Pedro Correia is Sous Chef at Tomahawk in Temple Bar, one of the most popular steak restaurants in Dublin. When asked about the most common mistakes people make when cooking and serving their steaks, one answer came to mind straight away.
If you're planning to enjoy some steak in the sun this summer, Pedro gave us some super handy tips on how to cook the best steaks, including the one mistake to avoid.
He told Dublin Live: "First, you're going to need to choose your cut and that's based on your preference. Some people like steaks a bit more fatty and juicy. For that, we would recommend rib-eye or a tomahawk
Read more: Popular steakhouse to open in old Abercrombie & Fitch store.
"For people who like fat but not too much fat on their steaks, we recommend a strip loin. You still have a portion of fat on the steak but it's on the outside, so you can cut it off if you want.
"If you want to treat yourself, there is the T-bone which would be a bit more expensive."
Talking about choosing the right cut, he added: "We use just Irish beef. We believe it's the best beef you can get in Europe. In Ireland, there are a lot of local butchers with high quality standards."
Next, Pedro told us about a delightful side dish to steak he enjoys when he is visiting his home country Brazil.
He revealed: "I grew up doing this as a kid in Brazil, and when I go home I still love to eat it.
"You wrap a sweet potato in tinfoil. You put it on the hot coal for a half an hour, flip, and then leave for another half an hour. It's some of the best mash you can make. Just a little bit of butter and some spring onion is all you need."
Finally, Pedro revealed the most common mistake people make when cooking and serving steak is "not letting it rest enough".
The chef explained: "Steak has to rest for the same amount of time it's been cooked. So if it was ten minutes in the grill, it needs to rest for ten minutes before it's served.
"Once you cook a steak, because of the temperatures, all the muscles and fibres of the meat tend to be tight. That will squeeze all the juice out.
"Once you take your steak out, you need to let it rest until those fibres relax again, and that will give you a much juicier steak.
"If you find it's gone cold, you can put it back in for five or ten seconds just to bring the temperature back up."
Tomahawk is one of the top steak restaurants in Dublin, sourcing their beef in Ireland and dry age it in-house.
Their steaks range from €38 all the way up to €80, while the menu also consists of things like gnocchi, oysters and beef tartare. Plus, there is a whole section of the menu dedicated to potatoes.
You can book a table at Tomahawk here.
Read more: I paid nearly €12 for a vegan chicken fillet roll - and here's how it tasted
Read more: 'I tried the new McDonald's summer menu - and there was one delicious stand out'
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox
