My blog

In recent years I have ceased to be a passionate meat eater and I no longer meet the Polish norm of seventy kilograms of meat per average person per year. This does not mean that my love for red meat has died out. On the contrary, I have the impression that the less often I experience this unique taste, the more ardent and deep my feeling becomes.

I like every kind of meat and I enjoy every kind, as long as it is prepared with heart and a bit of finesse. This applies not only to meat and other dishes, but to life in general.

I eat pork the least often, because I think it's the least healthy kind, although I have to admit that I'd kill for a well-done rib with honey crust or a crispy, beer-flavored shank. I also rarely eat game and lamb, but that's only because they're not readily available, because in terms of taste, a saddle of lamb, a venison steak, or a wild boar goulash are unmatched.

Red meat appears on my menu no more than once every week or two, and sometimes even three weeks. I eagerly await this meat day, and I approach the preparation and consumption with due celebration. Most often, I prepare a steak, hamburger or duck breast. Today, it was steak.

Steak is the perfect way to serve meat. Usually, in dishes, the main ingredient is prepared in the company of secondary additions that greatly change the taste experience. In the case of steak, we are dealing with a pure form that allows you to enjoy the essence of meat flavor from the first to the last bite.

Steak can be made from many types of meat, but for me a steak has to be made from beef, and the best part of the cow for steak is, in my opinion, the entrecote.

Poles, Germans, Italians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Americans and even Russians borrowed the name of this tastiest cut of cow from the French. In French, the name "entrecote" comes from two words: "entre" meaning "between" and "cote" meaning arch, edge or rib. The most intuitive translation would be "between the ribs".

Before consumption, it is best to season the entrecote, i.e. store it at a temperature of several degrees above zero and in high humidity for several weeks. This process does not significantly change the taste of the meat, but it does make it tender and soft. The biggest problem with entrecote bought in Polish stores is its softness. Usually, entrecote sold as seasoned is not soft at all. However, there are already many butchers, or rather butchers, as they are called in the capital, who sell Polish, well-seasoned meat, which is really tender. Its price goes up, of course, but it is still much lower than the price of meat imported from the States or Australia, which, although expensive, provide a hundred percent guarantee of obtaining a perfect steak.

I bought my well-seasoned piece of Polish entrecote for my feast today from a butcher in Stara Papiernia in Konstancin for around 130 PLN per kilogram. And here's a little note about the size of the steak. Of course, it's an individual matter. For me, a good Rib eye should weigh around 250-300 grams and be at least 2 centimeters thick.

The meat should be at room temperature before frying. Putting a cold piece straight from the fridge into the pan is a disgrace – there is no chance of making a good steak this way. After taking it out of the fridge, it is best to leave the meat covered for two hours.
Meat should not be pierced with a fork. To move and turn it, it is best to equip yourself with wooden or plastic paws.

Professional chefs have different opinions on salting meat before frying. Some believe that it shouldn't be salted at all before putting it in the pan, because it will harden. I salt the meat on both sides just before putting it in the pan, and pepper it only on the plate.

The best results are achieved by cooking a steak on coals. However, this requires a lot of skill in using the grill and controlling the temperature. The falling fat often burns, which makes it easy to burn the steak. It is much easier to do this on a gas grill, because usually the meat does not have direct contact with the fire. A good effect can also be achieved in a frying pan. However, it should be a thick frying pan that holds heat well. The most important thing is the temperature. It should be very high - 300 degrees or more. The steak can burn on the outside - from the heat, not the fire - but thanks to the very high temperature it will be done quickly, it will not have time to dry out, the meat will be juicy and well, evenly roasted throughout.

The fundamental issue is the degree of doneness. For me, there is only one acceptable degree – the meat must be maximally juicy, pink turning into red, medium rare. Of the five degrees most often used in pubs (raw, very rare, medium rare, medium rare, rare or, in the American style, blue, rare, medium, medium well, well done), I always choose something between medium and very rare. To achieve this effect on a very hot gas grill, for a steak two centimetres thick, you need two and a half minutes for each side.

Grill covered and turn only once.

After removing from the heat, leave it under foil for five minutes.

I usually serve mashed potatoes with steak. I boil potatoes with onion, garlic clove and salt. Then I mix them with butter and milk. Today, as a vegetable insert, I added carrots stewed in butter and beans with Hollandaise sauce. And for dessert, a pear fried with honey, vodka, butter, lemon, chili, salt and nutmeg served with yogurt.

Today I had no doubt that life is beautiful.