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Best Steak In Ayia Napa - What Are The Best Cuts To Look For?
JUL 17, 2019When searching for a meal in Ayia Napa, one thing that is normally on the tip of someone’s tongue is steak. It is simple, tasting and wholly satisfying and is loved worldwide. But what are the best cuts of steaks and how should they be prepared.
Preparation
The key to a good steak will vary from chef to chef and country to country. But the secret of its preparation will generally fall into three categories, which if followed will give great returns.
Seasoning.
The flavour of a steak should almost be enough on its own but it is important to enhance the natural tones of the meat. A rub of olive oil, salt and pepper should be plenty to enhance the flavours and to let you enjoy the meat.
Heat.
The heat level when cooking a steak is vital, the hotter the better. A perfect steak will give a slight crust or char with a tender, juicy inside.
Searing.
The secret to encapsulating the flavour of a steak is with the searing process. A steak should be seared at high heat on all sides before it is cooked to the required level of rareness. This will ensure all of the steaks natural juices are trapped within the meat and not leaked.
Coal or Gas
The cooking of a steak will generally fall under two categories, grilled on a coal fired grill or pan/grill fried on a stove or hob. There are more methods, such as sous vides and even ones using furnace like equipment but the mainstays are the above. The type of cooking device will vary by the temperature it gives out and the flavours it will adopt. Some prefer to pan fry to allow super temperatures and the addition of other flavours like garlic and thyme, some prefer the chargrilled and slightly smokey taste of a chargrill or coal preparation. This is personal preference only and as long as the chargrill is of significant heat, they will produce similar results.
The Cuts
The cut of a steak will have a huge difference in the taste, texture and quantity of a steak. Below are some of the most common steaks in Ayia Napa and the pros and cons of the meat.
Rump Steak
The rump is a common steak and is one of the less expensive cuts. It originates from the tail end of the cow hence the name. The meat is one of the toughest cuts and is best eaten rare to medium rare, otherwise you could be eating an expensive burger. Due to this being a muscly area of the cow, the fat content thus the taste is compromised. A trick to compensate for the toughness of the meat is often to hammer it to tenderness, so watch out for restaurants fobbing you off a cheap piece of meat as a more expensive one. Tip: ask to see the meat first, then check it resembles what you saw once served.
The Sirloin
A slightly more tender cut of steak. This normally has a rind of fat that can add to the taste but is generally considered blander. The steak has a low fat content but if cooked correctly will retain juice and a slight tenderness. This steak is best prepared towards the rare end of the scale for best results.
The Ribeye
The ribeye is often considered the most flavourful cut of beef. The reason for this is a thick vein of fat that runs through the meat and often, with the best cuts, a marbling of small fat strands through the meat. This will ensure that the entire cut will have a wonderful taste. They key to the success of this meat is the ensure it is cooked at high heat. The chef wants to render the fat throughout the meat and this can only be done with high, precise heat. The meat will also retain tenderness and is will served throughout the scale of rare to medium well cooked.
The Strip
The strip, or strip loin, comes from the area of the cow to the rear of the ribs. It is an area of the cow that does little work so it has amazing tenderness. Although not as flavourful as the ribeye, it will be equally if not more tender. The strip is often part of the T-bone or porterhouse but. The strip will give you tenderness and taste in balance and will serve the range of rareness well.
The T-bone
The T-bone is a favourite globally. This is normally because of its size or its range of flavour. The beauty of the T-bone is that the “T” is a bone that separates two individual cuts of meat. The cut will generally give you a large portion of strip steak alongside a smaller cut of tenderloin (the Rolls Royce of the steak world). The bone will also dish out flavour generously. This is a cut that will ensure tenderness and heaps of flavour. It will also serve well from rare to medium well done.
The Tenderloin
This is the King of steaks and is revered by many as the finest cut.Because of the whereabouts of the cut on the cow, it is a meat that is packed with fine fat strands and amazing tenderness. There is no more tender cut of steak. It is generally one of the most expensive cuts of meat because of its size relative to the cow and its tenderness. It is best eaten towards the rare end of the scale; most good chefs would recommend a different cut if you were to opt for a more well-done cooking style.
The Tomahawk
By far the largest cut of steak, the tomahawk boasts fine taste and tenderness. It is best served bone in (French trimmed) and is usually as a sharing dish, unless you are dining with a large predatory cat. It has rich veins of fat that give plenty of flavour and will guarantee a juicy tenderness. This cut is rare to find in Ayia Napa, often because of the relative high cost of the meat and its size. Because of the thickness of the meat, the chef needs to be well trained on both the preparation and cooking of the meat to ensure a consistent cook throughout.
The Hanger Steak
The hanger steak is normally referred to as the butcher’s steak or butcher’s cut. This is because it is in short supply on the animal, people don’t know about it and the butchers normally keep these ones for themselves. It is a very flavourful cut of meat that originates from the upper belly region. It has the ability to be well done and still very tender. It is rare to find this cut of meat but it is worth savouring if you can find it.
