Tuesday Tip

Let’s talk about beef. When I was growing up I thought I didn’t like steak. Or any red meat for that matter, the reason why is because my dear family didn’t know how to properly cook a steak. Once I met my husband who worked in a famous steakhouse in San Francisco for some time, I learned the error of my ways and that in fact, steak is delicious.

Rule # 1. This is the golden rule. Never ever, ever order your steak well done or medium well. That is red meat blasphemy. And don’t over cook it at home, either.

The correct way to serve steak is medium rare. If you are a novice at this “but its still bleeding!!” business, then start out medium, that is acceptable enough that the cook in the kitchen and your server won’t be rolling their eyes at you from the kitchen.

But what about ecoli? Salmonella? With beef (remember this is not the same rule for pork and never chicken) the bacteria is only on the surface. Yep, the part the gets cooked, so you are at no risk of getting sick. Now, the exception is ground beef. Since it has been ground, all throughout the meat has been exposed to air and therefore has the potential to be contaminated. For this reason, its acceptable to go medium well or even well done if you are very cautious.

Rule # 2. Throw out the A1. Clear your fridge of any and all steak sauces. If you cook your steak right, you won’t need any. It will be tender, juicy and delicious on its own. The purpose of steak sauce is to cover up a dry, over cooked meat and that has no flavor and is a chore to chew.

And we’ll end this lesson here, for today. Next time you are having a steak, just TRY it. You will be very impressed.

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