Steak methods

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Scott-180

Assistant Cook
Joined
Sep 13, 2018
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46
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hi everyone,

i am a new member here and am probably posting stupid basic questions so apologies for this but what is the best way to cook steak?

I've heard people say frying in oil or butter, or some say frying in nothing at all?

Also what is best for seasoning? I just use salt and pepper but it always tastes a bit bland, nothing like when I have it in a restaurant.

I would be especially interested to hear from any Americans on this as I have always found that steak in America tastes better than anywhere else in the world! :)
 
hi everyone,

i am a new member here and am probably posting stupid basic questions so apologies for this but what is the best way to cook steak?

I've heard people say frying in oil or butter, or some say frying in nothing at all?

Also what is best for seasoning? I just use salt and pepper but it always tastes a bit bland, nothing like when I have it in a restaurant.

I would be especially interested to hear from any Americans on this as I have always found that steak in America tastes better than anywhere else in the world! :)

Well here is the advice of a guy in Texas, where beef rules.

First of all, fat is flavor, so buy a well marbled steak.

Second, medium rare. If you like your steak well done, I can't help you.

I have cooked steaks every way possible. My preferred way now is Sous Vide followed by a really fast sear. That is an art of it's own. If you want to go down that road, let me know. I'll hook you up.

My second best method is on a scorching hot charcoal grill. Third place is a hot cast iron skillet. Butter in the skillet is very nice, but you have to be attentive, so you don't burn the butter. I have not had good results cooking steaks with any kind of oil.

As for seasoning, kosher salt and black pepper is all you need. If possible, salt and pepper your steak hours in advance.

No matter how you cook your steak, let it sit on the counter for an hour or so, to warm to room temperature. Don't pull it from the fridge, season it, and cook it.

Bottom line, you want a nice sear/crust on the outside, and a tender and juicy inside. Unless you sous vide, you want to cook your steak hot and fast. That is especially important with lean cuts like tenderloin.

CD
 

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Thanks Casey,

Ah Texas, my favourite state! I've been to Austin, Houston, Fort Worth and Amarillo. You guys sure know your meat so your advice is very much appreciated and I will follow your instructions.

oh and don't worry, you would never catch me eating a well done steak. It's medium rare or rare all the way!
 
Reverse sear here as well. Gotta be a 3" thick rib-eye on the BGE. Salt and pepper only. This is my go to for a quality cut, but there are other ways to cook steak from different cultures. I cook Palomilla Steak (Cuban) in a pan on the stove top, same for steak au poivre. Flank and skirt steak are marinated and done on the grill. Most beef roasts I start in the oven preheated to 500F for 5 minutes then turn the oven down to 200F and cook for 1 hour per pound.
 
DH likes ribeye, but I prefer New York strip. I like a marbled steak, but I don't like mouthfuls of fat. I do the searing in a hot cast iron skillet or the cast iron griddle on the stovetop.

I use reverse sear for a beef roast, too. I've been doing our Christmas prime rib that way for a few years now and it's perfect every time.
 
Prime cut boneless sirloin steak cooked via reverse searing. I seasoned and let it sit for about 1 hour. Put in 275°F oven for approx. 25 minutes for 2 ½-inch steak till internal temp was 90°F. Then seared on a smoking hot cast iron stovetop grill pan till internal temp was 117°F.

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DH likes ribeye, but I prefer New York strip. I like a marbled steak, but I don't like mouthfuls of fat. I do the searing in a hot cast iron skillet or the cast iron griddle on the stovetop.

I use reverse sear for a beef roast, too. I've been doing our Christmas prime rib that way for a few years now and it's perfect every time.

I also love a NY strip steak but when Prime boneless sirloin goes on sale I buy one.
 
Hi Scott, and welcome. You've had excellent advice from our members and it so happens that I'll be cooking these 2.5" bacon wrapped Filet Mignon's tonight.
I use extra thick bacon and secure it with silicone cooking bands although you could use cooking twine to tie them.
I generously salt and pepper them and use a screaming hot skillet (either cast iron, or carbon steel) to sear them on all sides. Using tongs, think of them as a ball and cook all the bacon surfaces first so the bacon is cooked, and the fat is left behind for the two meat surfaces. At this point you can turn the heat down to medium. We like ours very rare and I know from experience when they are done, but an instant read thermometer is a good idea if you don't know.

I'll try to remember to post another picture after I cook them.


By the way, thanks for the nice words from you about American steaks.
 

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Welcome again Scott, and by the way there are NEVER any stupid questions. :)

I guess I'm kind of stuck in my ways...as far as steak, I do what I've done for decades and grill it on the charcoal Weber. I take it out of the fridge, let it set for a while to get the chill off, simply season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper, and light the coals. When the flames have died down but the coals are still screamin' hot, I put the steak on the grill and never walk away - even for a second. :)

I grilled this little rib eye this afternoon. Kind of fatty, but fat is flavor and the big chunks were cut off. When the steak came off the grill, there was still enough heat for the prepped asparagus and a couple of Johnsonville brats for later, so they went on the grill while the steak was resting. May as well use up all that heat while it's there. :LOL:
 

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Hi Scott, and welcome. You've had excellent advice from our members and it so happens that I'll be cooking these 2.5" bacon wrapped Filet Mignon's tonight.
I use extra thick bacon and secure it with silicone cooking bands although you could use cooking twine to tie them.
I generously salt and pepper them and use a screaming hot skillet (either cast iron, or carbon steel) to sear them on all sides. Using tongs, think of them as a ball and cook all the bacon surfaces first so the bacon is cooked, and the fat is left behind for the two meat surfaces. At this point you can turn the heat down to medium. We like ours very rare and I know from experience when they are done, but an instant read thermometer is a good idea if you don't know.

I'll try to remember to post another picture after I cook them.


By the way, thanks for the nice words from you about American steaks.


Just for fun, I timed the total cook time (6 min.) as instructed, and the rest time on a plate under foil was 10 minutes. It's always scientifically important to rest your steaks after cooking to insure the juice is in the meat and not on your plate.
 

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I've found that reverse searing - roast in a low oven till it reaches your desired temperature, then sear - works great, and you can hold the steak in the oven for quite a while if necessary. Here is detailed information about this method: https://www.seriouseats.com/2017/03/how-to-reverse-sear-best-way-to-cook-steak.html

The picture is making my mouth water [emoji38]
Thank you for that link. I will have to give this a try. I think this will help in making two different doneness levels. DH doesn't want to see any hints of pink and I like mine medium rare or less cooked. I can put his in the oven and put the thermometer with the buzzer and let it tell me when his steak has increased by 20°F, then stick mine in the oven.
 
Thank you for that link. I will have to give this a try. I think this will help in making two different doneness levels. DH doesn't want to see any hints of pink and I like mine medium rare or less cooked. I can put his in the oven and put the thermometer with the buzzer and let it tell me when his steak has increased by 20°F, then stick mine in the oven.
That should work. You're welcome [emoji2]
 
hi everyone,

i am a new member here and am probably posting stupid basic questions so apologies for this but what is the best way to cook steak?

I've heard people say frying in oil or butter, or some say frying in nothing at all?

Also what is best for seasoning? I just use salt and pepper but it always tastes a bit bland, nothing like when I have it in a restaurant.

I would be especially interested to hear from any Americans on this as I have always found that steak in America tastes better than anywhere else in the world! :)
Sorry, not American but might have something useful to say as I'm in the UK too and I have time-served butchers, professional cooks and a local authority meat inspector in the family.

We have basically 3 types of steaks over here - fillet steak, which is the most expensive and the least tasty. sirloin steak and rump steak (you often see TV demos with other cuts of meat but I don't deal with those so not able to comment.) Personally my preference is with sirloin as it has flavour and is somewhat tenderer than rump but "you pays your money and you takes your choice".

Personally, I usually grill (for Americans - read "broil") my steaks. I like mine a little more red than pink but everyone to their taste. Always heat the grill before putting the steak under it. I don't put anything on the steak until after it's cooked but that's a matter of taste. For the amount of time taken to cook the steak I can recommend the "finger" test (look it up on "Google"). It works whether you like steak well-done or barely cooked.

On the odd occasion when I fry steak I use a mixture of butter and cooking oil (usually sunflower or rapeseed - often sold under the name of "vegetable oil" in the UK) the oil prevents the butter from burning and the butter adds flavour.

Apart from the above, the really important thing is to start with good quality meat. I'm lucky in that where I live we have the sort of old-fashioned, time-served butcher who cuts the meat properly and can tell you which farm your piece of steak came from. I know this seems expensive but you get what you pay for in meat, as in the rest of life, and you don't need as much.

Sadly. if you are forced to resort to supermarkets, very few of them have their own "proper" butcher on site these days. Sainsbury's used to but I don't think they do anymore. I understand that Morrison's stores usually do have their qualified butchers on site so you aren't stuck with industrialised pre-packed stuff. It's also worth bearing in mind that the "Red Tractor" badge isn't always all that it's cracked up to be.

And off at a tangent, I wouldn't knowingly give my money to a restaurant which used sous vide. Basically, it's stewing the meat before browning it off, which may allow them to serve up inferior meat as "steak" but doesn't do real steak any favours! (As I said at first, I have connections at all ends of the trade and am well versed it what goes on in some establishments!)
 
...And off at a tangent, I wouldn't knowingly give my money to a restaurant which used sous vide. Basically, it's stewing the meat before browning it off, which may allow them to serve up inferior meat as "steak" but doesn't do real steak any favours! (As I said at first, I have connections at all ends of the trade and am well versed it what goes on in some establishments!)

I don't think this is the case. If you want a medium rare steak (more red than pink), you cook it to an internal temperature of about 125ºF-130ºF (54.4ºC). That's a significantly lower temperature than is needed to stew beef unless you cook it for hours. If you order a sirloin strip that shouldn't be an issue unless the restaurant tries to substitute an inferior cut. Then shame on you for not knowing the difference.
 
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