How to Cook THE PERFECT STEAK - Induction Cooking

Article from the American Cancer Society

Getting your family and friends together for a Barbeque is one of the benefits of the season, but backyard chefs should beware: some research suggests that cooking meats at elevated temperatures creates chemicals (heterocyclic amines, or HA’s) that may potentially increase cancer risk.

In fact, a study from the University of Minnesota found that eating charred, well-done meat on a regular basis may increase your risk of pancreatic cancer by up to 60%. Heterocyclic amines (HA’s) develop by the burning of amino acids and other substances in meats cooked at particularly hot temperatures and that are particularly well-done. HA’s turn up in grilled and barbecued meat as well as broiled and pan-fried meat.

You do not have to give up your grill to stay healthy. You just need to choose sensible foods and use the right techniques.

Choose lean cuts of meat and trim any excess fat. Fat dripping onto hot coals causes smoke that contains carcinogens. Less fat means less smoke.

Line the grill with foil and poke small holes in it so the fat can still drip off, but the amount of smoke coming back onto the meat is lower.

When cooking over an open flame avoid charring meat or eating parts burned and black as they have the highest concentrations of HA’s.

End: Advice from the American Cancer Society.

How to Cook the Perfect Steak - Induction Cooking Temperature Settings

Personally, I have never been a major fan of cooking a steak on a grill. To me,

the charred and smoky end product masks the wonderful flavor of a perfectly cooked steak. Note: if/when you go to any top steakhouse in town, you can bet that they do not cook over an open flame barbecue. Most good steakhouses cook steaks and chops on stainless steel flat grills. Great steakhouses cook steaks individually, in a pan.

Tips for Chicken, Steaks and Chops

• Thaw frozen meat in the refrigerator then allowed it to reach room temperature before cooking.
• Cut meat across the grain. If you are not sure how to do this, consult your butcher.
• Marinate inexpensive cuts of meat to promote tenderness.
• When searing, the meat has not caramelized when it remains stuck to the pan.
• 1 pound of raw ground meat equals 2 cups of cooked meat.
• Turn meat with tongs. Turning with a fork or slicing to check for doneness allows flavor filled juices to run out of the meat.
• Let all meats (chicken, beef, lamb, pork) rest for 3-5 minutes after cooking, before cutting. This allows the juices to redistribute.
• I am not a fan of meat thermometers, as piercing will allow juices to run out, but it is practical in some cases and helps in the learning process.

Induction Cooking provides a level of accuracy never before possible

1. Trim fat from meat. Less fat means less splatter and smoke
2. Select a skillet that the steak will nearly fill. Too large a pan will cause meat splatter to burn, creating carcinogens.
3. Sear the steak on high heat for 3-4 minutes per side until it releases easily from the pan 390°F (199°C) to 450°F (232°C). Searing brings the natural salts and sugars to the surface creating an intense salty-sweet flavor.
4. During the searing and cooking of steaks, chops, and chicken, when you cook with the lid on the pan and the vent open (or lid ajar), the meat will cook quicker and be juicier. However, crowding the pan, or cooking at too low a temperature and covering, may cause the meat to steam. Practice makes perfect, and a home chef learns to cook steak to a desired doneness with good equipment, correct temperatures, and proper techniques and by feel.
5. Because of the different texture, cuts, and thickness of the meat, learning the feel of the desired doneness by pushing down on the center of a steak with a fork is by far the best method over attempting to time for doneness. These basic rules apply to cooking all meats when attempting to accomplish various stages of doneness (without cutting into the meat).

Doneness Test - To demonstrate, turn the palm of your left hand up and spread your fingers apart.

• Rare:Rest your left thumb against your left forefinger and press down on the soft fleshy part at the base of your left thumb with your right forefinger. That is what rare feels like.
• Medium-Rare:Place your left thumb directly over your left forefinger and press down on the soft fleshy part at the base of your left thumb with your right forefinger. That is what medium-rare feels like.
• Medium:Place your left thumb in between your left forefinger and left middle finger and press down on the soft fleshy part at the base of your left thumb with your right forefinger. That is what medium feels like.
• Medium-Well:Place your left thumb directly over your left middle finger and press down on the soft fleshy part at the base of your left thumb with your right forefinger. That is what medium-well feels like.
• Well-Done:Place your left thumb in between your left middle finger and left ring finger and press down on the soft fleshy part at the base of your left thumb with your right forefinger. That is what well-done feels like.