cookin' steaks

[Ken Robb]

We had thread drift about knives.
One of my favorite chunks o' beef is prime top sirloin now available at Costco for $5 pound.
I let half marinate in Yoshidas Gourmet Sauce (teriyaki) for a few hours. Just before tossing it on the blazing hot grill I lace it with Penzey's Black and Red mixed ground pepper.
The other half gets a good sprinkling of Lawry"s Seasoned Salt.

Then I have a bite of one and a bite of the other until I run out of red wine. Okay, THAT never happens but the beef is GOOD.

[djg]

They've had some killer filet at Costco too. Rub the steaks with coarse sea salt, freshly ground peppers, and a little smoked paprika. Saute some garlic in olive oil in a sauce pan and then strain the oil into a pan for the steaks (no burnt garlic). Get the pan good and hot. Sear the steaks nicely on both sides, splash in a little port, and pop them into a 300 degree oven for a bit (but not too long).

[rounder]

Sorry, got lost in the thread drift. I try to find something that looks good (burgers mainly). Use 8 mins on side one and 7 mins on side two (varies based on size). Works on burgers, steaks, pork roasts, chicken breasts. I know it is not real scientific, but that is what i do.

[Ken Robb]

They've had some killer filet at Costco too. Rub the steaks with coarse sea salt, freshly ground peppers, and a little smoked paprika. Saute some garlic in olive oil in a sauce pan and then strain the oil into a pan for the steaks (no burnt garlic). Get the pan good and hot. Sear the steaks nicely on both sides, splash in a little port, and pop them into a 300 degree oven for a bit (but not too long).

Sounds like a winner for indoor cooking. Every once in a while it rains and we don't want to fire up the outdoor grill. :) Like tonight.

[godfrey1112000]

Costco Prime NY Strips or in Kansas City, they are called KC Strips, marked on a hot girll and served very rare

[sand fungus]

In MHO the ribeye is king :) I grind up garlic, chipotle peppers, black pepper and rub it on both sides and let the steaks come up to room temp (of course covered) for ~40min. Meanwhile get the grill very very hot ~600degrees. 5 min before they go on I sprinkle with salt. Grille time is dependent on thickness, pull off and let rest for 5-10 min. I like mine rare so I typically go 3-4 min/side and pull off the grille, you should be able to tell by pushing on the meat with your fingers. :beer:

[Nil Else]

In MHO the ribeye is king :)

I agree. Thick well marbled ribeye.

[shinomaster]

You guys need some good bordelaise (http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Filet-Mignon-with-Bordelaise-Sauce) sauce. :beer:

[Kevan]

Terrific indoor cookin' during the winter. Almost equal parts butter and olive oil; a good shower of S&P; high flame and a strong exhaust. Polk the middle of the cut with the cooking tongs and when the sponginess-feel seems to have solidified it's done. Rub with garlic as it begins to rest, and a little butter if your health is up to it. Sauté some shrooms, add some dirty rice to the plates, and sautéd spinach w/ olive oil and you're done. Slice thin ribbons.

[yakstone]

If you have not seen the movie "Food Inc" you may want to rent or buy the dvd. Understanding "factory farming" will change the way you look at the giant food retailers of the world.

[CNY rider]

In MHO the ribeye is king :) let the steaks come up to room temp (of course covered) for ~40min.

I ask, out of curiosity only, why you cover it?

[SEABREEZE]

Thank You Yak, being a grassfed farmer, You wont find anything better than dri box ( 3 weeks ) finshed Devon, Seek it out. Other varieties to consider are Salaire, Limousin , Charolais

Any cut , Sea salt, Fresh ground pepper, Fresh raw butter, Fresh oregano from the garden, Prepared rare. We like to broil. Melts in your mouth.

[CNY rider]

If you have not seen the movie "Food Inc" you may want to rent or buy the dvd. Understanding "factory farming" will change the way you look at the giant food retailers of the world.


I'm fortunate to live in an area with good access to locally raised meats.
I agree that there are some repulsive, disgusting practices taking place in industrial agriculture in this country so I stick with locally grown stuff. I also started growing my own last year.

But what to do if you don't have access to affordable, humanely produced animal products?

I'm not sure what I would do in that situation. :confused:

[Kirk007]

I'm fortunate to live in an area with good access to locally raised meats.


Same here. I've noticed that the 100% grass fed beef has a very different flavor than other beef. More gamey is the only adjective that comes to mind. And while I am all in favor of locally grown foods rather than the feedlot variety I find it interesting that I prefer the taste of that which I have become to accustomed.

Regarding cooking streaks- a habit picked up from Andy Hampsten on a trip in Tuscany - add a dash of really good fresh olive oil once the slab is on the plate (though there wasn't much food beyond breakfasts, gelato and caffe on that trip to which I didn't see Andy add a dash of good olive oil!)

Slight drift on meat: There is a producer in Washington(tails and totters or something like that) that is raising pork where for the last 90 days (or something like that) the pigs are fed a diet of hazelnuts. It is incredible. You can really tell the difference, particularly with their smoked hams.

[SEABREEZE]

Kirk, Grassfed doesnt have to taste gamey with the right selection of cattle and how its finished.

We finish our pigs on raw cow milk.

[Spinner]

... with mushrooms in a port wine reduction.

saute (preferably in a skillet that is not non-stick) sliced mushrooms in butter, add kosher salt and cracked pepper;

remove cooked mushrooms (leaving any juices in the pan) and deglaze the pan with an ample amount of port;

as port is reducing, add some demi-glace (available in small packages at many stores);

return mushrooms to pan and reduce heat to low low;

enjoy over beast.

[djg]

Slight drift on meat: There is a producer in Washington(tails and totters or something like that) that is raising pork where for the last 90 days (or something like that) the pigs are fed a diet of hazelnuts. It is incredible. You can really tell the difference, particularly with their smoked hams.

I don't care what they guy tells you, the stuff that comes out the back is NOT nutella.

[znfdl]

My favorite steak prepe is a combination of sugar, coarse salt and black pepper. Coat the entire steak quite lightly, then throw on a very hot grill. The sugar carmelizes and seals in the juices.

Perfect with a bottle of zinfandel.

[sand fungus]

I ask, out of curiosity only, why you cover it?

Just out of habit and probably my fear of germs, more than anything. That and I do get a lot of fruit flies in the summer from the fruit that I get from my father in law (organic no pesticides etc).

[roguedog]

man, i wanna try each and every one of these, esp, the ones i can cook indoors since it's rainy out. (ahem.. though today is a gorgeous spring-like day.)

i like bone-in rib-eyes.

olive oil and montreal steak seasoning on both sides. throw on a hot, hot charcoal grill. sear for est 30 sec or so and then cover for like 5 min. repeat on the other side. of course, this depends on thickness. should get ya med-rare yummy steak.

serve w/ nice cab, merlot, or bordeaux.

yum.. i'm hungry. subscribin to this thread!

[Nautilus]

My favorite steak prepe is a combination of sugar, coarse salt and black pepper. Coat the entire steak quite lightly, then throw on a very hot grill. The sugar carmelizes and seals in the juices.

Perfect with a bottle of zinfandel.

I've never heard of using sugar, but that makes a lot of sense.
How much do you need to use?
How well can you taste the sugar once it's done?

[Ken Robb]

one of my pals does thick top sirloin on his Weber after he coats the meat with powdered sugar followed by a coat of Grey Poupon Mustard. I liked it when he did it but my attempt wasn't as good. I can probably get better at it with more practice.

[Spinner]

... to "sugar" a steak is with balsamic vinegar; marinate for about 15 minutes.

yum.

[oldguy00]

Will butter help with the 'sealing' of it, or just add browning?

[djg]

Will butter help with the 'sealing' of it, or just add browning?

I think that butter can play two roles. First, a composed or flavored butter added at or near the end of the process can add flavor as well as richness (maybe overkill on a ribeye). Second, it's a layer of fat and can help keep the meat moist (which may be useful if you have a lean cut). OTOH, butter on a very hot pan can burn.

[T-Crush]

Bone-in ribeye.

While I love a good rub, sauce and marinade now and again, the chef at Peter Luger's in Brooklyn shared that salt and a grill running between 450 and 500 degrees is all it takes. Rub on the salt, pop it on for 5 minutes a side, let it rest off heat for a couple of minutes while your favorite red opens up, attack.

[Ozz]

In MHO the ribeye is king :) I grind up garlic, chipotle peppers, black pepper and rub it on both sides and let the steaks come up to room temp (of course covered) for ~40min. Meanwhile get the grill very very hot ~600degrees. 5 min before they go on I sprinkle with salt. Grille time is dependent on thickness, pull off and let rest for 5-10 min. I like mine rare so I typically go 3-4 min/side and pull off the grille, you should be able to tell by pushing on the meat with your fingers. :beer:
AKA "Cowboy Steak" :beer:

I gotta agree with you...for grilling, a ribeye is hard to beat.

The NY strip is another favorite...

I am itching to try Steak Florentine...might have to settle for porterhouse, as Chianina beef is pretty rare in these parts! ;)

I picked up a bottle of Mollydooker Shiraz at our school auction this past weekend....it begs for a nice steak.

:beer:

I have steak so rarely (wife does not eat beef / pork / chicken). I usually only get it when we dine out, or a couple times during the summer.

However, with a good cut, just a little salt and some garlic is usually enough.

[Ken Robb]

I went to COSTCO to buy Prime Tops for tonight but there was a package of New York Strips that looked too good to pass up. Labled "Choice" but better marbled than most of the "Prime". The rating is a judgement call by the grader after all. Got some ravioli stuffed with porcini mushrooms too. :beer:

[rounder]

We were working on a job in Dallas a few years ago and went to a restuarant where you pick out your own steaks and even cook them ourselves if we wanted to...i think it was the old town area. We picked out some thick filets. I was fully planning to cook it myself, but the steak was so beautiful that i didn't want to ruin it, and let them cook it. It was great.

[207 cm]

2 1/2" thick Porterhouse. I want to tast MEAT when I eat a steak not seasoning. My NY strips are only 2" though....

1/2" steak = minute steak.

[Hardlyrob]

Rib eyes from Costco rule - beautiful meat and great prices.

Some interesting preparations here - gotta try the sugar idea.

Here's what I do:
Take some coarse sea salt and a couple cloves of crushed garlic. Make a paste with the garlic and salt by smearing your knife back and forth through it. The salt acts like and abrasive and grinds the garlic.

Put some of the salt / garlic on each side and dose with good olive oil and fresh black pepper. Let it sit for 30 mins or so.

Grill it on a hot (500°+) grill to your preference and while resting for a couple of minutes squeeze half a lemon over the steaks. A much lighter flavored coating than you would expect, and a perfect complement to the beef flavor.

Cheers!

Rob

[oldguy00]

Rob,

What does the olive oil do for it? Does it have to do with taste, or does it sear it?
thx!

PS. Dying to pick up a Weber Performer charcoal grill......the local Home Depot isn't getting their stock for a few more weeks....

[CNY rider]

Rob,

What does the olive oil do for it? Does it have to do with taste, or does it sear it?
thx!

PS. Dying to pick up a Weber Performer charcoal grill......the local Home Depot isn't getting their stock for a few more weeks....

Olive oil is great for transferring flavors like the essence of the garlic.
Our very own johnmdesigner showed me a great prep for steaks that is very similar.
You take the crushed garlic, add some thyme and salt and black pepper and immerse the herbs in EVO for 30 minutes. Then rub it all over your steak and seal in a Ziploc for a few hours.
The results are very tasty. :beer:

[Ozz]

Rob,

What does the olive oil do for it? Does it have to do with taste, or does it sear it?
thx!
....
You have to be careful using olive oil for grilling...it has a low burn temp and can impart funny flavors if it does burn. A little drizzle after grilling is fine. It add a little fat to enhance the flavor of the meat. And it is "good" fat. ;)

Also, to get a nice crust, the surface of the steak should be dry. Moisture prevents the crust from forming....as it vaporizes, it lowers the surface temp of the meat. By the time a nice crust forms, the temp inside the meat has risen and overcooked your steak.

I've not tried the "sugar" rubs for steak....I use it when smoking ribs (brown sugar & molasses), but that is done at a much lower temp. Sugar can also burn and create off-flavors.

The vinegar / acid marinades are good for sirloin and such, but for a ribeye or NY strip, or porthouse/ T-Bone, they are usually tender enough.

For me, a nice salt, pepper and garlic rub...let sit for 30+ minutes. A wipe with a towel to remove moisure and onto the grill. Drizzle with olive oil after cooking.

Cheers.

[Hardlyrob]

Rob,

What does the olive oil do for it? Does it have to do with taste, or does it sear it?
thx!

PS. Dying to pick up a Weber Performer charcoal grill......the local Home Depot isn't getting their stock for a few more weeks....

It's more for flavor than anything else. Just a little drizzle to get all those Mediterranean flavors melding together - salt, pepper, garlic, olive oil, lemon.
As mentioned above - a lot of olive oil can be a problem - low flash point, and nasty flavor when it burns.

Cheers!

Rob

[fiamme red]

If you have not seen the movie "Food Inc" you may want to rent or buy the dvd. Understanding "factory farming" will change the way you look at the giant food retailers of the world.http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2010/03/04/arts/AP-US-FEA-Food-OscarNominationOutrage.html?_r=1

The corn industry is lashing out at an Oscar-nominated documentary that has grossed out grocery shoppers, saying the film is unfair to many of the nation's farmers and shouldn't win.

''Food Inc.,'' which was nominated for best documentary, has captured audiences with its behind-the-scenes look at the food industry, bringing cameras into feedlots, slaughterhouses and chicken farms used by corporate agriculture, describing stomach-turning practices in an effort to encourage consumers to buy locally grown and organic foods that aren't mass produced.

The corn industry, one of several food industries attacked in the film, is fighting back. Though the official voting for Sunday's Academy Awards is over, the National Corn Growers Association, the industry's largest trade group, is encouraging corn farmers to get the word out in the media and on social networking sites like Facebook to rebut the documentary in the final days before the Oscars...

[goonster]

unfair to many of the nation's farmers
I believe they meant "detrimental to the shareholders of agribusiness conglomerates"