It is a pleasure for every meat lover to enjoy a nice and tender steak, which has preserved its juiciness, taste and essence.
Although its preparation is simple, it can sometimes be unsuccessful, if the exact culinary techniques and cooking temperatures are not followed.
There are other important conditions, which we will mention at the end and now we will focus on the first and perhaps most important step - sealing the steaks.
Below this culinary term is a method that is a kind of pre-treatment of the meat, so that it forms a crust, under which the juices of the steak inside are preserved and not allowed to become dry and tough. That is why the term is also called "sealing".
This method is carried out in a pan, with very little fat and necessarily at a high temperature.
Why is this necessary?
If the temperature is low, the meat will start to release liquid and all of its juices will be released and as a result you will have a tough and tasteless steak.
Therefore, seal it on high heat, so that it forms an instant crust, which will not release liquid from the inside.
This process is also characterized by the fact, that especially for thinner steaks it is strictly forbidden to turn them several times in the pan and they should simply be left to bake until they aquire a golden brown color on one side, then they should be turned on the other. In such cases, further heat treatment is not even necessary, whether it is beef, veal, pork or chicken steaks.
For thicker steaks, another procedure usually follows after sealing, which can be done in the same pan, but with a reduction in temperature, in order to cook the inner layer to the desired degree.
The second stage of cooking can also be done in an oven, which must be preheated.
The finished "juicy steaks" are left to rest for a few minutes, so that they can stay juicy, before being cut.
Here are some quick tips for sealing steaks:
- Before you start sealing your steaks, leave them at room temperature for a while. This goes especially for thin or medium-thick pieces of meat. This will ensure the meat to be cooked through evenly and it will not remain raw on the inside;
- Season with salt only when the sealing crust has already formed. That is, sprinkle with salt only after turning it and on the already baked side.
Good luck!
