The perfect steak

[Andy M.]

Well I cook mine a lot different than most of you, I prefer new york strips over just about any other cut of meat.

2 strips of similar size in baking pan
Worshistar* sauce to coat just the bottom of baking pan
1 clove of garlic
Salt/Pepper/Cumin/Chipotle Chili Powder rubbed on steaks both sides
1 tsp of liquid spoke

I let sit for awhile in refrigerator,right before cooking lightly coat with olive oil

I cook most of my steaks medium rare and people tend to come over on the weekends to my house wanting steaks

You didn't say how you cook them.

 

[kfarrell]

Speaking for the buttermilk, I have seen steak cooked plain with S&P but then cut into slices and soaked in a creamy white sauce, which worked quite well. It wasn't a rue though.

If I was to guess what was in the cream sauce, Cream, Milk (Possibly ButterMilk), S&P, Parsley, and possibly some bitter spice to remove some of the sweetness, like corriander...

DO NOT REDUCE THE CREAM...

It's actually quite a unique taste, and compliments the meat nicely. Which is very strange, as we all know dark for dark meats and light for light...

 

[biev]

That sounds about right... I remember eating it like that as a child. In our case the sauce came from the packet so I couldn't tell you what was in it precisely but it was pale and creamy and simply called pepper sauce. When we were out, my dad used to add a bit of milk to the cooking juices and stir it to make a sauce, then add fresh ground pepper. It didn't make as thick a sauce of course, but it might work with cream. Either way, it was very good. Thank god for that sauce too cause my parents always overcooked the meat to the point where it was unchewable

 

[kimbaby]

I marinate my steaks in goyo and dales seasoning in the fridge for about 1 hour or so... I use my foreman grill or the broiler....

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I've found that the flavor of milk goes especially well with a good steak. The milk's natural sweetness counterballances the salt & iron meat flavor. A cream gavy, such as obtained by adding cream to deglase the pan that steak was cooked in, with coarse black pepper added would do the same thing.

The flavor of good beef doesn't require ballance as do many other foods. But the side do need to provide a counterpoint, to highlight the beef flavor. Black pepper works so well with beef because it has a slightly sweet flavor that ballances the salt.

Seeeeeya; Godoweed of the North

 

[Dina]

The perfect steak would be a nice piece of tenderloin (filet mignon) with my favorite seasoning, seared in olive oil then in the oven to finish cooking about medium well, topped with my homemade red wine sauce or chipotle bbq sauce.

• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2 Tablespoons unsalted butter [/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1 large onion, coarsely chopped[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2 cups canned plum tomatoes and juices, puréed[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2 cups water[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1/4 cup ketchup[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1/4 cup red wine vinegar[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2 Tablespoons dark brown sugar[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2 Tablespoons honey[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1/4 cup molasses[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]3 Tablespoons ancho chile powder[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]2 chipotle chiles, canned[/FONT]
• [FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Salt and freshly ground pepper[/FONT]

[FONT=Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Heat the butter over medium heat in a heavy-bottomed medium sized saucepan. Add the onions and garlic and cook until translucent, 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and water and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Transfer the mixture to a food processor and purée until smooth, season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature. Will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator stored in a tightly sealed container.

[/FONT]

 

[black chef]

i use the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) method for my steaks...

season with sea salt, a mixture of 70% black, 30% red pepper, and a pinch of garlic powder.

let stand for 2-3 hours to get all the way down to room temp.

in a black iron skillet, i use boyajian garlic infused olive oil and clarified butter (2 teaspoons) and sear on each side for about 3-4 min.

my problem is that when i flip-it, and the moisture from the top is immersed, it creates a smoke cloud that sets-off my alarm... but that might be a good thing.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Actually, to my way of thinking, the perfect steak is that piece of beef that is cooked by yourself, or anyone else, just the way you like it.

I knew a lady who put baking soda on her steaks and pierced them with a fork before grilling on a hibachi. She used a lot of baking soda. I thought her steaks were horrendous. She thought they were divine. Her perfect steak was perfect for her. And when cooking her a piece of meat, if she were around, I would cook it the way she did. But my steak, well that's an entirely different topic.

Seeeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[Constance]

There's a small grocery store down the road in the next town that has very good, home butchered meat. DH buys the whole ribeye when they're on sale, then slices and trims them himself. This last one he bought is the best we've ever had...excellent marbling without the big chunks of fat in the center, and very tender.

He insists on cooking the steaks himself, and he is a purist. No marinades or fancy seasonings...he rubs the meat with EVOO, and sprinkles with salt, fresh ground pepper and granulated garlic. We like them best when cooked over charcoal, but we've had some good pan-seared ones, too. They always seem to get overcooked on the gas grill, but if you don't mind the mess in your oven, they can be darned good broiled.

Like Pete, I like mine almost burnt on the outside and rare on the inside. I call it "Philidelphia Style" instead of "Pittsburg Style", but we're in the same state.

One of my favorite steaks is a good aged sirloin. It's leaner, and has a wonderful flavor. But the top grade we get in nicer restaurants (prime?) is not readily available to the general public, at least not around here.

I guess I'll "make do" with the ribeyes. LOL!

 

[Steve A]

One of my favorite steaks is a good aged sirloin. It's leaner, and has a wonderful flavor. But the top grade we get in nicer restaurants (prime?) is not readily available to the general public, at least not around here.

You'd be exceedingly lucky to find prime grade sirloin, or any other meat for that matter unless you were in a fine dining restaurant. Some places use choice, but most use select grade.

Since sirloin isn't necessarily one of the most tender pieces of meat, many mechanical and nonmechanical methods of tenderization are used in restaurants for them including "steak punches" (a spring loaded mechanism with fork-like tines to punch holes into the steak thus breaking connectivity of the muscle) or "dips" with enzymes to help break down the muscle.

Ciao,

 

[pckouris]

Constance: It was in Philadelphia at a City-Line restaurant we used to frequent where I found this "Pittsburg" style of steak! So you maybe correct when you say Philadelphia style!

 

[black chef]

if EVOO is making too much smoke and setting-off alarms when PAN SEARING steaks, what's the best oil to use as a replacement?

the best steak i've ever had in my life was a blackened ribeye... dipped in room temperature melted real butter and sprinkled with salt, black pepper, & garlic powder.

an optional topping... we sauteed onions & a chopped portabella mushroom in a bourbon with garlic infused olive oil and about a tablespoon of butter.

it was done in a black iron skillet... we had to open ALL the windows in the kitchen and use a fan to blow the smoke out the back window.

 

[Steve A]

It's not the fact that the oil's setting off your alarm but the lack of suction/venting of your exhaust system. Sometimes older IS better. There was a time when the exhaust for a stove was outside the house either by venting or fan suction/exhaust.

The oil, regardless if what type you use, and the meat will still set off the alarm unless you significantly reduce the heat (bad move) or sear your steak and put it in the oven. (Advisable only with no nonstick pans or pans with plastic handles.)

Ciao,

 

[black chef]

It's not the fact that the oil's setting off your alarm but the lack of suction/ventinng of your exhaust system. Sometimes older IS better. There was a time when the exhaust for a stove was outside the house either by venting or fan suction/exhaust.

The oil, regardless if what type you use, and the meat will still set off the alarm unless you significantly reduce the heat (bad move) or sear your steak and put it in the oven. (Advisable only with no nonstick pans or pans with plastic handles.)

Ciao,

i've read about searing on the stove and placing in a pre-heated oven... can you explain this technique in a little more detail?

 

[GB]

it is basically as simple as it sounds. You just cook the steak on both sides just for a minute to two to develop a crust. As soon as you flip the steak over to the second side you slide the whole pan (oven safe pan of course) into the oven to finish cooking.

 

[black chef]

it is basically as simple as it sounds. You just cook the steak on both sides just for a minute to two to develop a crust. As soon as you flip the steak over to the second side you slide the whole pan (oven safe pan of course) into the oven to finish cooking.

just that easy, huh? i'll have to try that method because i almost ALWAYS set-off my smoke alarm trying to sear my steak.

 

[GB]

I usually just turn off my smoke detector when cooking steaks inside

 

[Steve A]

Finishing your steak in the oven is finishing the meat by roasting. This can be done with any type of meat. However, your timing is critical. Unlike grilling or cooking from the stovetop, you have no opportunity to check the status of the meat without opening the oven occasionally and feeling for doneness or inserting an electronic remote probe thermometer set to a specific temperature (usually 5-15F below you final desired temp to allow for carryover cooking. Carryover cooking duration is based on thickness and size of product being cooked).

Do you not have doors or windows you can open and create a crossdraft while cooking on your stovetop? It also seems to me that your alarm is too close to the kitchen area.

And okay, I'll admit I once set off my alarm in a condo in Virginia Beach, VA signaling to my neighbors that my blackened redfish was ready.

Ciao,

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

If I recall, this post is about the best steak. No matter what method you use, or what seasonings, or lack thereof you prefer, it is recognized that the delmonico steak has the best ballance of tenderness and flavor. Fillet Mignon, though cut from the most tender part of the beef carcass, can be somewhat bland in flavor.The more exrecized a muscle is, the more blood flows to it. The blood caries the nutrients that feed the muscle cells, and give them flavor. That great corn-fed flavor comes from sugars and nutrients from corn that is passed into the blood and carried to the muscle cells. Fat also affects the meat flavor. A well marbled Delmonico (I believe this is the third bone-in rib steak back from the chuck) that has been properly aged, and graded USDA prime, is the premier chunk of meat on the cow.

I haven't had the opportunity to try Wagyu or Kobe beef. And I here it is the best on the planet. But even on those special cows, I would think that the cut would still be of utmost importance.

There is this place in San Diego, and in El Cajon, Ca. called "Iowa Meat Farms Outlet". They sell the best flavored meat I have eaten that is comercially available. It is prime, Iowa corn-fed beef. And it is sooooo good. At least it was when I lived in that area. I can get something close from a local butcher who takes great pride in his cattle and beef. But it's not quite as good.

What I wouldn't give for a great piece of corn-fed beef. Everything else is so bland by comparison. The last time I got my hands on really great bone-in rib steaks, I cooked them on the grill and made everyone in the house howl like a ravenous wolf before they could get a steak. They had to prove to me that they were worthy carnivores. Adults and kids alike didn't even hesitate. They howled long and loud. I can only guess what the neighbors thought. The steaks that night were legendary. 'Nuff said.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

 

[dhampir]

Steak Recipes

Anyone have any Steak Recipes?
If you do please post!