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! :)