Want a quick way to impress your date, friends, or family? Simple: prepare them steak for dinner. If you’re a beginner like me, however, there are a number of ways preparing the dish could go wrong. One wrong move could easily overseason or overheat the steak, which would obviously be a waste.
Luckily, we were taught how to make a proper steak with Chef Carlo Miguel, the Executive Corporate Chef of Foodee Group Concepts. Together with Alternatives Food Corporation, the local distributor of American Wagyu steaks from Snake River Farms, they threw a Steak 101 class that taught us the fundamentals.
Making the cut
There were four different types of meat cuts presented to us, under the Snake River Farms Black Grade and Gold Grade lines. There was the Wagyu Ternderloin, Black; the Wagyu Chuck Eye Log, Gold; the Wagyu Striploin, Gold; and the Wagyu Ribeye, Gold. According to the chef, its cut is everything–tender cuts would have less flavor, while tougher ones such as a ribeye would carry a lot more flavor. Of course, it all boils down to personal preference.
Next step: seasoning
Because high quality American Wagyu was being used, Chef Carlo emphasized that one shouldn’t mask it in seasoning or sauces so that you can still taste its unique characteristics. When asked how long seasoning should be left on the meat, he said around five minutes is ideal.
Game time
Cooking the steak would also be based on your preferences. One would usually cook it for 2-3 minutes per side if they prefer rare. Simply cook it for a few more minutes for medium or well-done. For more flavor, cook it with ingredients such as thyme, garlic and butter. For the eager crowd, watching Chef Carlo do this showed us that it is the little things that make all the difference, beginning with quality meat.
Snake River Farms steaks are available in the following retail outlets: South Supermatket (Wagyu Striploin, Black; Wagyu Rib Eye, Black), SNR (Wagyu Ribeye, Black; Wagyu Ribeye, Gold). You may also order and inquire on their website, alternatives.ph, and their Instagram account, @afcphils.
