Chapter 14 — Food & Cooking
How do I cook a perfect steak?
Salt it 40 minutes ahead (or right before). Get a cast-iron pan smoking hot, add oil with a high smoke point, sear 2–3 minutes per side, finish with butter, garlic, and thyme. Rest 5 minutes before slicing against the grain. Thermometer beats guessing: 54 °C rare, 57 °C medium-rare, 63 °C medium.
Follow-up questions
Which cut for a beginner?
Ribeye — high fat content is forgiving. Sirloin for value, filet for tenderness, hanger for flavour on a budget.
Should I reverse-sear?
For thick steaks (2+ inches): yes. Oven at 120 °C until 10 °C below target, then sear hard. Even cook, deep crust.
Is a resting time really necessary?
Yes — juices redistribute. Cutting immediately loses 30% of the liquid to the board.
Butter or oil in the pan?
Oil first (higher smoke point), butter in the last minute for flavour. Butter alone burns.
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