Okay, so I needed to sort out a steak dinner the other night, but it had to be gluten-free. Not always straightforward, especially if you like using marinades or rubs someone else made.
First thing, I went and got the steaks. Just some decent cuts from the local butcher, nothing too fancy. Got them home and let them sit out on the counter for maybe half an hour. Heard somewhere that helps them cook better if they’re not fridge-cold. Makes sense, I guess.
Figuring out the Gluten-Free Part
This was the main thing. A lot of bottled marinades, especially the dark savoury ones, use soy sauce. And most soy sauce has wheat, meaning gluten. Some pre-made spice rubs also have weird fillers or anti-caking stuff that might contain gluten. Didn’t want to risk it.
So, I decided the simplest way was the best way. Just stick to basics I know are safe.
Getting it Ready
Here’s what I did:
- Grabbed the steaks. Patted them dry with a paper towel. Seems to help get a better crust.
- Seasoning. Forget fancy stuff. Just coarse salt and black pepper. Loads of it, on both sides. Really pressed it in there.
- Sometimes I add garlic powder or onion powder, but you gotta check the label. Make sure it’s just the spice, no added wheat or ‘modified food starch’ unless you know it’s okay. This time, I kept it super simple: salt and pepper only.
Cooking the Steak
I used a heavy pan, cast iron works great but any solid frying pan will do. Got it on the stove, medium-high heat. Waited till it was properly hot.
Added a splash of oil. Just vegetable oil, nothing complicated. Let that heat up till it shimmered a bit.
Then, laid the steaks in the pan, away from me so the oil wouldn’t splash up. Got that nice loud sizzle. Left them alone for a few minutes, maybe 3 or 4? Didn’t touch them. Let that crust form.
Flipped them over. Did the same on the other side. Cook time really depends how thick the steak is and how you like it, so I just poked it a bit to check. You get a feel for it after a while.
Near the end, like the last minute or two, I tossed in a knob of plain butter. Let it melt and foam up. Spooned some of that melted butter over the steaks. Gives it a nice finish.
The Crucial Step: Resting
This bit’s important. Took the steaks out of the pan and put them on a cutting board. Didn’t touch them for a good 5, maybe 10 minutes. Just let them sit there. If you cut into it straight away, all the juices just run out. Learned that the hard way before. Letting it rest keeps it juicy.
End Result
Sliced it up after resting. It was cooked nice, juicy inside, good crust outside. Tasted like… well, steak. Simple, savoury, and totally gluten-free because I didn’t add anything dodgy. Sometimes keeping it basic is the way to go, avoids all the hassle of checking labels on fifty different things.
