Help! Searing Steaks in Stainless Steel

[Andy M.]

This is just a personal preference, but for a piece of beef such as the Kobe, I'd serve the sauce on the side. You may want to taste it with just salt and pepper and enjoy the great beef flavor.

[GB]

Originally Posted by Mylegsbig

If i jab that thermometer in my meat, won't it just cause all the juices to leak out?

You would think so, but no the juices will stay put. They key is to putting the thermometer in before it is cooked. It is OK that you are going to put it in after the sear because the meat will still basically be raw inside.

When you insert the probe you want to get it as close to center mass as possible. Make sure you do not touch any bone. That won't be an issue with your Kobe of course.

Polder is the name of a well respected probe thermometer. Look for one that allows you to set an alarm to go off once you hit the desired temp. make sure to take carry over cooking time into account so set the done temp 5 degrees lower than your target temp. that way when the alarm goes off you can pull it out of the over, cover loosly with foil, and let the temp creep up another 5 degrees.

[GB]

Originally Posted by Mylegsbig

This is very very interesting..is this a sure thing or can it lead to disasters?

Well I would say it is a sure thing, but in reality it has not always worked for me. But that being said, it is still the best way to do it and chances are that it will work. The times it did not work for me were probably due to other factors like not enough fat. What I can guarantee though is that if you put the meat in the pan and then play with it right way it WILL stick and ruin your meat.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by Andy M.

This is just a personal preference, but for a piece of beef such as the Kobe, I'd serve the sauce on the side. You may want to taste it with just salt and pepper and enjoy the great beef flavor.

Me too. If I am paying that much for the beef, IMO the wonderful BEEF is what I want to taste, not sauce. Esp. nice Wagyu.

I'd flambee some sliced mushrooms in brandy in the pan and serve them as a side dish.

And Big, get yourself a cast iron skillet!!!!

[GB]

Originally Posted by jennyema

If I am paying that much for the beef, IMO the wonderful BEEF is what I want to taste, not sauce. Esp. nice Wagyu.

Yep another one who completely agrees here! Don't spend that much money on something so wonderful just to cover up the flavor and make it taste like any other piece of meat. If you absolutely must do a sauce then serve it on the side so you can still taste the meat naked if you want.

[Mylegsbig]

I'm serving the vegetables on the side. The Kobe Beef itself will only be topped with garlic butter. (very little garlic in the butter)

Okay so i will deglaze the pan and cook the onions in butter, red wine, and balsamic vinegar. So i should cook the steaks, finish in oven, then remove steaks and cover with foil.

At this point i will have some butter, balsamic, red wine, salt, pepper, mushrooms, shallots.

I have the pan freshly used from cooking the steaks back on the stove.

What do i heat it to? In which order do i add these ingredients?

Sorry, ive never deglazed before. Do i just scrape all the stuff off of the pan?

[Andy M.]

Add the butter, mushrooms and shallots to the pan (medium high) and cook until soft and fragrant.

Add the liquids and scrape the pan bottom to dislodge all the cooked on bits (fond) and stir to dissolve. Reduce the volume of liquid and season to taste with S&P.

To thicken further, whisk in, off the heat, a couple of pats of butter.

[Robo410]

I would make your pan sauce, and I think shallots and mushrooms and fresh parsley would be great, then red wine, then a touch of butter to bring it together. Put a swirl on the plate (very attractive) and serve the rest in a boat so people can help themselves to more if they wish.

[GB]

As the mushrooms and shallots cook they will release liquid. Once that happens you can start scraping the bottom of the pan to deglaze and get all that great fond. Once you add the wine just scrape whatever is left. it should all come up very easily.

[ironchef]

86 the balsamic from your recipe. It would be fine with a cheaper, leaner cut of meat but you'll be wasting the Kobe beef by putting balsamic in your sauce.