Beef, salt, pepper, dried herbs and a hot pan. Twenty minutes, and almost all of the outcome is decided by two things: how dry the meat is when it hits the pan, and how thick it was cut.
Dry the meat, do not wash it
The original version of this recipe said to wash the beef under the tap, which is common practice in a lot of Latin American kitchens and worth addressing directly.
Food safety agencies advise against it. Rinsing raw meat splashes bacteria around the sink, the taps and whatever is on the counter, and it removes nothing that the heat of the pan will not deal with in seconds. The USDA has been explicit about this for years.
There is also a cooking reason. Wet meat steams and dry meat browns. Patting the surface dry with kitchen paper is what lets the crust form, and a wet steak sits in its own liquid going grey instead.
Thickness, not time
Three minutes a side is right for a cut around 2 cm thick. For anything thinner it is too long, and for a thick piece it is nowhere near enough.
- 1 cm: about a minute and a half a side.
- 2 cm: three minutes a side for medium, four to five for well done.
- 3 cm or more: sear it, then finish it in the oven, because the outside will burn before the middle warms up.
Press it with a finger if you have no thermometer: soft means rare, firm with some give means medium, and firm all through means well done.
Salt early or salt late
The recipe salts the meat and lets it rest, which is the better of the two options. Salt applied ahead has time to dissolve and be reabsorbed, seasoning the meat rather than sitting on the surface.
What does not work is salting a few minutes before cooking: that is long enough to draw moisture out and not long enough for it to go back in, so the meat goes into the pan wet.
Rest it
Two or three minutes on the board before cutting. Not long, but the difference between the juices staying in the meat and running out onto the plate.
More beef
- Sudado de carne — the slow version.
- Churrasco — the grilled cut Colombians order out.
- Carne desmechada — boiled and pulled.
- Steak with mushrooms — with a pan sauce.
Grilled Beef FAQ
No. Food safety agencies advise against washing raw meat, because rinsing splashes bacteria around the sink and counter, and cooking kills anything the water would remove. It also stops the meat browning: wet meat steams, dry meat sears. Pat it dry with kitchen paper instead.
Three minutes a side suits a cut about 2 cm thick for medium, and four to five for well done. A 1 cm cut needs about half that, and anything over 3 cm is better seared and then finished in the oven.
Either well ahead, as the recipe does, or immediately before cooking. The one thing to avoid is salting a few minutes beforehand: that draws moisture to the surface without giving it time to be reabsorbed, so the meat goes into the pan wet.
A literal translation of finas hierbas en polvo, which means dried mixed herbs. Any dried herb blend works: oregano, thyme and parsley are the usual Colombian combination.
Two or three minutes is enough for a portion this size. It lets the juices settle back into the meat rather than running out the moment you cut it.
📖 Recipe
Ingredients
- 400 g beef (a cut for quick cooking: sirloin, ribeye or skirt, about 2 cm thick)
- Dried herbs, to taste (a mixed dried herb blend)
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons oil
Notas
Instructions
- Divide the beef into two portions and pat them dry with kitchen paper. Season with salt, pepper and dried herbs, and leave them to rest.
- Heat the two tablespoons of oil in a grill pan or frying pan over medium heat.
- Put the two portions in and sear for about 3 minutes a side.
- For well done, give them 4 or 5 minutes a side, depending on the thickness of the cut.
- Take them off and let them rest a couple of minutes before cutting.
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