One of the best parts about eating out at restaurants is not having to cook your own food. But, what if you don’t have the time or energy to do it yourself? Luckily, cooking meat at home isn’t as hard as it may seem, especially if you follow these 5 tips for perfectly cooked meat at home
1) Cook your meat in a skillet
Cooking meat in a skillet is probably best way to cook meat at home. You’ll have control over how much heat your meat gets, you can also make sure it’s not overcooked by checking every now and then. You should brown all sides of your meat before transferring it to a slow cooker or an oven, where it will finish cooking gently (in addition to flavorfully). Plus, if you use a skillet while cooking on stovetop, you’ll be able to monitor just how done your steak is getting at any given time. While many steak houses will continue grilling steaks for up to six minutes per side (and charge extra for that), that might not be what you want if you’re looking for juicy tenderness. However, different cuts of meat require different cooking times: A sirloin steak takes about five minutes per side; a ribeye roast takes 10-15 minutes per side; and a thick pork chop needs 15-20 minutes total. Use these tips to get perfectly cooked meat every time!
As with most things in life, timing really is everything when it comes to searing steak properly. To keep things simple: rare steaks are raw in the middle; medium-rare are lightly browned in spots but still cool red centers; medium steaks are golden brown with warm pink centers, and well-done steaks are crisp on both sides with dry, firm centers. Obviously there's more nuance than that—notably for well-done burgers—but these basic guidelines give you something to aim for so you don't leave your meat undercooked or burnt. It's also worth mentioning again that kitchen thermometers exist for those of us who aren't confident when it comes to judging doneness by sight alone!
2) Let your meat rest before serving
You’ve seared that perfect steak to absolute perfection and now it’s time to dig in, right? Wrong. Letting your meat rest for a few minutes allows your juices to evenly distribute throughout your dish—and if you’re working with tender cuts of beef, like a filet mignon or ribeye, resting is especially important. It gives you just enough time to sit down with a nice glass of red wine (hey, no judgment here) and enjoy each other’s company while you wait. When you go back to eat that steak? It will be just as tender and juicy as it was when it first came off of the grill. No more biting into a piece of leathery beef that tastes like shoe leather! Yuck. If you want perfectly cooked meat at home, make sure to let it rest before serving. Your mouth will thank you.
Another benefit of letting your meat rest before serving is that it lets all those delicious juices reabsorb into your meat—meaning you don’t lose out on flavour by eating them straight up. Take my Kansas City strip steaks, for example: They were absolutely delicious as they rested after cooking but even better when I dipped them in barbecue sauce before digging in. Not only did they absorb some much-needed moisture and flavour, but I got an extra hit of barbecue goodness with every bite because I made sure to take my time and savour my meal instead of scarfing it down like so many Americans do. If there are any leftovers from dinner, though?
3) Preheat the skillet properly
Making sure your pan is at a high enough temperature is crucial to getting that nice sear you’re looking for on a steak. Don’t just turn on your stove and drop in a steak; it will likely stick. Instead, turn on your heat about 7 minutes before you’re ready to start cooking (you may have to experiment with different times depending on how hot your burners are). You can also start heating up some olive oil or butter if you wish; using oil will mean you don’t need as much heat. Once preheated, simply add in your meat and cook until done! And of course, flip once halfway through cooking so that both sides get seared. Cooking time varies based on what cut of meat you’re working with, but generally 8-10 minutes per side should do it.
4) Keep your pan hot while cooking
A steak is a great example of how quickly meat can go from perfectly cooked to overdone. When pan-searing, it’s important to get your pan smoking hot before adding oil or starting your steak. Once you do, add about a tablespoon of oil to help prevent sticking and encourage caramelization (the browning process that gives your food that delicious crust). While you wait for your oil to heat up, dry off your steaks with paper towels. Wait until just before putting them in the pan to season them because adding salt ahead of time will cause it to draw out moisture and make cooking difficult. Make sure your pan is screaming hot before adding your steaks—this means when you flick water onto it, it should immediately sizzle. If not, turn up the heat. Don’t crowd your pan: Cooking multiple steaks at once may seem like a good idea but it’s actually more likely to result in overcooked meat. To ensure each piece gets evenly seared on both sides without being crowded together, cook two pieces at a time if possible—or start with one steak and then cook another once its first side has been seared. Flip only once: It may be tempting to flip more than once but doing so will only lead to unevenly cooked meat—and potentially burned fingers!
5) Don’t stir too much or too quickly
Cooking meat at home can be a challenge, but it’s a lot easier when you follow some simple rules. The biggest mistake most people make is to stir their food too often. When cooking ground beef or chicken breasts, don’t poke and prod at it with your spatula while it’s on the stovetop. Stirring constantly only serves to dry out your meat—it doesn’t let them brown properly. Once you see that you have a nice sear on your chicken or steak, cover your pan with a lid and continue cooking until they are done; stirring as little as possible while they do so. This will help keep them juicy! Another common problem people run into is overcooking their meats. It might seem counterintuitive, but there really isn’t much difference between rare and well-done if you cook them long enough (especially if you’re using grass-fed meat). Aim for medium-rare instead of well-done: medium rare burgers should feel soft when pressed, while well-done burgers should be firm. As long as you don't burn yourself trying to eat them immediately after cooking (never taste your own food!) these burgers will remain perfectly cooked for hours after taking them off of the heat source. If in doubt, take an internal temperature reading with a thermometer before serving up dinner - it'll tell you exactly how close to well done you got!