The perfect steak always gets me. I’ve been dating medium-rares for a long time now and it’s hard not to fall in love with them once you’ve experienced that 'beefgasm' over a good cut of meat. However, not always do we get served the best cuts in Kochi as the demand for a prime cut like Sirloin or a T-Bone is lacking, let alone the divine filet mignon!
My first medium-rare experience was 10 years ago and the bond continues to grow the more I get to cut into the meat like butter and the more I get to see the pink on the inside. We are so used to curry cuts here that our butchers don’t know the basics of steak cuts. That is perhaps one of the reasons why even the best chefs are unable to deliver a proper medium-rare in Kochi.
The produce is as important as the doneness and I believe a higher level of caution is to be exercised when handling local meat cuts from India. Good quality beef is bright red and shiny in appearance and firm and springy to the touch, with a sweet light scent
It has a network of white or slightly yellowish fat; when a lot of fat is present in the muscle, the meat is described as marbled. In order to be tender and palatable, the beef must be matured after slaughtering, for a period varying from a few days to a week. Nevertheless, the closest to perfect cuts out here is the tenderloin or the undercut as local butchers understand it. So the chefs have to be on their toes to get the steak to cook thoroughly and do not always risk doing a medium-rare.
Ever since I relocated to Kochi some time ago, I’ve managed to convert a few ardent meat-lovers into medium-rare lovers. Lately, a video I posted on my Instagram feed (@fcboy83) had received rave reviews. I’m glad that meat lovers here are now taking doneness so seriously that it isn’t hard to find medium-rare tenderloin in Kochi. The five star hotels have always been in the game. But today, even some cafes and bistros have started giving out their best medium-rares like Cafe 17, District 7, etc. It makes me happy to see Kochi romancing steaks like never before. So go and treat yourself to a good steak now!
Oneal Sabu (aka FCboy83) is a food writer and columnist and the author of the book "Soul fried Monologues"
