chapter XXV - mamon wellman cooks 17

steak to the heart
No not the vampire type, but if the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, then the way to my mother's heart was through a steak dinner. Practically the only thing she would order if she ever went out to dinner.


When I was living in New Zealand, mum would visit me every few years and it fast became a tradition that her last meal before flying home was steak, eggs and chips. 

That tradition soon became extended, as I would cook her steak every day for virtually the last week. Starting with a braised type steak, then moving onto a rump steak, followed by a sirloin steak, T-bone the next (as pictured here with the largest  one I could find), scotch fillet (rib eye) the next and culminating in a well done fillet steak on her last night. And yes, all served with eggs and chips and all cooked well done!

Even a dedicated Chef like myself must bow down to his own mother, swallow his culinary pride and massacre a steak. After all, as she often told me, I was not too big or old enough that she couldn't still give me a thick ear! 

I did partially get my own back on her one year though by cooking her one of the best steaks she had ever had, so she told me. "That was delicious dear, and so tender. What type of steak was it?" ...... hmmmm, should I tell her? Should I dare admit it was venison not beef? I dared!! After which, she always made sure,     always made me swear it was beef before I started cooking it.  

degrees of cooking a steak
How do you know when a steak is cooked? Poke it! A rare steak has a spongy feel like your cheek, a medium steak has a spring to it like your chin, a well done steak has a hard resilience like your forehead. Easy!

best steak for the best job
But bare in mind, that the type of steak is best taken into major consideration. Everyone likes their steaks differently and who's to say who is right or wrong? But for the best results:

• a rump steak is best cooked a little slower and a minimum of medium, or it is likely to be very chewy
• a sirloin and a scotch fillet is best cooked no more than medium or it will become dry and chewy
• a fillet steak is best when cooked no more than medium rare

_________________________________________________________________________________

recipe - the perfect steak?

There are many factors or tricks to ensuring a great steak. We all have our own ways, here is mine

• ensure the steak is of the highest quality. Preferably properly aged and dried (nothing worse than a wet, steak, still oozing blood. It should be dark red in colour and no visible signs of blood. 
• ensure the steak has minimal external fat, but is well marbled with internal fat. This marbled fat, will render down when cooked, but ensure it stays moist. 
• prior to cooking, remove from the fridge, cover and allow to come to room temperature for an hour
• pre-heat the pan so it is quite hot, the steak must really sizzle when place into the pan
• never oil the pan, always oil the steak; drizzle a little oil on both sides just prior to cooking and rub it all over with the hands
• always lightly season the steak seconds before it goes into the pan, never minutes before as the salt will draw out moisture
• place the steak into the hot pan and allow to cook undisturbed for 1 minute, turn it over and cook for another minute. Keep turning it every minute; this defined time allows the heat to penetrate evenly and the steak to cook evenly. 
• Just before the steak is cooked to your liking, add some butter (plain or garlic) to the pan and spoon it constantly over the steak (baste it)
• remove the steak from the pan, place onto a spare warm (but not hot) plate and pour over the butter
• allow the steak to rest for 2 minutes before before serving. This resting time allows the tensed, cooked structure of the meat to relax (making it more tender when cut and chewed) and allows the internal juices to evenly spread throughout the steak. 
• serve and enjoy

next time - Mamon Wellman's ultimate dish ......