Get Psyched for Steak Night
Special occasions call for steak. And sometimes a great steak is the special occasion. Here are 5 tips from our award-winning Sunbasket chefs for making it your best steak night ever.
1. Pick the steak that makes you happiest
In our meal kits we typically offer a choice of 4 cuts that are great for pan-searing or grilling. We love all our steaks for different reasons. Pick the one that best fits your mood or occasion.
- Filet mignons – thickest, leanest, most tender $$$
- Rib-eyes – most marbling, rich flavor, very tender $$
- New York strips – some marbling with namesake fat strip $$
- Sirloins – very lean, less rich/tender than others, great flavor $
2. Chill out for an hour
Put steaks that are 1-inch or thicker on the counter about an hour before cooking. Fridge-cold steaks take longer to cook, and the longer you cook them, the thicker the gray ring of well-done meat gets on the outside as you wait for the center to come to the desired doneness. To increase the amount of your steak that’s cooked to perfection and to avoid overcooking the outside, give your steak a smaller range of temperature to travel by letting it come to room temperature first.
3. Pick your target temperature
Rare, medium, well, or something in between? Before you say what you always say, consider this little nugget of advice from one of our chefs. Each of these cuts has a most tender temperature, and — surprise! — they’re not all rare.
- Filet mignon is most tender at 125–135°F (rare to medium rare)
- Rib-eyes are most tender at 130–135°F (medium rare)
- New York strips are most tender at 135-140°F (medium)
- And sirloins are most tender at 140-145°F (medium well)
4. Sear to golden, crusty perfection
For the tastiest, dark brown crust on your steak as possible, dry your steak before it hits the pan or grill. Get those paper towels out and do it. You will be tempted to skip this step. Don’t. A wet steak means a gray exterior with no crust. Don’t let this happen to you. Is your steak dry? Really dry? Good!
Now a lot of cooks have been trained to not move their steak while the crust is forming. Our chefs beg to differ. The coolest part of the pan is where the steak is. The hottest part is where the steak isn’t. For the best sear, move the steak to a new, hot part of the pan about every 30 seconds until the crust is formed.
5. Pull off the heat at the perfect time
Why guess when your steak is done when you can know for sure? The pros use a meat thermometer. It’s easy to use—way easier than guessing the internal temperature of your meat. Just insert the tip of the thermometer 1/3 of the way through the steak at the center and use these temperatures as your guide:
- Rare: 125-130°F
- Medium rare: 130-135°F
- Medium: 135-140°F
- Medium well: 140-145°F
- Well: 145-150°F
The temperature keeps rising slightly once off the heat, so pull the steak at the bottom of the desired range. After resting for five minutes, your steak will be perfectly cooked.
Are you pumped? Are you ready? Have a great steak night!
