Julia Finke grew up on an organic farm, where gardening, cooking and food preservation was part of every day life. She has worked in renowned restaurants in Ireland, Switzerland and Jordan and has great interest in wholesome country cooking, slow food and gourmet food products.



My Perfect Steak

1. Take out the meat which is approximately 2cm. thick and let it come to room temperature. Steaks should ALWAYS be at room temperature before you start cooking them, because the colder the internal temperature of the steak is when you begin to cook it, the longer it's going to take for the temperature to rise, and in the meantime you run the risk of overcooking the outside of the steak.

2. Once it is at room temperature, rub some organic oil and sprinkle the steak with plenty of sea salt and green pepper (just before cooking) which stimulates the taste buds, is imperative for improved digestion, presents impressive antioxidant and antibacterial properties, it also helps to digest protein and break down fat cells.

3. Heats a cast iron pan with oil in it until it is very hot and place the steak in the pan to sear. Searing means to brown the surface of the meat by putting it into intense heat in a pan at the beginning of the cooking process. Then turn down the heat and leave the steak to cook to your liking.

4. For blue rare steak, cook it very quickly so both sides are seared but the inside is still cool and barely cooked. The steak will be blood red on the inside and barely warm. Should have a core temperature of 37° C.

For a rare steak cook the steak for approx. 4 minutes each side. The color will be pink, the temperature warm and the centre will be bloody and red. The steak will still feel soft when touched. It should have a core temperature of 48° C. See picture for judging by hand The part of your palm under your thumb changes from soft to hard as you move from one finger to the next. Press lightly on your steak and compare to your palm. This will give you an indication as to what stage your steak is at.

For medium rare the steak should be cooked approx 5 minutes each side. The steak will have a fully red centre and will be warm to the touch. It should have core temperature of 52°.

For medium steak cook the steak for approx. 6 minutes each side. The steak will be light grey and warm and have a juicy centre. When touched the steak should offer some resistance. It should have core temperature of 57° C. See picture for judging by hand.

For medium well cook the steak approx. 7-8 minutes each side. The color of the steak will be light pink throughout and will be hot to the touch. It should have a temperature of 62°C in the middle. See picture for judging by hand

For well done steak cook the steak for 8-10 minutes each side. The steak will be hot, and it will have very little moisture. The color will be a dark grey all through the steak and when eaten can be perceived as tough due to the meat structure contracting so much. It should have core temperature of 73° C. See picture for judging by hand.

5. Cover the steak with foil and leave to rest for a few minutes. This allows the juices from the centre of the steak to move towards the outside, so the outside of the steak will be as moist as the centre.

Tip 1. Typically, a steak with a higher fat content will cook more quickly than a steak that is lean. It is usually more flavorsome as fat is a taste carrier.

Tip 2. If you remove the steak from the pan and serve it immediately the steak may be tender and juicy in the center but dried out and tough on the outside edges. Let your steaks REST after you remove them from the heat source. This means after immediately after removing the steak from your grill or your oven, put it on a plate or in a baking dish, cover it loosely with foil, and let it REST for 3 to 5 minutes.