Yes, yes, we know restaurants are closed during lockdown.
Doesn’t stop you from cooking the perfect steak at home, does it now?
I got some mouth-watering tips and photos from Hussar Grill this week, and man, I nearly ate my phone. I LOVE that place. Menu is bit retro, but everything on it is delicious. And affordable, too. Their wine list, service and general customer care is top-notch.
Hussar Grill is always my #1 recommendation for visitors to Cape Town looking for a proper steak with all the trimmings.
(BTW, you can order the best, well-matured steaks to cook at home – ribeye on the bone, fillet, sirloin, rump etc, free-range lamb, ducks and huge free-range chickens that easily feed 6 – from Salvin Hirschfield aka Son of a Butcher at his eponymous new shop in Sea Point, 103 Regent Road, Sea Point. Unsurpassable quality, his stock also includes free-range eggs (even goose eggs!) including home-made sausages eg boerewors + exotic sausages like Merquez, Toulouse, Italian fennel sausages, duck, minced chicken, lamb and beef, venison, biltong & droëwors, even Xmas ham etc.)
PLEASE NOTE THE CORRECT PHONE NUMBER TO ORDER FROM Son of a Butcher’s shop is 087 3795068.
AAAAnd on to Hussar Grill’s steak magic:
HOW TO PREPARE THE PERFECT STEAK AT HOME
Ever wanted to master the art of the perfect steak? Well, now’s the time. One of South Africa’s premier grill rooms, The Hussar Grill, is sharing its expertise with home cooks so that you can fire up the grill at home.
When it comes to choosing your meat, remember that Please try and purchase the best quality produce available to ensure a quality meal.The Hussar Grill serves only Class-A grain-fed beef and game and carefully sources its steak from local farms and family-run businesses. (Note from me: supermarkets ain’t it.)
The Hussar Grill wet-ages its whole meat for a minimum of 28 days – to ensure superbly matured, tender and flavourful steaks – before portioning it for grilling. This is part of what makes a meal at the renowned restaurant, which has been satisfying guests since 1964, so superlative. When it comes to steak, storage temperature is vital. The Hussar Grill steaks are vacuum-sealed to eliminate any oxygen, andare stored in a cool 5-degree Celsius fridge.
If you have bought steak that is fresh but not aged, but is vacuum-sealed, rest assured that you can still wet-age it at home by keeping it sealed and leaving it in your refrigerator. Do not be alarmed if the meat matures in colour from the bright reddish pink blush of fresh meat, to a deeper tone – this is a good sign. Aging the meat improves its flavour and makes it more tender.
Note: meat must be at room temperature before cooking.
Make sure that the pan is well pre-heated before cooking. When you’re ready to cook it, use a griddle pan for a beautiful char-grilled mark effect and tongs to turn your steak, making sure that you do not press down on the meat. (BTW, cooking steak is smoky business, so you might wat to do this with all the windows open, or even outside.)
“Do not cook your steak directly from the fridge. Let it sit outside on the counter for at least 30 minutes to bring it up to room temperature if you want your steak to cook evenly from edge to centre,” advises Jason Allen the owner of The Hussar Grill restaurant in Steenberg, Cape Town.
Before putting the meat on the heat, lightly brush your steak with olive oil. Avoid salt on raw meat as it absorbs moisture and dries out the meat. The only thing you should do before grilling your steak is coat it in oil and a basting sauce if you are using one.
To cook the perfect medium-rare steak, grill it for 1 x minute per 1 x centimetre of thickness on each side. Adjust this time slightly if you want a rare or well-done steak. And if your cut has fat or a bone, cook it on that side first.
The softest, most delicate cut of meat is fillet, as it comes from a part of the cow where muscles are hardly used. Fillet is best served rare or medium rare as it is lean and will dry out if cooked too long. Rump steak is from the hind quarters, where the muscles are not too developed. It can be served medium-rare. Sirloin is a fattier cut that should be cooked to the medium stage. Ribeye, which is marbled with fat, needs to be cooked medium or more, to help break down the fat content and caramelize the fat into flavour.
Once the steak is cooked to your liking, let it rest for a few minutes to allow all its tasty juices time to redistribute and reabsorb, resulting in a more tender and flavourful steak. The dish up and enjoy!
For more information on The Hussar Grill, please visit www.hussargrill.co.za.
Follow The Hussar Grill on Social Media:
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The Hussar Grill first opened its legendary brass doors in 1964 and today, after 55 years of excellence, it is regarded as one of South Africa’s premier grill rooms. Having garnered a loyal following over the years, the restaurant is known for its speciality steaks, award-winning wine selection, superb service and warm ambience.
Press release and photos by Scout PR
