Spices for meat. How to cook the perfect steak with seasonings and aromatic herbs

The right meat seasonings can save the worst dish. And the wrong ones will ruin even super-elite marbled beef.

How to choose spices correctly? How to season beef, pork, and lamb dishes? Is it necessary to season steak meat with spices?

Now you will find out everything.

The most popular spices for meat

You can put any seasonings into the meat. Professional chefs even use traditional confectionery options - mint, cinnamon and orange zest.

But the following spices made it into the top 10 most popular:

1. All types of peppers - black, white, pink, allspice, Szechuan, green. The more tender the meat, the milder the aroma of the spice should be. Choose white pepper for chicken, black and allspice for beef.
2. Paprika. Gives the dish a delicate spicy aroma and a beautiful rich color. If you like spicy flavors, use smoked paprika.
3. Hot red pepper (chili). Indispensable for lovers of spicy food.
4. Garlic. After heat treatment, the pungent odor softens, and delicate sweetish notes appear in it.
5. Mustard seed. The spicy, slightly bitter seasoning leaves a sweetish aftertaste.Mustard fits perfectly into complex marinades.
6. Zira. Gives the aroma delicious “Caucasian” notes.
7. Saffron. Real saffron costs about 300 rubles. for 1 g. But the smell of this spice is indescribable - rich, harmonious, slightly bitter.
8. If you don't want to shell out 300 rubles. For a tiny pinch of spices, buy Imeretian saffron or use turmeric.
9. Fragrant herbs – oregano, basil, marjoram, thyme, tarragon.
10. Greens – parsley, dill, cilantro.
11. Ginger. This seasoning softens the meat, makes it juicier, and gives the dish a fresh, rich aroma. Ginger is often used in Chinese, Thai and Japanese cuisine.

Seasoning for chicken

Chicken has tender meat, and the seasonings need to be selected accordingly - soft, with a light, unobtrusive aroma. Spices with an aggressive, intrusive odor will completely drown out the natural taste of the dish.

Best Chicken Companions:

• Green pepper;
• aromatic herbs – thyme, tarragon, basil, rosemary;
• ginger;
• dill, parsley, cilantro;
• caramelized onions;
• a little fried garlic;
• saffron;
• nutmeg;
• curry.

If you are not sure that you will choose the right bouquet of herbs, use ready-made mixtures: Mediterranean, Provençal, Greek.

Spices for pork

High-quality pork is tender and very juicy, but the smell of this meat is specific, and some people find it unpleasant. Mask it with spices.

Pairs well with pork:

• all types of peppers;
• paprika;
• coriander;
• sage, marjoram, thyme (aka thyme);
• garlic;
• Bay leaf;
• celery;
• ginger;
• lemon balm and mint.

If you like unusual combinations, add a few juniper berries to the dish. The soft pine aroma will highlight the sweetish smell of pork, making it fresh and piquant.

Seasonings for lamb

Lamb is an excellent meat, tasty and healthy, but many avoid it because of its characteristic smell. And in vain! The heavy smell of “ram” is present only in the meat of mature animals, especially males. Find a reliable seller and ask him for lamb pulp - you will be surprised how flavorful the finished dish will be.

And don't forget about spices! A correctly selected bouquet will emphasize the appetizing aroma of baked meat and drown out unpleasant notes.

List of spices for lamb:

• all types of peppers;
• garlic (feel free to add a lot, lamb loves garlic);
• Bay leaf;
• dill, parsley, cilantro;
• cumin;
• mustard seeds;
• saffron;
• thyme, oregano, rosemary, thyme, tarragon;
• mint;
• smoked paprika.

Before cooking, lamb should be soaked overnight in plenty of water and then marinated in wine. After this treatment, the smell will remain minimal.

Spices for beef

Beef is a complex meat: dryish, tough, with a rich aroma. To avoid spoiling the dish, use:

• ginger - it softens the meat, makes it more tender;
• garlic – gives the dish a spicy, appetizing aroma;
• tarragon - will add fresh, slightly spicy notes;
• rosemary, oregano, thyme - complement the aroma of meat, but do not drown it out;
• cumin, barberry - these spices are added to beef in the East;
• khmeli-suneli;
• black pepper – goes perfectly with any red meat.

Add spices either at the very beginning of cooking, when the beef is still marinating, or at the end, a couple of minutes before turning off the heat. After heat treatment, the smell of spices “fades” and becomes inexpressive and weak.

How to make your own spice mixture

The most delicious meat dish is steak. And it is also the most difficult.Everything is important here: the quality and freshness of the meat, the time and method of marinating, the spices used.

To emphasize the noble taste of beef, but not drown it out, use a classic bouquet of spices:

• garlic – 3 cloves or 1 tsp. dried (hereinafter the amount of dried spices will be indicated in parentheses);
• oregano – 3-4 leaves (0.5 tsp);
• green rosemary – 6 leaves (1 tsp);
• thyme – 2 sprigs (1/4 tsp)
• black pepper – 0.5 tsp.

Chop the garlic or pass through a press, finely chop the greens. Mix all seasonings in a small bowl and add a tablespoon of olive oil. This paste is convenient to spread on meat so that it is saturated with aromas before frying.

Texas steaks are very popular in the USA. A special set of spices is used to prepare them. The Texas marinade contains:

• dried onion – 1 tsp;
• dried garlic – 0.5 tsp;
• black pepper – 0.5 tsp;
• grain mustard – 1 tsp;
• sweet French mustard (sauce) – 0.5 tbsp. l.;
• olive oil – 2 tbsp. l.

Grind the mustard seeds in a mortar or mill, mix all the spices and add olive oil. You will get a liquid spicy paste. Rub the pieces of meat with it and leave for several hours. Mustard sauce and mustard seeds will soften the beef and give it a slight tart sweetness, olive oil will make the beef juicy, and pepper will add heat.

Salt is not included in the spice set! If you salt the beef in advance, the juices will leak out and the steak will turn out dry. Professional chefs salt the meat after cooking. If you don't like this option, sprinkle the meat with salt before adding it to the pan. This way the beef will lose a minimum of juice.

How to cook the perfect steak

This is a complex dish, but if you do it right, the beef will turn out incredibly tasty.

Choosing the right meat

For steak, use the back cut running along the ridge. The ideal cut is in the area from the 6th to the 12th rib of the cow - it is called ribeye. This is the juiciest piece of beef with a lot of fat streaks.

If you can't find ribeye, buy any other cut of sirloin. It also makes excellent steaks.

You cannot use steamed beef - after frying it will become tough. The meat must be matured before cooking. Special “ripened” portioned preparations for steaks are sold in supermarkets and butcher shops - they are already properly cut, all you have to do is marinate and fry.

Preparing steaks for frying

The meat should not be cold. Remove the meat and leave on the table for 2-3 hours. During this time, it will naturally warm up to room temperature.

Do not put steaks in the microwave, on a radiator or in hot water! Due to a sharp temperature change, juice will leak out of the meat.

When the steak is warm, dry it with a paper towel; if you see films, remains of tendons or other defects, remove it. And start marinating.

1. If you have a whole piece of meat, cut it across the grain into 2 cm thick pieces.
2. Moisten the steak with refined vegetable oil. It will soften the meat and make it juicier.
3. Rub the beef with spices, wrap in cling film and leave for 2 hours.
4. When the meat is marinated, remove any spices that will burn when fried: mint or parsley leaves, thyme sprigs, rosemary leaves.

If there is a lot of spice on the steak, carefully remove the excess with a paper towel. The meat has already absorbed all the flavors.

How to grill steaks

The more fat the beef has, the more cooked it should be. Fresh filet mignon is served “rare” or medium rare, that is, with pink juice. If you overcook a steak, the liquid will evaporate and you will end up with a dry, bland dish. Marbled ribeye beef can be fried until well done (until fully cooked), and it will still be soft due to the rendered fat. The same steak, but with blood, will remain half-raw inside.

It's delicious when it comes to meat - but do you like half-baked fat?

1. Preheat the oven to 160 ^OWITH.
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over high heat. To find out if the metal has reached the desired temperature, drop water on it. If it evaporates with a hiss, you can fry it.
3. Place the meat in the pan and cook for 30 seconds. During this time, the outer surface of the meat will “set”, sealing in the juices.
4. Turn over and hold again for 30 seconds. This will “seal” the other side.
5. Repeat the procedure again: 30 seconds on one side and 30 on the other.
6. Remove the steak from the pan and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
7. Place the meat in the oven and bake until done.

If you have a probe thermometer, use the temperature as a guide. To fry medium, the meat should warm up inside to 55-57 ^OC. For medium well, heat steaks to 58-63 ^OC. Once the beef has reached the desired temperature, turn off the heat and remove the meat from the oven.

If you don’t have a thermometer with a probe, you’ll have to use your eye. The average ribeye takes 6 minutes to cook medium, while the blander filet mignon takes 4 minutes.

Leave the finished meat on the table for 5 minutes to allow the meat to “rest.” And that’s it, enjoy the juiciest delicious steak!