for longer on each side if you like your steak cooked a little more. Remove from the pan, sprinkle with the remaining salt, pepper and thyme leaves and place in a warm spot for 4-5 minutes to rest thoroughly. This will ensure they are evenly pink. Method: The Salad Pre heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Wash and dry the sweet potato, cut into thick chunks and pop into a roasting tray along with the garlic. Drizzle with a little olive oil and season with salt, pepper and sumac. Place into the oven and roast for 40 minutes turning once or twice to ensure they cook evenly and turn a nice golden brown. Meanwhile place the wild rice in a small pot and cover generously with water, add a pinch of salt and bring to the boil over a moderate heat. Simmer and cook until the grains are tender approximately 40 minutes.