How to cook red meat properly
Cooking red meat well is not as simple as it might seem. Even if you start with high quality meat, with poor cooking it can become dry and tough. Here's a way that will guarantee you a perfect result.
474 K 3.1/5 (198 reviews)
1 hour 25 min.
Easy
4 people
4 IngredientsLast modified on: October 13th 2010
For 4 people, you will need:
600 g beef
2 tablespoons 
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 3 min.
Resting: 1 hour 5 min.
Cooking: 20 min.
All in all: 1 hour 25 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1
Above all, you need a good quality red meat.
Trust your butcher and ask him if possible for thick pieces (about 2 cm or 1" is fine) cut small, rather than thin wide pieces.
It's better to eat meat less often and spend more when you do.
Trust in your butcher is important; just remember the old French saying: for a woman to be completely happy she should have a good butcher and a good lover!
Trust your butcher and ask him if possible for thick pieces (about 2 cm or 1" is fine) cut small, rather than thin wide pieces.
It's better to eat meat less often and spend more when you do.
Trust in your butcher is important; just remember the old French saying: for a woman to be completely happy she should have a good butcher and a good lover!
Stage 2 - 1 hour
Preheat the oven to 200°C (390°F).
Take the meat out of the fridge at least one hour before using.
Dry the pieces of meat on a cloth or absorbant paper, then season both sides with salt and pepper.
Choose a pan that can go both on the hob and in the oven, and put 2 tablespoons oil on high heat. When really hot, add the meat.
Take the meat out of the fridge at least one hour before using.
Dry the pieces of meat on a cloth or absorbant paper, then season both sides with salt and pepper.
Choose a pan that can go both on the hob and in the oven, and put 2 tablespoons oil on high heat. When really hot, add the meat.
Stage 3 - 2 min.
This usually sizzles and spits quite a lot, so partially cover with a piece of aluminium foil to protect your cooker, but not completely otherwise the meat will not brown because of the steam trapped in the pan.
Stage 4 - 3 min.
Leave the meat to cook like this for 1 or 2 minutes until nicely coloured. This is not to cook it, just to give it a crisp brown exterior.
Then turn it, preferably using tongs, or other utensil of your choice, but do not pierce the meat with a fork, as this will allow precious cooking juices to escape and your meat will dry out.
Then turn it, preferably using tongs, or other utensil of your choice, but do not pierce the meat with a fork, as this will allow precious cooking juices to escape and your meat will dry out.
Stage 5 - 3 min.
Leave the meat 1 or 2 minutes on the other side.
Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking the meat gently.
This two-stage method (frying-roasting) is a key point for successful cooking.
Transfer the pan to the oven to finish cooking the meat gently.
This two-stage method (frying-roasting) is a key point for successful cooking.
Stage 6 - 10 min.
How well cooked the meat is will depend now on how long you leave it in the oven (and on the characteristics of your oven). Broadly speaking 10 minutes is enough for "rare", 15 minutes for "medium" and 18 minutes or more for "well done". These times are very approximate and you can adapt them to your taste.
If you'd like something more precise and sure, stick an electronic thermometer into the middle of the meat. When the temperature reaches:
If you'd like something more precise and sure, stick an electronic thermometer into the middle of the meat. When the temperature reaches:
- 65°C (149°F) : your meat will be "rare"
- 70°C (158°F) : your meat will be "medium"
- 75°C (167°F) : you meat will be "well done"
Stage 7 - 1 min.
To finish, remove the pan from the oven and put the meat onto a hot plate. Cover with aluminium foil and keep hot like this for 5 minutes.
This waiting time is very important to keep the meat tender, as during cooking the juices tend to flow from the centre towards the outside. By allowing the meat to rest, the juices flow back inwards, ensuring that the meat stays moist and tender.
This waiting time is very important to keep the meat tender, as during cooking the juices tend to flow from the centre towards the outside. By allowing the meat to rest, the juices flow back inwards, ensuring that the meat stays moist and tender.
Stage 8 - 5 min.
Serve with your chosen accompaniment, for example potato gratin or Sarladaise potatoes.
Remarks
Contrary to an idea put about by unscrupulous restauranteurs, the tenderness of meat has nothing to do with how cooked it is. So if you enjoy well-cooked meat (like me), you can still have something on your plate that is both well done and tender.
In other words, if meat needs to be nearly raw to be tender, it's quite simply not very good meat.
You will see that once the meat has been removed from the pan, the remaining juices can quickly be transformed into an excellent sauce. I'll be coming back to that in a future recipe.
In other words, if meat needs to be nearly raw to be tender, it's quite simply not very good meat.
You will see that once the meat has been removed from the pan, the remaining juices can quickly be transformed into an excellent sauce. I'll be coming back to that in a future recipe.
And to drink?
A good red wine from Gascony like "Java" (Merlot + Cabernet Sauvignon), as produced by the Fezas family at Larroque-sur-l'Osse.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 100 RDI=40 % | 0 | 150 RDI=20 % | 1,760 RDI=90 % | 7,360 RDI: 90 % |
| Per 100 g | 20 RDI=6 % | 0 | 20 RDI=4 % | 280 RDI=10 % | 1,170 RDI: 10 % |
| Per person | 30 RDI=10 % | 0 | 40 RDI=6 % | 440 RDI=20 % | 1,840 RDI: 20 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 4 people : 3.70 €
- Per person : 0.95 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Beef
Like these other recipes: Carbonnade, Roast beef "like they do it in Santa Fe", Home-made doner kebab, Beef braised in reduced red wine, Melt-in-the mouth meat and vegetables in a sealed casserole, ... See them all 10
Oil
Like these other recipes: Quiche Lorraine, Montagnon rice, Sesame fried scampi, Taos hotpot, Gratin of leeks with Morbier cheese, ... See them all 91
Salt
Like these other recipes: Tortilla Comtoise, Lemony cabbage and potato salad, Poivrade artichoke Salad, Boulangère potatoes, Sautéed pork with mushrooms in a cream sauce., ... See them all 644
Pepper
Like these other recipes: Mushroom tart, Tomato omelette, Like a Boursin with garlic and herbs, Salmon rillettes, Snow peas sautéed in butter, ... See them all 620
Other recipes you may also like
How to succeed in making sabayon (syllabub)
A sabayon is a delicious and delicate preparation based on egg yolks and sugar, with a liquid added (wine, alcohol, fruit juice, etc), which is then whipped in a bain-marie until it is both light and smooth. Usually sabayon is sweet (syllabub), but you can make it savoury, in which case there is...November 12th 2017938 K 54 20 min.
Macarons (the original French macaroons)
This recipe really is "of the moment": the success of these small, highly-coloured cakes, in an infinite variety of flavours, is impressive. It's a recipe which needs some care, in order to produce a result worthy of a professional pastrychef. No problem, I will guide you through the recipe,...October 3rd 20191.59 M 714.6 2 hours 40 min.
How to prevent butter burning during cooking
Butter, which is excellent for fixing flavours in a recipe, burns if the temperature is too high. It darkens and produces unpleasant small black specks (by the way, note that the famous recipe "raie au beurre noir", ray in black butter, is a kind of sacrilege!).February 21th 2011139 K 24.1 3 min.
Cooking sugar
Cooking sugar, which is one of the basics of patisserie and sweet-making, is a delicate operation in which sugar is heated from 100°C or 212°F to 180°C or 356°F. Here is some information on this tricky subject. [Translator's note: the terms used below correspond to the French tradition, as often...April 3rd 2019497 K4.9 45 min.
Soufflée omelette with cheese
Halfway between an omelette and a soufflé, this quick recipe give a light and delicious result. The secret is mainly in the two cooking methods: frying pan, then oven.June 22th 2013439 K4.7 55 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-05-18)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe (as 6 people already do)
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.