Not feeling Veganuary, going on a ’New year, new me’ diet or spending lockdown drinking detox green juice?
Yeah, us neither.
The third UK lockdown means that there’s not much we can do for entertainment – and so we’re turning to our favourite foods to bring the mood up.
One of our favourite guilty pleasure meals is steak and chips.
And, if you want to treat your loved ones to the perfect steak and chips then you need to know that we Brits are making some mistakes when it comes to cooking this dish.
What’s your top tip for steak and chips? Tell us in the comments…
(Image: Getty Images)
Culinary expert and founder of The Daring Kitchen, Ligia Lugo, explained where we’re going wrong and how to cook the perfect steak and chips.
(Image: ligialugoreal/Instagram)
Here are the biggest mistakes you’re making:
Not using a meat thermometer
Even experts can’t tell if a steak is ready just by looking at it.
(Image: Getty Images)
Visual hints may help but the most accurate way of determining if the steaks is properly cooked is by using a meat thermometer.
Aim for 135 degrees, 140 degrees and 145 degrees for medium-rare, medium and medium-well steaks, respectively.
Those temperatures feature in a process called “carryover cooking.”
Once the steak is removed from the heat, its internal temperature will rise several degrees as it rests.
Cutting into the steak too soon
It is tempting but you have to resist the urge to dig in the stake right away.
If you do this all those delicious juices will be lost from the meat and spilled out. Instead of rushing, cover the meat with aluminium foil and let it rest for 10-15 minutes so the meat can absorb the juices.
Here are her top tips:
Get the steak out of the fridge an hour before cooking
Let it rest at room temperature for about an hour before cooking.
If you don’t do this the cold will prevent the heat from penetrating the middle of the steak and prevent it from cooking evenly.
Before putting the steak on the skillet, make sure you season the steak well with black pepper and salt.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Make sure your pan is hot enough and sear the meat
Heat the oil in the pan until it starts to smoke and then add the steak and avoid moving it around the pan.
High heat helps to caramelise the outside and creates a texture like the texture of steak-house quality steaks.
Searing the meat means that your steak will get crispy on the outside but moist and tender on the inside.
Aim to cook the steak from medium-rare to medium to avoid a tough piece of meat.
(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Add toppings
Stakes taste great on their own, but with toppings, you will make them even more delicious.
The most important topping would be butter.
A slab of butter will melt into the steak and create a mouthwatering sauce.
In addition to butter, you can add fresh pesto, tabbouleh or sautéed mushrooms to switch things up each time you prepare this meal.
What about the chips?
Now, when it comes to adding your chips Hello Fresh’s recipe development manager, Mimi Morely, had some advice to add.
She said: “Don’t crowd your potato tray!
“The key to easy chips/wedges is plenty of oil, a hot oven, lots of salt and (most importantly), spreading the potatoes out so they have room to get crispy.
“They’ll always take longer than you think they’re going to as well!”
And, she recommends keeping the dish simple.
Mimi added: “Less is more – try not to over complicate things.
“A delicious juicy steak and chips plus one veg and a simple but tasty sauce is all you need.”
