Not all steak lovers in Toronto are blessed with the space to house a barbecue. Some of us live in condos, with condo corporation bylaws forbidding us to set up an outdoor grill area. In my home, at the Toy Factory Lofts in Liberty Village, we have a communal barbecue area, on the second floor (I live on the fourth floor). That’s all well and good if it’s June, and I can march two rib eye steaks down there in shorts and flip flops. February is a different story.
On the local luxury news front, Cumbrae’s now has an online ordering offering, which I have been thinking about as we head into another winter season. Covid turned home food delivery into a massive industry. But if you are going to have your food delivered, don’t do Wendy’s. Go for good nutritious food – like steak.
So when I met with Jerry Meneses, director of operations, and a chef himself, at Cumbrae’s, the elite-level downtown Toronto butcher shop (two locations – 714 Queen St. W. and 1591 Bayview Avenue), the conversation quickly turned to Jerry’s tips on how to home cook a steak to perfection.
Maybe you won’t capture the gristle exterior and juiciness of the outdoor barbecue steak at 550 degrees, but pan frying the rib eye, for example, can produce some very satisfactory results. Just listen to Jerry tell you how to do it right.
Toronto Butcher Shop: Cumbrae’s Jerry Meneses on Cooking Sreak to Perfection
The best steak to pan fry, according to Meneses, is the rib eye.
“Rib eye is always my go-to,” he says. “I love New York, but you just can’t beat a rib eye, whether it be on the barbecue, whether it be pan fried, whether it’s seared in a broiler. Rib eye, all the way, for me. It’s got that balance of fat, that little bit of vein of fat that comes in off the top cap and the main loin of the portion. You’ve got that little nook on the tail end that’s got all fat and meat mixtures and all that stuff just melting down. Oh, man, it’s great.
“My wife and I, we love steak. We have a barbecue and literally set up a sliding door in the back, and we’ll still barbecue in the winter time.”
Meneses will barbecue twice a week during the winter months, even if it’s snowing out.
Cumbrae’s on Bayview Ave. in Toronto. Image by Mark Keast
Three Most Popular Cuts of Steak for Home Cooking
The three most popular cuts of steak, that butchers like those at Cumbrae’s hear about from clients all the time, are rib-eye, sirloin and filet mignon.
Rib-eye has that juicy, marbled flavour, as Meneses explains, while sirloin is a solid, budget-friendly choice. Filet Mignon is super tender, lean, melt in your mouth tasty. It’s pricey and more rare, and doesn’t need much seasoning.
And any nutritionist will tell you about the health benefits of eating steak, led by the fact it’s a super source for protein.
Three Best Health Benefits of Steak
Steak is packed with high-quality protein, about 25 grams per three-ounce serving, which helps build and repair muscles while keeping you full longer.
It’s rich in iron, boosting energy while fighting fatigue, especially for women.
Third, it provides B vitamins, like B12, that support brain function and red blood cell production. Balance it with veggies.
Cumbrae’s on Queen St. W in Toronto. Image by Mark Keast
What’s the Best Rib Eye Pan-Frying Recipe?
- Grab a thick rib eye, about one and a half inches, and let it sit out to room temp for twenty minutes.
- Pat it dry with paper towels. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it’s screaming hot – smoke’s good.
- Season both sides generously with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Add a tablespoon of high-smoke-point oil, like avocado, and sear the steak for four minutes per side for medium-rare.
- Drop in a knob of butter, two smashed garlic cloves, and a sprig of rosemary halfway through. Tilt the pan and baste the steak with the melting butter for another minute.
- Rest it on a board for five-seven minutes before slicing. Want it rarer or more well-done? Just adjust the sear time.
So for a one and a quarter inch steak, for temperature, if you’re using an instant read thermometer, it’s125 degrees for a rare,135 degrees for a medium rare. You get up to medium you’re going to 145 degrees, and then after that, you’re hitting medium well to well done at 160 on the read thermometer.
Pan Frying Steak at Home? Go With Cast Iron
If you’re going to pan fry the best steak in Toronto, use a cast iron pan.
“Cast iron, something with a thick bottom that can maintain that heat consistently is always ideal,” Meneses says. “An instant read thermometer is the best way to find your true temperature [in the steak]. I can give you times. I can give you times [to flip] based on the thickness of the meat. I can give you minutes and how long to cook it. But having that instant read thermometer for a steak is the best way to go. We cut our steaks on an average of about one and a quarter inch. That’s our standard.
“So for a one and a quarter inch steak, for temperature, if you’re using an instant read thermometer, it’s 125 degrees for a rare,135 degrees for a medium rare. You get up to medium you’re going to 145 degrees, and then after that, you’re hitting medium well to well done at 160 on the read thermometer. Those temperatures are great key ways to get to your perfect doneness.
“Ideally you don’t to take it straight from fridge to pan. You want to bring it up to room temperature, on a counter in the kitchen. The next process is seasoning it – with some salt and pepper.
Image by Mark Keast
If you are barbecuing it, season it a little more, because a lot of seasoning will fall away. So a pinch of seasoning if you are pan frying it, so it penetrates through the meat.
Medium or medium-high heat for pan frying is ideal. Toss in some canola oil, or something that can handle the high heat.
“You want to make sure that it’s the optimal temperature before you put the meat on there,” he says. “Because the important part now is developing that crust on the outside. You get that carmelization of the protein, with the juices, it dries up, all that collagen becomes brown and caramel like, and that helps develop the crust.”
You’re going to create a little bit of smoke as well, so make sure you have a good fan in the house.
Cumbrae’s on Queen St. W in Toronto. Image by Mark Keast
Best Steak in Toronto: Let the Rib-Eye Sit for 7 Minutes
“If you are looking at a steak that’s an inch thick, to an inch and a quarter, it’s roughly four to five minutes a side to cook. Don’t move it around in the pan. Don’t poke it. Once you move it you end up losing that crust. Then one more flip after that for an extra 2-3 minutes after that. Then check it with you your instant read thermometer.
“Take it out of the pan and leave it for five-seven minutes. You want to actually allow for that meat to relax and settle, and then have those juices reabsorbed back into the tissue of the meat. A lot of people, will automatically think, oh, shoot, it’s cooked, it’s done, it’s ready. I want to dig into that. But patience.”
Meneses talks about this stuff with a passion because he loves cooking, he loves food.
“The things I have learned from chefs coming through here, even the young kids who come through here,” he says. “I’ll watch them and take something away. You never stop learning. I am not a frilly guy when it comes to steak. I like a good piece of meat. And a simple sear in a pan is fantastic.”
Top image by Mark Keast
I am a 50-something Torontonian who loves everything about my city. It’s been my home, my playground, for my entire life. I went to school here. I met my wife here. I own real estate here. I love writing about the transformation of my city on the world stage, which hasn’t been anything short of dramatic. That continues on, as I write this. I write on the real estate scene. I write on travel and fashion. I like following the world of luxury watches.
But I love writing about cars – check that, luxury cars, a level of superior, engineering sophistication, high performance and style, that transports you not just from one destination to another but also out of whatever you are going through on a particular day, whatever mood you are in, all to another head space. It’s complete and total exhilaration, head to toe.
Check out my stories, and email me direct at mkeast@regardingluxury.com
