My family and I enjoy eating at steakhouses every now and then. Although we'd like to do it more often, the prices of really good steak in those restaurants can be pretty steep.
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| my first attempt at cooking stovetop steak -- success! :) |
A week or two ago, I saw a friend post a link on Facebook from The Kitchn about cooking stovetop steak. The article said "you don't need a grill to cook a great steak!" I filed the information under my to do list for the weekend and planned to search for a good cut of beef in the supermarket the next time I go shopping.
I guess it was great timing that my husband got to attend the Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA) event last week. He brought home a cut each of Rib-Eye and Striploin Meltique Beef which I immediately planned on cooking.
According to the press release, Australian Beef has come a long way as regular servings are now being recommended not only for standard diets but also for specialized diets dealing with health issues like heart care, cancer, hypertension, weight control, diabetes, and iron deficiency.
Because grass-fed Australian livestock roam freely in pastures unlike grain-fed livestock, Australian Beef tends to have less fatty marbling and relatively low cholesterol. In addition, fat from grass-fed beef also contains a richer amount of the essential fatty acid Omega-3.
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| beautiful marbling! |
Lean Australian Beef is also packed with a wide variety of nutrients that goes a long way in completing a balanced diet. In fact, a 100g serving of this gives: 42% of daily protein needs, 15% of daily zinc needs, 13% of daily iron needs, 21% of recommended daily cholesterol intake, 6% of recommended daily kilojoules intake, and 3% of recommended daily fat intake, based on a Codex/Malaysia reference figure of 2000 Kcals per day intake that is sufficient for most adult women.
Now, back to my newly-discovered recipe, I read and re-read this New York Times article that was linked to The Kitchn write up. I thawed the Aussie beef inside the refrigerator overnight to make sure that the middle is not frozen when I cooked it. I also made sure not to marinate the beef with anything.
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| Australian Marbled Beef |
Last night, I waited for our heavy pan with a flat bottom to heat up until it is smoking. As per the instructions in the NY Times article, I sprinkled salt on the surface of the pan (not the beef, okay?), waited a bit more, then placed the Rib-Eye cut on the pan. I made sure to turn on my kitchen timer to one minute. When the alarm went off, I turned the steak over and timed it for another minute, all the while keeping the heat a bit high. I did this three times each (a total of six minutes) for both surfaces because after four minutes, I felt that the inside of the meat was still too raw for our taste.
I did the same with the second slab of beef, plated it with the baby potatoes I cooked earlier with margarine, garlic, and mushrooms, and served it at the dinner table. I also prepared a homemade steak sauce that's actually just kinda like my chicken gravy recipe. The result? Delicious and tender medium-rare steak! No kidding! I couldn't even believe I did it but the grin on my husband's face told me I did a good job :)
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| stovetop steak cooking |
I am not sure if different brands and cuts of beef would turn out as good as the Meltique Beef though. If you want to try this out for yourself, MLA is launching twin promotions this June in time for Father's Day month.
To honor dads, MLA has partnered with S&R and Austrade wherein every purchase of 2 kilos of Australian beef at any S&R branch until June 15 entitles customers to draw from a lot and bring home any of the following prizes: indoor grill, charbroiled grill, food thong, Australian Red Wine, or recipe booklet. From June 14 to 30, diners at Cyma, Allium, and Madison's Bistro Moderne who will order any entree made with Australian beef can get a special Father's Day mug.
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| tender, juicy, medium-rare Aussie steak :) |
According to Paul Perez, MLA Country Head for the Philippines, Australia is widely known for having an enviable food safety record when it comes to producing safe, quality beef. "The eating quality of Australian red meat is superior. To begin with, Australia's unspoiled, natural environment is most ideal for raising cattle. What the Australian beef industry has done is to build on this strength so it now has a 200-year old history devoted to advancing livestock production and meat safety."
Craving for steak now? I suggest you buy Meltique Beef and see for yourself how easy it is to cook stovetop steak at home. I think I will, again, just in time for Father's Day on Sunday! :)
For recipe ideas ad nutritional information, please visit http://www.australian-meat.com and for more detailed information about red meat, provided by health professionals, please visit http://www.meat4health.com.au
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