Flank steak and Denver recipes. "Denver" (steak): description, cooking recommendations, recipes. Tips for those who want to understand

It's not every day that we can treat ourselves to Tomahawk steaks, Wagyu ribeye, and Kobe fillet. An inexpensive, affordable alternative to expensive steaks is flank steak. Flank steak is a cut from the muscular part of the cow's belly and is great for grilling. Since this is quite tough meat, you need to know a few rules to cook it. Read the following tips and get started cooking steak!

Ingredients

For flank steak

• High quality flank steak approximately 450 grams for 3 servings
• Pepper
• Cooking meat thermometer (optional)

Marinade

• Approximately 80 grams of olive oil 1/3 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 80 ml soy sauce
• 60 grams of honey
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Another marinade option

• Juice of 1 lemon
• 3 tablespoons (45 grams) olive oil
• 60 ml wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons 30 grams of Worcestershire sauce (sweet and sour sauce prepared from vinegar, sugar and fish)
• 60 grams of honey
• Hot sauce or chili mixture (optional)

Meat rub

• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 2 tablespoon ground coriander
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon ground dried garlic
• 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Steps

Part 1

1. Score the surface of the steak. Whether you season your steak or not, start by making slits in the surface of the steak. The cuts will help the heat and seasonings penetrate deeper into the meat. Place the flank steak on a cutting board and use the tip of a sharp knife to make diamond-shaped cuts on both sides of the steak. The depth of the cut should be about 50-60 millimeters.

   • Try to make cuts across the grain of the meat, this will make it more tender.

2. Choose a marinade or dry rub for your meat. When cooked correctly, flank steak is delicious without any seasoning. However, seasonings will give the steak a spicy flavor and make it incomparable. You can marinate the steak in a marinade or rub it with dry seasonings. When you marinate meat, the aromas and flavors of the marinade permeate the steak, inside and out. A meat rub works on the outside where a piece of steak is rubbed with a mixture of aromatic seasonings. Both methods can make flank steak very tasty. Remember that both methods cannot be used at the same time, so you need to decide which method to choose.

   • Examples of marinade and meat rub recipes are provided in the Ingredients section.
   • If you choose to marinate, start early to give the meat enough time to soak in the marinade. On average, the meat is marinated for 2-3 hours, but you can leave it overnight to give the meat a stronger taste and aroma.

3. Mix seasonings. Whether you use a marinade or a meat rub, the process is the same. Simply combine the selected ingredients in a bowl and mix them until they turn into a homogeneous mixture. When the mixture is ready, place the flank steak in it.

   • If you don't like the recipes above, you can come up with your own. To prepare the marinade, first select an oil (olive or vegetable), add seasonings and a liquid and acidic ingredient (for example, lemon juice or table vinegar). To make a meat rub, combine the dry and ground seasonings you like. Salty, sweet, spicy and aromatic ingredients will be great for rubbing meat.

4. If you choose to marinate, soak the steak in the marinade. To begin, pour the marinade into a sealable Zip-lock plastic bag, then place the flank steak in it. Release all air from the bag and seal it securely. Remember the bag so that the entire steak is covered in the marinade. Leave the bag of marinating steak in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Some people prefer to marinate the meat overnight. Remember, the longer the meat is marinated, the stronger its flavor will be.

   • If you don't have a Zip-lock bag, marinate the meat in a bowl with a lid, or Tupperware, or any other airtight container.

5. If you choose the meat rub option. Dry rubbing meat gives the meat a crispier exterior. Place the seasoning mixture in a large bowl and place the flank steak in it. Using your hands, turn the meat around in the mixture until the entire piece of steak is coated in the seasonings. Sprinkle the seasonings generously over the meat so that every inch of the meat is infused with flavor.

   • Once the entire piece is coated with seasonings, leave it at room temperature for a while, and if you don't plan to grill it immediately, put it in the refrigerator.

   Part 2

   Perfect roasting

   1. Fire up the grill. Whether you use a gas or charcoal grill, it should be well heated by the time you plan to cook the steak. Follow these steps to achieve the ideal temperature for grilling flank steak:

      • For a gas grill: Light one burner and set it to high. Close the lid and let it warm up for a few minutes. If possible, leave the second burner off so that you can transfer the meat after "sealing" (a quick, strong sear to keep the juices inside the meat) to a slower sear setting.
      • For a charcoal grill: Place charcoal in the bottom of the grill until the bottom is covered in charcoal. If possible, move the charcoal to one side of the grill so that the other half is empty. This part of the grill will slow cook the meat after a quick initial sear. Light the coals and let them burn freely until the flames subside and the coals are ash-gray. The grill surface should be hot enough that you will not be able to hold your hand over the grill for more than 1 second.

   2. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. Grilled meat has characteristic black-brown stripes, which are obtained by quick frying in the first minutes of cooking. To do this, the surface must be dry. In order not to waste the power of the flame on evaporating moisture, you must dry the surface of the steak from excess liquid. Pat, but do not wring out, the meat.

      • If you are using the meat rub method, you can skip this step. Dry ingredients absorb moisture on their own. And paper towels can remove the seasoning from the meat, which is undesirable.

   3. Place steak on grill. When the grill is hot, use a brush to brush the grill grate with olive or vegetable oil. Then place the steak on the area that was oiled. You will hear a characteristic hissing sound that occurs when the meat and the grill come into contact. Leave the meat on the grill.

      • If you don't have a grill brush, you can use a paper towel dampened with oil. Wipe the grill grate with an oil towel, but be very careful not to burn your hands on the grill.

   4. The meat should “seal” in the first few minutes. Do not disturb the meat for 3-4 minutes, then turn it over with tongs. If the grill is heated correctly, the meat should have a brown crust with black stripes. If the meat is not sealed enough, turn it back over immediately. The initial deep frying of the meat will give it a delicious crispy crust and appetizing texture.

      • Contrary to popular belief, "sealing" does not keep the meat juices inside; the juices may leak out anyway. The main purpose of "sealing" is flavor and texture. Most people love a crispy, caramelized coating on the surface of the meat.

   5. Cook over low heat for the remaining time. Once each side of the meat is “sealed” and the surface is brown with black streaks, use tongs to transfer it to a cooler area. On a gas grill, this is where the second burner is turned off. On a charcoal grill, this is where there was no coal. High heat is required to “seal” the meat, but it is impossible to cook a steak in such heat; the meat may simply burn. For subsequent cooking, a place with constant, low heat is best. Cook steak an additional 3 minutes on each side.

      • When cooking meat on low heat, keep the grill lid closed to retain the heat and not dissipate.

   6. Remove the meat from the grill when it reaches approximately 54.5°C. After "sealing" and then frying the meat on low heat, it should be ready. Use a meat thermometer to check the meat. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the steak. Make sure the probe does not touch the surface of the grill, otherwise the readings will not be accurate. Typically, if the internal temperature of the meat reaches 54.5 o C, it means it is ready. Cook the meat to your liking. The minimum temperature is 49 o C; meat with a temperature below is considered raw and unsuitable for eating. Here are the approximate levels of meat doneness:

      • 49 o C: Rare - medium-rare (not cooked, almost raw inside; quickly fried on top and bottom)
      • 54.5 o C: Medium rare - medium-rare (medium raw, red juice)
      • 60 o C: Medium - medium-rare (medium depth of frying, when the pinkish meat steak stands out)
      • 65.5 o C: Medium well - medium-rare (medium-rare meat that exudes clear juice.)
      • 71.1 o C: Well done - well done (meat fried until fully cooked.)

   7. If you don't have a meat thermometer, you can tell if the steak is done by cutting off a piece. The basic rule is that the pinker the meat inside, the less it was cooked. As mentioned above, the color of meat and meat juice indicates the degree of roasting. The most healthy degree is Medium well - medium-roasted meat, brown in color, with a slight pink tint and clear juice. Remember, undercooked meat retains microbes.

      • As for flank steak, since this meat is initially quite tough, if you cook it until fully cooked (71.1 o C), it can become even tougher. It is recommended to cook it until it is uniformly brown in color with a slight pink inside.

They say that the way to a man's heart is through his stomach. In some ways this expression is true. What man would refuse a juicy, tasty, aromatic steak? Moreover, beef steak is quite easy to cook. There are different types of steaks. The type of steak depends on the part of the animal carcass from which it is prepared. One of these steaks is Denver.

Denver steak

Kitchen utensils and equipment: grill, deep bowl or sealed plastic bag with a zipper, deep plate, spoon, paper towels.

Ingredients

How to choose the right ingredients

• Steaks are prepared from different cuts; these do not always have to be expensive parts of the carcass. What part is Denver steak made from? Denver is a steak made from neck fillet. To put it simply, it is a piece of boneless beef cut from the neck-scapula part. If you cook a steak from this part, the dish acquires a special softness and a sweetish taste. This steak is called marbled meat. Experienced chefs believe that marbled meat must be allowed to mature. The minimum period for this process is 21 days, but it is better to leave the meat for 30 days.

• If you cook from frozen beef, then let it defrost in the right conditions. Transfer the piece of meat from the freezer to the refrigerator in advance. Yes, defrosting in such conditions will take a sufficient amount of time, but in this way the steak will retain its properties.
• Never defrost meat in the microwave., even in “defrost” mode. This will ruin it, and you can never dream of a juicy steak.

• It is also worth knowing that to prepare the perfect Denver steak: you will need olive oil. It goes perfectly with spices and beef. But any other odorless vegetable oil will do.

Cooking sequence

1. Pat the beef steak with a paper towel to remove excess liquid.
   
2. In a deep bowl, mix 300 ml of dark beer, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. If you don't have sesame oil, you can safely use olive oil.
   
3. Squeeze 3 cloves of garlic into the beer using a press, add 2 teaspoons of dried marjoram, ¼ teaspoon of chili pepper, ¼ teaspoon of ground black pepper and ½ teaspoon of salt. Mix the entire marinade thoroughly.
   
4. Place our steaks in a plastic bag or deep bowl and pour marinade over them. Place the meat in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours. But it will be better if the steaks are marinated for 4 hours.
   
5. After the allotted time for marinating, remove the steaks from the marinade and blot them from excess moisture with a paper towel.
   


6. We place our steaks on the heated grill grate and immediately close the grill lid so that the heat does not escape.
   
7. Cook the meat for 3-4 minutes on each side.
   
8. Transfer the finished dish to a plate and cover with foil. Let stand for 3-5 minutes and serve.
   

Video recipe

The video clearly and clearly shows how to properly cook Denver steak.

How to serve and how to complement the dish

• Allow the meat to ripen before serving.. Once grilled, transfer the steak to a plate and cover with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes.

• Grilled vegetables are ideal as a side dish for Denver steak. Or you can serve fresh vegetables.
• Don't be afraid to experiment with sauces. The following will sound good with beef: various berry sauces, white sauces, spicy tomato sauces.
• If you are preparing dinner for a large number of people, then it would be useful to serve several options for sauces in gravy boats. This way, guests can try their steak in different flavor combinations.

• Before cooking meat should never be washed.
• You need to cut the steaks across the grain. The optimal thickness of one steak is 2.5-3 centimeters.
• There is no need to season the meat with salt and pepper in advance.. Otherwise, the dish will not turn out as juicy as it could. Salt and pepper the meat only after cooking.
• Before cooking, meat must be removed from the refrigerator in advance. It should come to room temperature.

• Also remember that when cooking your steak is covered with a golden brown crust and remains juicy inside, You need to dry it with a paper towel before frying.. The meat should not be wet.
• The pan must be very hot so that the crust instantly sets on the steaks. After its formation, the fire must be reduced.
• If you have a food thermometer, then you will be interested to know that the finished Denver steak should be at a temperature of 58 degrees Celsius.
• In general, steaks are quite simple dishes, but it is important to know the difference between them and how to prepare each correctly. Therefore, be sure to read the recipe. Also, don’t neglect this interesting cooking option. I am sure that you have not heard of it, and now you have the opportunity to get acquainted with the recipe for its preparation. – one of the most delicious, in my opinion, meat dishes. Well, it will not leave any representative of the stronger sex indifferent.

I learned how to cook Denver steak from a women's magazine. I have long wanted to find a recipe that will stick in my soul for a long time. And so it happened. Use this recipe for your health, cook and delight your family and friends. I'm sure they will be delighted. Write your reviews and recipes in the comments. Bon appetit!

From classic to alternative

Steaks are now made from pork, fish, and sometimes even vegetables. But all this is from the evil one: a classic steak is a decent piece of fried beef.

Until recently, it was preferred to call only pieces from premium cuts steaks, but now so-called alternative steaks from cheaper parts of the carcass are gaining more and more popularity.

We have compiled a guide to 18 steaks, classic and alternative - their psychological portraits, characteristics, as well as tips on how best to handle them: using a frying pan, a charcoal grill - and a contact grill (using the example of Tefal Optigrill+).

The general rules for cooking steaks are the same. First of all, you need to take the meat out of the refrigerator and wait until it warms up to room temperature - this will take from half an hour (for portioned pieces) to two hours (if we are talking about a whole cut). It is also necessary to dry the steaks with paper or cloth towels: excess moisture will prevent the meat from frying and getting a golden brown crust. After frying, you need to let the steak rest in the warmth for about five minutes - so that the meat juices, forced out by the compressed proteins into the center of the piece, disperse evenly throughout it. Is it possible to cook a steak in the oven after a quick sear? Yes, sure. When should you salt your steak - before or after cooking? Opinions on this matter vary, so the answer is this: try both ways - and choose the end result that you personally liked.

Many people in our country still do not trust lightly cooked meat - as they say, with blood. So, there is no blood in steaks; almost all of it comes out of the carcass after slaughter before cutting at a meat processing plant. If you like well done, fry it like this; but remember: all recommendations for optimal roasting are based on many years of experience of chefs and butchers - and there are steaks that, if cooked to the point of well done, turn into real sole.

The difference between degrees of doneness is determined by the temperature at the very center of the steak. Blue (very lightly done) - 46–49 degrees, rare (low done) - 50–55 degrees, medium rare (medium-low done) - 55–60 degrees, medium (medium done) - 60–65 degrees, medium well (medium-deep roast) - 65–70 degrees, well done (full roast) - above 71 degrees. These are average values. Meticulous chefs insist on narrower ranges and believe that, for example, medium rare is 54 degrees (plus or minus a degree), medium is 56 degrees, medium well is 60 degrees, and a steak is already fully cooked at 64 degrees.

It is important to remember that it is best to remove the steak from the heat at the moment when it does not reach two degrees to the required temperature: it will reach the required degree of frying during rest.

Here's how to properly grill steaks on a contact grill, a convenient modern device that makes frying large pieces of meat extremely simple. Chef Konstantin Ivlev talks, using the Tefal Optigrill as an example. This device, in the “Red Meat” mode, automatically measures the thickness of the steak and builds a temperature program in accordance with the required degree of doneness.

Classic steaks

Steaks are made from the best parts of the carcass, which occupy only 10-12 percent of it, and that is why they are so expensive - and of course, because they are considered the most delicious. Ribeye, cowboy steak (the same ribeye, only with the bone), tomahawk (ribeye with a long bone), striploin, filet mignon, chateaubriand, T-bon, porterhouse - marinate them? In no case, this meat will tell all the most interesting things about itself, without outside help. The main thing is just not to ruin the steak. The Optigrill contact grill, for example, automatically determines the thickness of the piece and, depending on this, builds the optimal temperature regime: you just need to select the desired degree of roasting - and wait for the corresponding sound or color signal.

Ribeye

Perhaps the most famous and popular steak in the world. It is taken from the thick edge of the dorsal part of the bull's rib cage - from the 6th to the 12th rib. In the USA, bone-in ribeye is often called rib steak, and boneless ribeye is often called Spencer steak, or rib-eye itself. In Australia, on the other hand, a ribeye is a bone-in steak, while the boneless version is a scotch fillet.

Ribeye consists of muscles that experience minimal stress during the life of the animal, so the fibers of the meat are soft and tender. This steak has four muscles - spinalis dorsi (the upper part of the steak, very fatty, with loose meat fibers, it is considered the most delicious part, it is separated from the rest of the steak by a large fat layer) , multifidus dorsi, longissimus dorsi and longissimus costarum. The closer the part of the carcass was to the head, the more spinalis dorsi there will be in the steak, and accordingly, the tastier and more valuable it will be.

Due to the significant fat content and its even distribution throughout the entire piece of meat, this is the easiest steak to prepare and is guaranteed to be tasty, juicy and soft. The fat is also responsible for the pleasant, buttery, nutty flavor present in the finished steak. When heated, it melts and soaks the already soft fibers, making them even juicier and melting in your mouth.

The ideal degree of doneness for a ribeye is: medium rare, lovers appreciate rare, but medium will also be good. Cooking this steak is very simple: season with salt and sear each side and sides of the rib eye in a very hot pan or charcoal grill for a minute. The entire roasting process will take approximately four to six minutes for an average 300g steak, during which time the steak will reach medium rare. If you want to sear the meat further, reduce the heat or move the steak to a cooler section of the grill and cook to your desired level of doneness.

Cowboy steak

This is the same ribeye, only on a short rib (in Russia, cowboy steak is often called simply ribeye on the bone). Average weight - 600 g. If you cook a cowboy steak on a charcoal grill, then first it is better to simmer it for fifteen to twenty minutes in a cold zone, turning it every five minutes, and then quickly fry it on both sides over high heat until an appetizing crust forms. If you cook in a frying pan, you need to quickly fry it over high heat on all sides, including the edges, and then put it in the oven preheated to 200 degrees (the time it should spend there depends on the desired degree of frying; the easiest way to control it is with using a temperature probe). Recommended degree of roasting is medium.

This steak is similar to a tomahawk - ribeye on a long trimmed rib about 15 centimeters long: it resembles an Indian battle hatchet, hence the name. In part, the tomahawk is a marketing device to help sell a bone for the price of marbled beef. Many sellers and chefs, however, argue that the meaning of the bone is not only in the visual wow effect - but in the rich aroma that it gives to the meat. The statement is controversial: she will be much more successful in transferring it to broth than to grilled steak. In addition, for a tomahawk you will need either a grill or a decent-sized frying pan. You should treat a tomahawk the same way you would a cowboy steak.

Striploin

It is also known as “New York” steak (it got its name because it was a signature dish of the New York restaurant Delmonico's). It is cut from a thin fillet edge located in the lumbar region of the carcass after the 13th rib. There is a strip along the perimeter of the steak fat, sometimes it is cut off.

Striploin is distinguished by large and dense meat fibers and a low content of intermuscular fat. It's more flavorful than ribeye, with a distinct meaty flavor - but the striploin requires an eye and an eye. It is very easy to dry it out; you need to cook the striploin first on high heat, then on low (in the case of a charcoal grill - first on high heat, then in a colder zone). The ideal degree of roasting is medium rare. It is best to season this steak only with salt and pepper so that nothing interferes with the taste of the meat.

Filet mignon

Tenderloin steak, that is, the psoas major muscle. This muscle is practically not involved in the life of animals; there is almost no connective tissue in it, so it remains very soft. A whole tenderloin is a long piece of meat, shaped like a pencil, thickened on one side and sharpened on the other. For filet mignon, the second part is used - narrow, it is believed that it has the most delicate taste. It is cut into small cylinders - thickness varies from 3 to 6 cm.

On average, one animal can only produce 500 grams of meat for filet mignon, which is why this steak is so expensive. But at the same time, many connoisseurs of fried beef do not like it too much. Filet mignon contains almost no intramuscular fat, its taste is distinguished by creamy, velvety tenderness, but not meaty expressiveness. It is valued for its juiciness and softness, but not for the taste and aroma of meat, and that is why it is conventionally called a “female” steak (as opposed to a “male”, brutal “New York” or T-bone).

When cooking filet mignon, you need to fry it for four minutes on all sides, and then leave it to rest for five minutes, wrapped in foil, or fry it on all sides until nicely browned and put it in the oven for 10 minutes. The recommended degree of roasting is medium; it is almost never cooked with rare meat. To make filet mignon juicier, it is often wrapped in bacon when cooked; it also protects the surface of the steak from drying out. The second option to achieve a firm, but not dry crust is to periodically coat the steak with oil during cooking. Thanks to its mild taste and leanness, filet mignon goes well with aromatic, complex sauces.

Konstantin Ivlev talks about how to cook filet mignon in a contact grill.

Chateaubriand

Chateaubriand is also made from tenderloin - only from its widest part. Unlike filet mignon, it is prepared whole, not cut into pieces - so this is a serving for two, unless, of course, it is eaten by a person for whom half a kilogram of beef, even lean, does not pose any digestive problem. This is probably exactly what the Viscount and writer Francois-René de Chateaubriand was like, after whom, according to one version, this steak is named. However, there is another version - about the city of Chateaubriand, where high-quality cattle were raised.

When cooking shatborian, you must first seal it on all sides over high heat, and then bring it to the desired degree of frying over a lower fire - or send it to the oven preheated to 200 degrees for 15–20 minutes, depending on the desired degree of frying. Then you need to let the steak rest in a warm place. Classic chateaubriand is a well-done crust, a thin layer of well done, then medium and finally soft flesh with blood in the center.

Chateaubriand, like filet mignon, is traditionally served with sauce. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was a sauce of the same name made from white wine, shallots, thyme, mushrooms, bay leaves, tarragon, beef broth and butter with parsley. Nowadays, chateaubriand is most often accompanied by sauce.

T-bone

The name (T-Bone Steak) fully corresponds to its appearance - it is a steak made from two pieces of muscle separated by a T-shaped bone. On the one hand there is a tender lean tenderloin, on the other there is a brutal striploin with a rich meaty taste. The farther from the head the steak is cut, the larger it is and the more tenderloin it contains (filet mignon). The largest steaks, in which the diameter of the part of the tenderloin exceeds the size of a golf ball, are called porterhouse. Florentine steak is also a T-bone or Porterhouse, but, as a rule, it is made from the Italian Chianina and Marremana beef breeds. Kuban steak, invented by Tahir Kholkiberdiev, is a porterhouse made from the meat of Kuban bulls and cows. Close to the T-bone is the club steak: a bone-in steak taken from the end of the thin edge where the portion of the tenderloin is negligible.

Since the T-bone is essentially two different steaks in one, you need to cook it carefully so as not to dry out the tenderloin, while the striploin is not yet ready. You need to fry it in a frying pan over moderate heat for 15–20 minutes, turning it over every 2–3 minutes, and it is better to keep the part with the tenderloin away from the epicenter of the heat. Or do this: quickly fry over high heat until crusty, turning every 30 seconds, and then bring to a moderate heat, placing the part with the tenderloin in a cooler zone. Then, be sure to let the steak rest. The same recommendations apply to a charcoal grill. The ideal degree of roasting is medium rare. However, the same degree in different parts of the T-bone is not always achieved, and if for the tenderloin it turns out to be medium rare, then for the striploin it is medium.

Alternative steaks

This is the name given to steaks from those parts of the carcass that most people previously did not consider steaks and which were previously intended for baking, stewing - or minced meat. But it turned out that if you handle them correctly, then alternative steaks turn out excellent in a frying pan or on the grill. This is meat may seem harsh but it has a rich beef taste and is significantly cheaper than premium cuts (the difference in price is up to three times) . Alternative steaks can be marinated to make the meat softer and add new flavors to its taste. Recommendations for cooking on a frying pan or charcoal grill are below, and in the case of a contact grill, simply decide what degree of doneness you want and wait for the appropriate signal in the “Red Meat” mode.

Skirt steak

Steak from the diaphragm, an unpaired encircling muscle that separates the chest and abdominal cavities. One of the so-called alternative, that is, steaks from non-premium parts of the carcass.

Skirt steak is usually called only the softer part (inside skirt), which belongs to the hem, but sometimes also the part cut from the flank (this steak is also called the outside skirt, but more often it is sold under the name machete steak).

This steak has large fibers with layers of fat, and when cooked properly, it is very juicy, although it is tougher than premium cuts from thick or thin edge. To soften the meat, it is recommended to first strip it of numerous films and lightly pre-marinate it (marinades made from onions or citrus fruits are suitable, as well as with the addition of soy or Worcestershire sauce and vinegar like balsamic). Another way to tenderize a skirt steak is to make small mesh cuts on both sides of it before marinating. The marinated steak is fried quickly, 3 minutes on each side.

However, you can do without marinade, just season the skirt steak with salt and pepper and grease with vegetable oil - and now the main thing is not to dry it out: the steak is very thin, so fry it over moderate heat. 10–15 minutes, turning every 2–3 minutes, optimal roasting is medium rare.

Machete

About the machete steak (aka outside skirt) everything is basically said a little higher: it is a thin and long diaphragm steak, so named because its shape resembles a Latin American farm knife. A machete should be handled in the same spirit as a skirt.

And here are Konstantin Ivlev’s tips for cooking machete steak in a contact grill.

Flank steak

Flank steak, that is, from the inner fleshy part of the carcass located between the ribs and thigh closer to the groin area of ​​the animal. This cut produces fairly tough and lean steaks, but the taste is very bright, with a distinct meaty aroma. It makes the most sense to marinate the flank steak - for at least a couple of hours, and preferably overnight. Marinade options - chimichurri sauce; a combination of vegetable oil, wine vinegar, garlic and soy sauce and honey; a combination of onion, soy sauce, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sugar. Fry the marinated steak on a charcoal grill or frying pan for about ten minutes, turning regularly, until cooked medium rare, maximum medium. (In a contact grill, of course, there is no need to turn over.)

Butcher's steak

Steak from the meaty part of the diaphragm. In English it is also called hanger steak or hanging tender, in both cases the word “hanging” is important: it describes the position of the muscle, as if suspended inside the animal between the lungs and the abdominal cavity. This part is called a butcher steak because butchers often did not put it on sale, but kept it for themselves - both because of its not too impressive appearance and because of the rich meat taste and aroma that it resembles flank steak. Some people claim that butcher's steak tastes like liver, but you could also call it bloody taste.

A vein runs through the center of the steak, to which large fibers of meat are attached at an angle of 30–40 degrees. It is usually removed before frying, dividing the piece into two narrow parts.

This part of the diaphragm is one of the least active muscles during the life of an animal, so the main thing is not to dry out its tenderness. So you can fry it with minimal seasonings like salt and pepper and a sprig of thyme in vegetable oil with a little added butter - 5-6 minutes, turning often, until medium rare, maximum medium. But you can first marinate the butcher's steak in a spicy and sour environment (base - citrus fruits, wine, wine vinegar), and fry it just as briefly, turning it constantly.

Chuck roll

Neck fillet, part of the long dorsal muscle between the shoulder blade and the ribs. Chuck roll tastes like ribeye (it's a neighboring cut), but it's quite stringy meat, and a steak from it is unlikely to melt in your mouth. This cut is ideal for stewing and - after preliminary marinating - for kebabs. For steaks, it can also be marinated. Or you can add salt and pepper and cut the vein running through the steak in several places (thanks to this it will become somewhat softer during the cooking process), fry for a couple of minutes on each side over high heat, finish cooking on low, also turning over every couple of minutes. Recommended degree of roasting is medium.

Top blade

Steak from the outer part of the shoulder blade, a wide, long piece of meat. The second most tender and soft part (after the tenderloin) is the part of the carcass, which also costs half as much.

The top blade is divided in two by connective tissue - and this creates problems when frying: the high temperature simply turns it into rubber. The solution is to simply carefully avoid it with a knife on the plate. Or pre-marinate the steak - the base options are the same: onions, citrus fruits, wine, vinegar, choose to taste (sugar and honey - optional, they are needed not so much for sweetness, but for the Maillard reaction, which provides a beautiful crust, in which sugars and amino acids).

Flat iron

This is the same outer part of the blade as the top blade, just cut differently. If you cut a cut crosswise so that the connective tissue runs down the middle of each piece, it is a top blade. If the long, flat strips of meat are removed from the vein, you get two flat irons. They are fried either in whole pieces or divided into two halves. Recommended degrees of frying are medium rare or medium, it is important not to overdry, so you need to fry quickly. You can marinate a flat iron if you like, but it's good with minimal spices - like a ribeye.

In addition, Konstantin Ivlev’s story about how best to fry this steak in a contact grill, having previously marinated the meat in honey-mustard-oyster sauce.

Denver

Steak from a small muscle located between the cervical spine and the shoulder blade. This is the most tender part of the neck cut: unlike Chuck Roll, Denver is a relatively soft steak. A relatively new cut - it was first introduced to the market in 2009 (the industry does not stand still, and butchers are still picking out interesting pieces from the carcass that are suitable for steaks). The best steaks come from a seasoned cut; a Denver marinade won't hurt either. The optimal degree of roasting for Denver is medium or medium well. Salt and pepper it (you can add other spices like cumin and garlic), let it sit for about ten minutes, then fry until crusty in a frying pan or charcoal grill for 1-2 minutes on each side and then cook over lower heat for about 7 minutes, turning regularly. Then, like other steaks, let rest for 5 minutes under foil.

And here are Konstantin Ivlev’s tips for cooking Denver in a contact grill. Konstantin also shares a recipe for an excellent marinade for this steak.

Vegas strip

The youngest steak - American meat expert Tony Mata isolated it in 2012 (by the way, it was he who invented the flat iron in 2003) - from the part of the shoulder that was previously used for minced meat. Mata's proposal was to trim off all the unnecessary stuff, like connective tissue, and proclaim what was left as the new steak. Vegas Strip has a similar flavor to New York, although it has a tougher texture, but it is softer than many other steak alternatives and does not require marinating. The ideal degree of roasting is medium.

Picanha

A triangular-shaped steak from the rump, from the upper part of the thigh, covered with an even layer of fat on top. In English this part is called top sirloin cap.

This is the favorite cut of Brazilians, who cannot imagine churrasquerias, establishments specializing in meat, without it. In Brazil, picanha is divided into three parts perpendicular to the fibers, seasoned with salt and pepper, bent into a semicircle with the fat facing out, strung on skewers, pressing the pieces closely together - and fried over an open fire, constantly turning, and then cut into thin pieces - again - across the fibers.

It is better to cook whole picanha in the oven, but in Russia it is often sold in the form of sliced ​​steaks. They must first be salted and left to marinate for half an hour, and they must be fried, remembering the main thing: do not dry them out. First, on high heat for two minutes on each side (then on low for another 2–4 minutes on each side; in the case of a charcoal grill, on indirect heat). The meat is lean, but due to the fat strip, it is given the necessary juiciness during this time. The ideal degree of roasting is medium. Picanha is valued not for its tenderness, but for exactly the opposite: for its brutal texture and rich meaty taste. If you want to pre-marinate the picanha, we won’t dissuade you: it will also turn out very tasty.

Sirloin

Also a cut from the rump. It is cut from the loin area near the widest part of the tenderloin. The meat is quite soft, but at the same time aromatic. Whole sirloin is best baked: rub it with salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme and oregano (or other herbs to your taste) and place in the oven preheated to 160 degrees for an hour and a half. Sirloin steaks are easy to dry out, especially if you focus on the part where the strip of fat is located: the optimal degree of roasting is medium, or better yet, medium rare. Fry it for a couple of minutes on each side on a charcoal grill - or in a frying pan with a small amount of vegetable oil (at the end, add a piece of butter, a couple of cloves of garlic and a sprig of rosemary to the frying pan). If you are grilling on a contact grill, just press the button and wait for the desired degree of doneness. And be sure to let the steak rest after cooking.

Ramp steak

A steak from the butt, with fairly tough meat: the muscles in this part of the animal are constantly working during its life. The main advantages of ramp are its low price compared to premium steaks and its bright, rich beef taste. Before frying this steak, it is better to marinate it thoroughly (4-8 hours) (the bases are traditional, to your taste: citrus fruits, wine, good vinegar, it works very well with teriyaki). Fry over moderate heat for 2-3 minutes on each side, and then let rest - it will be medium rare. If the steaks are not marinated, fry for 4-5 minutes on each side, turning regularly, also over moderate heat.

This Chimichurri sauce recipe comes from Argentina. There, the sauce is served as an addition to fried steaks or used as a marinade. To prepare, take a lot of fresh herbs (certainly different ones) and mix them with spices and olive oil. The sauce turns out to be quite thick, with an incomparable taste and a beautiful green color. No wonder he is loved in the USA and Latin American countries. We are sure you will like it too!

Makes 4 servings

1. First, prepare the Argentinean Chimichurri sauce. To do this, chop the garlic well, chop the herbs finely, add salt, lemon zest, red pepper and olive oil. Mix everything thoroughly. The sauce should be thick and grassy. Reserve a quarter of the sauce for serving.
2. Place the steaks in a plastic bag, pour in the sauce and mix/shake well. Then close the bag tightly and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, as long as time allows. The longer the meat is marinated, the tastier it will be. Therefore, it is better to start preparing this dish in advance.
3. Place the marinated steaks on the grill and grill for a maximum of 10 minutes until cooked medium rare or medium, turning occasionally. While you are grilling the steak on one side, remember to rotate the position of the steak every 1.5 minutes to get a nice lattice pattern. First place it along the strips in the pan, then across.
4. Pour the remaining Chimichurri sauce over the finished steaks and serve.

Bon appetit!

I will dedicate this recipe not just to the traditional preparation of steak, but will tell you how to make a full-fledged romantic dinner with a meat main course - flank steak - the most budget-friendly variety of marbled meat, with a side dish and a spicy sauce.

Kitchen equipment and utensils: cutting board, sharp knife, set of bowls, a couple of flat plates, small frying pan, cast iron skillet with a thick ribbed bottom for steaks.

Ingredients

How to choose the right ingredients

Flank steak different from all other steaks. So what cut of beef is flank steak?

• When cutting beef, pieces of meat with longitudinal rather than transverse fibers are cut from under the peritoneum (flank).
• Despite the fact that it is a fat-free, coarse-fiber part, the meat is juicy and, moreover, perfectly fried, but only at high temperatures.

• The size of an average steak is quite large - each piece weighs from 400 to 800 g, and there is practically no fatty tissue.
• As for asparagus, it is better to purchase it not with long cuttings, which will then need to be broken off and thrown away, but with short ones, ready for heat treatment.

Step-by-step preparation of flank steak

Flank steaks require trimming before cooking. Each piece must be freed from unnecessary veins, pieces of fatty tissue and remaining films must be cut off after cutting by the butcher. Since the taste of this part of beef is somewhat bland, which makes it very different from marbled meat, it simply needs to be given additional flavor. I’ll tell you how to cook flank steak and make its taste a little more interesting in this recipe with step-by-step photos.

Marinate the meat

Preparing pepper sauce

Add alcohol to a mixture boiling over high heat with extreme caution to avoid igniting the oil.

Roasting asparagus

Video recipe

The video we offer for viewing shows in detail how to cook flank steak, and also outlines the main nuances of cooking the sauce for the dish. Pay attention to the recommendations from the author of the recipe, indicating the degree of readiness of the sauce itself. And also carefully read the basic rules for frying asparagus.

How and with what to serve flank steak

This dish is never served as a whole piece. Per serving, the flank steak is cut into small slices of medium thickness. The meat is cut across the grain at an angle of 45 degrees.

Classical Serving flank steak with fried or boiled asparagus, placed next to the meat with a small breast. The meat is topped with sauce (in this case, pepper-cream sauce). You can serve the dish with a glass of good red wine.

Basic truths

• Common side dishes for steaks are fried mushrooms., potatoes in all varieties of cooking and classic roasted asparagus.
• Creamy sauces do not require any storage. They are prepared once and should be used immediately when serving the dish.
• The finer the onion is chopped, the silkier the structure of the finished sauce.
• Salt is added to any sauce at the end of cooking.
• Asparagus tastes like a cross between boiled potatoes and green peas. Although her taste is recognized as exquisite.

• Asparagus is prepared using all available methods - boiled, stewed, baked and fried.
• To prevent asparagus from losing its original color when cooking, it is removed from the boiling water and immediately dipped into ice water with ice cubes. Asparagus retains its color when roasted.
• To get a steak with clearly defined “a la grill” stripes, oil is poured not into a frying pan, but directly onto the meat and only then fried.
• Ready put the steak in the switched off microwave oven for 5-10 minutes to allow the meat to “rest”, after which slicing is done.

TOP 5 most popular steaks

• Try to cook the most tender of all types of steaks and amazing in its taste. I think that its delicious taste will fully justify the money spent on purchasing an expensive piece of meat.
• Another alternative to expensive meats. Try it, and you won’t regret cooking it, or skirt steak, which has a pronounced taste of beef.
• Ask what the difference is between budget varieties of marbled meat and exquisite thin-edged sirloin beef.
• The most budget-friendly, but no less tasty steak for every day is. Quick, hearty dishes with vegetables have replaced long, prim feasts with high-calorie dishes. To prepare this steak, the neck part of the carcass is used.
• The most “American” of all famous steaks on the planet is. All self-respecting steakhouses prepare it, not only in America, but throughout Europe. Try this dish and enjoy the amazing creamy taste of this marbled meat.

If you liked my recipes, leave your feedback at the bottom of the article. Don't forget to share your own methods and techniques for preparing steaks along with your comments. And at the same time, share your secrets of simple cooking of meat dishes.