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Saturday, January 31, 2015

Recipes: Pan Fried Steak for beginners



My dad and I practically have a similar palate when it comes to food, and one of our favorites are juicy, beefy, medium rare steaks! We rarely eat out anymore (saves us a lot of money, plus we know what's going in our food) and recreating our favorite restaurant dishes at home has been my latest hobby. This one is surprisingly easy to prepare, the seasoning is really basic and the cooking technique I chose, pan-frying, is easy for anyone to do as well. What is crucial here is the heat of the skillet and timing in order to get that perfect sear on the outside, and all that pinkish juicy goodness on the inside.

You will need:


  • Frying pan (preferably not the non-stick type)
  • Tongs
  • Timer



  • Meat of your choice (I used US Angus Beef Rib Eye and Australian round steaks)
  • Rock Salt
  • Black Pepper
  • Olive Oil
  • Butter


Prep:

1. Thaw the meat and bring to room temperature. Make sure there is no ice left and drain excess water from the meat
2. Season moderately with rock salt and pepper on both sides
3. Put a teaspoon of olive oil on each cut

US Angus Rib Eye

Australian Round Steaks

Cook:

4. Heat the pan and make sure it is very hot before cooking the steak. To check the temp, put in a few drops of water into the pan. If the water will roll around the pan looking like little solid beads, you've reached the desired temperature. Discard water after testing.
5. Lower the temperature just a little bit, then melt a slice of butter to the pan
6. Put the meat in the pan using the tongs, cook each side for 1 minute (this is for thin cuts of meat, medium rare to medium well. Thicker cuts of meat need longer cooking times, another timing factor is also  how well done you want your steak to be)


Heat test for the pan




Serve:

1. Let sit for at least 5 minutes so the juices can run through the fibers and lock in the flavor. Serve with your favorite sides, gravy or steak sauce, and maybe some wine. Enjoy your home-made steak! :)



Tips and Tricks:

1. Do not marinate the meat, leaving salt on it can absorb moisture and make your steak dry/tough
2. While cooking, do not keep flipping it from one side to the other, as frequent flipping can make the meat tough
3. When it comes to steaks, it is better to undercook than to overcook, as this allows room for improvement. After removing the steak from the pan, you can slice it and check if it's done just the way you like. If it's a bit too bloody for your liking, you can always return it to the pan for some extra cooking.

Have you ever tried cooking your own steaks at home? What cuts and cooking technique did you use? Share your cooking experiences in the comments section! :)



I'm Back!

Hi guys! I just looked back at my old posts and I realized just how fast time flies! This is probably the longest time I have been on a writing hiatus. My usual excuses- I was too busy, I had better things to do, I needed a simpler camera for photos (a point and shoot, because photos from a DSLR are too much of a hassle to upload and edit, plus it's too big to lug around haha), and when I finally get enough time to sit in front of the PC, I had another excuse- I wasn't inspired. 

This time though, I am committed to carving out a little time in my schedule to do what I love most- writing about the things and activities that interest me, in the hopes that I would be able to reach out to other people as well. I love Instagram and I've been posting pictures of my #fotds (face of the day) and the meals that I prepare and I usually get queries on how to do them, so here it is! :)

Facebook and Instagram are awesome, but nothing really beats being able to detail makeup techniques and food recipes on a blog.

I started blogging when I was in high school, and it was full of (super embarrassing) angst-y, typical teenager stuff; during my college years to early career years it was purely beauty and makeup blogging. Over 10 years my interests have evolved and I hope that you, dear readers (especially those my age) will be able to relate with me on the new topics I will be covering. 

Thank you to everyone who has followed The Kikay Chronicles in the past, hope to still see you here!