Method 1: Pan-Seared Garlic Butter Steak
This is the method to choose when you have a naturally tender steak and want a browned exterior without unnecessarily drying the center.
Ingredients
- 2 beef steaks
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Small amount of cooking oil
- Fresh herbs, optional
1. Preheat the skillet
Use a skillet large enough to hold the steaks without squeezing them together.
Heat it before adding the beef.
Pat the steaks dry and season them with salt and black pepper.
2. Sear without constantly moving them
Add a small amount of cooking oil, followed by the steaks.
Let the first side develop a browned crust before turning.
Constantly lifting, flipping, or moving the steak makes it harder to maintain consistent contact with the hot cooking surface.
Turn and brown the other side.
3. Add garlic butter near the end
Reduce the heat as the steaks approach your desired level of cooking.
Add the butter and crushed garlic.
Fresh herbs can also be added at this point.
Once the butter melts and becomes aromatic, spoon it over the steaks.
Adding the butter and garlic later gives you better control than exposing them to the highest heat from the beginning.
4. Check the center
Don’t determine doneness only by looking at the crust.
Use a food thermometer to check the thickest portion.
For food safety, the original guidance used for this article specifies that whole cuts of beef such as steaks and roasts should reach at least 145°F (62.8°C), followed by a minimum three-minute rest.
Transfer the steaks to a clean surface and allow them to rest before slicing.
Method 2: Slow-Cooked Tender Beef
A completely different approach is needed for chuck.
Here, you’re not trying to quickly sear a steak and preserve a tender center. You’re giving a tougher cut enough cooking time to soften.
Ingredients
- 1–1.5 kg beef chuck
- 1 large onion
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 cups beef broth
- 2 carrots
- 3–4 potatoes
- Salt, to taste
- Black pepper, to taste
- Cooking oil for browning
1. Brown the beef first
Pat the chuck dry and season it.
Heat a little oil in a suitable heavy pot and brown the beef on multiple sides.
You’re developing flavor here, not trying to cook the entire roast through.
Remove the beef temporarily.
2. Build the cooking liquid
Add the onion and cook until it begins to soften.
Add the garlic, followed by the broth.
Return the beef to the pot.
Depending on how long your vegetables need, carrots and potatoes can be added at an appropriate stage so they become tender without completely falling apart.
3. Give it time
Cover and cook gently until the beef becomes tender.
With this method, don’t judge the chuck the way you’d judge a quickly cooked steak.
If a connective-tissue-rich piece of beef is still unpleasantly tough, it may simply need additional cooking time.
Check it periodically toward the end rather than repeatedly removing the lid throughout the entire cooking process.
Method 3: Quick Beef Stir-Fry
Stir-fry has the opposite challenge: everything happens quickly.
Preparation therefore matters more than trying to fix problems after the beef reaches the wok or skillet.
Ingredients
- 500 g beef sirloin
- 1 bell pepper
- 1 onion
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
Slice first
Find the grain in the beef and slice thinly across it.
Keeping the slices relatively consistent helps them cook at a similar rate.
Prepare the pepper, onion, garlic, ginger, and sauce before turning on the heat.
Cook in batches if necessary
Heat the pan or wok well.
Add the oil and enough beef to create a single uncrowded layer.
Cook quickly.
If you’re making a larger quantity, remove the first batch and cook the remaining beef separately.
Trying to save a minute by cramming everything into one pan can release enough moisture to make good browning more difficult.
Cook the vegetables, add the garlic and ginger, then combine everything with the sauce.
Serve promptly.