Everyone, except perhaps those who prefer vegetarian food, would agree that nothing beats a good steak.
In some countries, grilling and roasting meat are the cornerstones of national cuisine, as is the case in the USA, Australia, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil.
Even here, you’ll find quality steakhouses – restaurants focused primarily on grilled meats.
Almost any kind of meat can be grilled: lamb, poultry, mutton, pork, fish, shrimp, squid, but the most popular is definitely beef steak.
It usually consists of a larger piece of the finest meat, sliced against the grain. This meat is then quickly cooked to preserve its juices.
Steaks are cut using utensils with a sharp, sometimes serrated knife. The cooking time of the steak determines its level of doneness. There is specific terminology for this purpose (see below). When ordering a steak in a restaurant, the staff should always ask how you prefer your steak cooked. Different levels of doneness are used when preparing beef and sometimes also for other tender meats, such as lamb or pork tenderloin.
Where to go for a steak in Prague
The highest quality beef for steaks is considered to come from South America, particularly Argentina and Uruguay, where cattle graze on vast pastures year-round. This method of farming greatly influences the quality of the meat. In Europe, beef from the French Charolais breed is considered to be of very high quality, and perhaps the most expensive in the world is the Kobe beef steak from the Wagyu breed, raised exclusively in one region of Japan.
Basic steak doneness terms
Rare – lightly cooked steak, the inside is red to bloody, seared only on the outside. This preparation is common only for beef. The meat is very tender, and for connoisseurs and steak lovers, this is the most popular preparation.
Medium – medium cooked steak, cooked on the outside and pink and juicy in the center. This is the most common preparation for steaks. In addition to beef, lamb and pork tenderloin are also prepared this way.
Well done – fully cooked steak, the meat is brown even inside and loses its juiciness. This preparation is suitable for fattier meats, which dry out less, and for poultry, which must never be bloody. It is used less for the finest cuts of beef, though some prefer it due to concerns about potential diseases.
Less common steak doneness terms:
Raw – raw meat, not cooked, mainly refers to steak tartare, which is popular in our country, Belgium, and France. Steak tartare is finely chopped or ground tender beef mixed with spices and served with fries or toast (in our country, it’s served with fried bread). Steak tartare can also be made from certain fish.
Very rare – quickly seared on the surface with the inside completely raw and bloody. This preparation is commonly found in France if you don’t specify that you want your steak cooked more.
Medium rare and Medium well – slightly less or more cooked than a medium steak, meaning slightly less or more pink. This is not typically requested in advance but refers to the result of the cooking process.
Types of steaks (also including the English or French names, which are the most common):
Steak from the front part of the rib-eye (rib eye, scotch fillet, entrecôte) – meat from the front part of the rib-eye, from the rib area. It is heavily marbled with fat, making it very juicy and one of the favorite steaks for grilling.
Steak from the rear part of the rib-eye (strip steak, striploin, porterhouse) – for those who love large steaks, this is the right choice. It is less marbled than the front part of the rib-eye but has a more pronounced flavor than tenderloin. It is a larger muscle from which big and thick steaks are cut. It is often grilled with or without the bone.
Tenderloin steak (tenderloin steak, fillet mignon, eye fillet, fillet steak) – the finest beef, completely lean. In addition to grilling, it is also used raw, as in steak tartare or carpaccio.
T-bone steak or Porterhouse – a cut from the rib-eye, sliced with the tenderloin, including the bone. The bone is shaped like a T. One side is tenderloin and the other is rib-eye. It’s essentially two steaks in one.
Low rib-eye (sirloin steak) – tender and juicy meat, suitable for both grilling and roasting whole.
Top round (round, rump steak) – steak from the beef round. The meat can be tough, so it’s not always suitable for grilling. However, if the meat is from a high-quality bull and well-marinated, it becomes a very popular meat for grilling. The meat is lean, and the steak gets its characteristic juiciness and flavor from the fatty (suet) tissue surrounding it. Steak connoisseurs say it’s the most flavorful beef.