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Jessica Rowe readily admits she’s no great cook and is an even worse ‘housewife’. However, the popular TV personality who shares her hilarious domestic disasters on her website Crap Housewife says her kitchen efforts have fortunately improved this year with a little help from Australia’s best butchers. She now knows how to make the perfect steak.

As host of MLA’s Greatest Butcher on Your Block: Ask Your Butcher video series, Jessica has learned some great tips on how to cook meat.

“Steak has long been the bane of my existence – I’ve always been nervous about cooking it,” Jessica says. “Usually I burn the outside and serve it up raw and uncooked on the inside. However, now I finally understand how to cook steak properly thanks to my butcher.”

How To Make The Perfect Steak

“The best tip is to take it out of the fridge 15 minutes before cooking and let it rest at room temperature beforehand so it can tenderise a bit. Then you just rub it in a little oil with salt and pepper on both sides and cook for a few minutes either side. My daughters Allegra, 13,  Giselle, 11 and my husband Peter (Overton) now love my steaks!”

Jess features in all new videos alongside butchers learning tips including how to brown meat to perfection, how to make the perfect steak, a delicious kebab skewer and how to carve a leg of lamb like a pro.

Always Brown Your Meat

Browning beef or lamb before adding the pieces into a casserole, curry or stew is the best way to ensure juicy, succulent meat packed full of flavour, shares Brad Callaghan from Auburn Meadow Meats in Sydney’s Rose Bay.

“Use the same pan for the dish to ensure you capture all the beautiful flavours and save time with washing up,” he says.

“Quite simply I never knew you had to brown meat when making a curry or a stew,” says Jessica. “I would just bung it in the pot and hope for the best! However, thanks to Brad, I’ve now been taught to coat the meat in flour to start with, and then lightly brown each side before making a stew. It makes for the tenderest, tastiest meat. Just delish!”

How to brown your meat to perfection

1 Dice your meat into even cubes 2-3cm is a good size. Place a small amount of oil in the casserole pan on a medium heat.

2 Using a ziplock bag add your meat to flour, salt and pepper and shake together until it is all covered lightly.

3 Add your meat cubes to the pan. Remember the meat needs to sizzle as it hits the pan. The aim is to sear the meat and lock in the flavours (if it does not sizzle the pan is not hot enough). You may need to cook your meat in batches depending on the size of the pan. This stops the meat from stewing.

4 Cook until all the meat is brown. Return all the batches back to the pan and start to add in your other ingredients whether you are making a casserole, curry or stew.

Check out this delicious recipe for Coconut Beef Curry, using this browning technique.

What are your top tips on how to make the perfect steak? Tell us in the comments below.

Check out The Greatest Butcher campaign page.

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  • These tips are similar to what I learnt from Nagi and can now cook a steak perfectly medium rare. Her tips to cook with some butter, garlic and thyme give you the most lovely flavoured steak. I like the idea of coating cut meat and giving it a good shake, but I would do it in a bowl rather than disposable plastic.

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  • I used to pan fry mine but now I do them in the air fryer and they are awesome

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  • Hubby lets it get to room temperature first then puts a ton of salt before he cooks it. Apparently using a lot of salt gives it more flavour than anything.


    • I have heard this tip from other friends who are really good at cooking the best steak. It is sometimes all in the prep. I struggle to cook meat to perfection in the pan but the bbq is always a winner, it is always tender and tastes absolutely amazing. A simple way to cook a delicious steak.

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  • All great tips to take on board next time we do steak! Thanks!

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  • I like medium well and my husband likes medium rare. I think the time depends on the thickness although for even cooking you need the steak to be at room temperature

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  • I only just started coating the meat and browning it separately and I find it does make a difference to my casseroles. Never knew you should take meat out of the fridge 15 minutes before you cook it though. Great tips

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  • I never brown meat when slow cooking- I have in the past but I don’t think it makes a difference. I have heard about pulling meat out so it comes to room temperature- that’s especially important if you do rare/ medium rare so it’s not cold in the middle.

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  • Great tips for cooking meat in this post.

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  • I just love Jessica’s honesty. I’m a bit of a crap cooker, or only good at a few things, so I love her. Very relatable.

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  • The perfect steak is subjective. I prefer mine to be well done whereas my husband prefers his medium rare. But 90% of the time I kinda just put it in and walk away

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  • good tips

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  • I dislike steak but I buy my husband one occasionally and he cooks it himself on the bbq

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  • I love to add a knob of butter, some garlic and herbs in with the steak; and turn every minute for the best caramelised crust!

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  • All common knowledge but thank you :)

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  • Or you burn it like my husband lol

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  • And you can either cook for a few minutes each side, turning just once, til its your desired level. Or cook for 1 min, turn cook for one min, turn etc till cooked how you like. This way gives a delicious crust

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  • Steak is a delight when cooked the right way.

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  • Mind you, my family might appreciate it if I did cook steak.

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  • Pretty much what I do for my husband

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  • We don’t eat much steak – I’m not keen on slabs of red meat.


    • We like small amounts of steak particularly when we can source it fresh from the markets.

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