Meat Master
Angus Steak Cooking Tips & Guide
Introducing the Meat Master’s ultimate guide to Angus steak. Popular worldwide for its premium quality and rich marbling, the Angus steak is well loved in the steak community, and deserves to be cooked with care and precision.
Learn how to best prepare your cut for a better cooking experience, and discover our top tips for perfecting the different cooking techniques that let Angus steak shine. Become an expert now!
What is Angus Steak?
Angus steak comes from the famous Angus cattle breed, originally raised in the Scottish Highlands but now loved around the world for their rich, flavoursome beef. Especially popular for its incredibly fine marbling, unique to its breed, Angus steak is well regarded for its premium quality and top tier taste.
Preparing Your Angus
Preparing your Angus steak is essential for making sure you make the most out of your cooking experience. From infusing with flavour to maximising its succulent texture, proper preparation is key! Here are our best tips:
Selecting the Best Cut
Choosing the best cut of Angus steak makes a world of difference when it comes to taste. When searching for your cut, look for steaks that have abundant marbling, with multiple fine white lines of fat running through the meat. This marbling actually melts during the cooking process, and it drizzles the steak with flavour and makes it more succulent.
Make sure the colour of your Angus steak is a vibrant red, as this signals freshness and proper handling. When selecting thickness, choose a steak that’s at least 1-inch thick for easier cooking and juicier results.
Understanding Farm Assurance
While Angus beef is graded differently around the world, in the UK, the most important indicator of quality is with farm assurance.
A farm-assured Angus steak means the cattle has been raised with care. This level of dedication and handling, typically paired with a grass-fed diet, directly contributes to the beef’s tenderness and taste.
Therefore, when picking your meat cut, look out for farm assurance schemes like Red Tractor and Scotch Beef PGI (if based in Scotland), to ensure you’re getting premium quality beef that adheres to handling standards.
Marinating Tips
Although Angus steak packs a flavourful punch by itself, complementing it with the right marinade can refine the flavour profile even more! There’s also no need to overcomplicate things—a simple mix of sea salt and freshly ground pepper is enough to enhance the meat well.
For a particularly tasty dish, we recommend adding rosemary, garlic powder, or a sprinkle of smoked paprika to elevate the smoky flavour.
Cooking Techniques
There are several ways you can cook Angus steak to unlock outstanding results. Each of these methods share one key principle: cooking the steak quickly at high heat. Try these methods for yourself to find your favourite!
Grilling Angus Steak
Grilling Angus steak is a great way to amplify the buttery flavour of its unique marbling. Here’s the cooking process broken down:
- To start, preheat your grill to high heat (230-260°C).
- Place the steak on the hottest part of the grill and cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Make sure you adjust time for thickness and your desired doneness.
- When flipping, avoid piercing the meat with a fork as this provides space for the juices to escape. Instead, use kitchen or barbecue tongs.
- Use a meat thermometer to ensure the core is cooked. Aim for 54 to 57°C for a medium-rare finish.
- Let the steak rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Pan-Searing Angus Steak
Pan-searing is ideal for perfecting a caramelised crust on your Angus steak. Here’s how we recommend cooking it:
- Heat a heavy cast iron frying pan or skillet over high heat until smoking.
- Add a high-heat oil. Grapeseed and avocado oil have fantastic high smoke points for pan-searing Angus steak.
- Next, sear the steak for 3 to 4 minutes on each side before reducing the heat.
- For an extra flavour infusion, add butter, garlic, and herbs, and ladle these over the steak.
- Cook until your desired level of doneness.
- Finally, leave to rest for up to 10 minutes before slicing.
Sous-Vide Angus Steak
Sous-vide is a fantastic cooking method that ensures precise doneness. For those new to cooking steak, this approach provides foolproof results:
- Simply set your water bath to your desired temperature. For medium-rare, 57°C is optimal.
- Season your Angus steak in line with our chef’s top marinade tips.
- Seal the steak in a vacuum-sealed bag, then allow to cook for 1 to 2 hours depending on thickness and size.
- To achieve a crispier exterior, finish cooking with a quick sear in a hot frying pan or on the grill.
Temperature Guide
While Angus steak can be thoroughly enjoyed whether rare or well-done, it’s important that you learn and understand your ideal level of doneness.
We recommend using a meat thermometer for added accuracy, as oven temperatures can sometimes be slightly unreliable. Here’s the temperatures to look out for, and what they mean for your steak:
- Rare: A cool red centre that measures around 52°C
- Medium-Rare: Contains a warm reddish core, measuring approximately 57°C
- Medium: Contains a warm pink centre and is about 62°C
- Well-Done: A firm texture with little or no pink. Fully cooked at 68°C.
Remember: steak continues to cook slightly while resting, so make sure to remove it from heat a few degrees before it hits your target temperature!
Read our cooking temperature guide for more information.
Resting and Serving
Resting your Angus steak properly is just as important as the cooking process. We recommend allowing the steak to rest undisturbed for at least 5 full minutes, and up to 10 minutes depending on its thickness.
To maintain the heat, use foil to loosely cover the steak and remain gentle when handling it.
Other Meat Cuts
Book Your Table at The Meat & Wine Co
Want to try the ultimate Angus steak without the added effort of cooking it yourself? At The Meat & Wine Co in Mayfair, we deliver incredible dining experiences, developed by our renowned expert chefs. Come and try it for yourself by booking a table today!