Help! Searing Steaks in Stainless Steel

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How much red wine? Just a couple splashes?

How should i cut the shallots? Minced? Sliced?

the steaks are 7oz's each, and 2 inches thick.

The mushrooms i can eyeball but a general estimation of how much shallots and red wine i need would be nice.
 
Mylegsbig said:
How much red wine? Just a couple splashes?

How should i cut the shallots? Minced? Sliced?

the steaks are 7oz's each, and 2 inches thick.

The mushrooms i can eyeball but a general estimation of how much shallots and red wine i need would be nice.

You'll need about 2 med. or 3 small shallots, minced. Do you have any beef or veal broth/stock on hand? It will temper the red wine and give your sauce more body. You probably need to start off with 1 c. of red wine and reduce that by half, but without stock you won't get that richness in flavor. Once you sear the steaks, transfer it to a different pan to finish in the oven. That way, you can finish your pan sauce while the steaks are cooking instead of after you remove them from the oven and the steaks are getting cold.

It's probably too late but, next time try one of the following two methods when making your sauces. For the second sauce, you can use the same pan that you seared the steaks. The first recipe is a sauce made without the fond, so more so if you grilled the steaks instead. The first sauce is more a reduction type sauce, the second sauce is a "quick" sauce that uses a roux as a thickener.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f76/rosemary-and-port-wine-demi-glace-10715.html

-or-

Wild Mushroom Sauce

Yield: 4-5 Servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
4 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh button mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh cremini mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced fresh shiitake mushrooms
1/2 cup red wine
1 cup beef or veal stock
2 Tbsp. All purpose flour
2 tsp. fresh thyme
2 tsp. fresh oregano
1 tsp. fresh garlic, finely chopped
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly Ground Pepper

Method:

Melt the butter in a sauce pan on medium high heat, and saute the red onion and garlic until translucent, about 3-4 minutes. Add all mushrooms and 1 tsp. kosher salt, and sauté until tender, approx. 3-4 minutes. Stir in flour to form a roux, and cook until flour starts to brown. Whisk in the red wine and reduce for approx. 3-4 minutes. Add the stock, and the thyme and oregano, simmer for approx. 5-6 minutes until the sauce is thickened. Season to taste with the kosher salt and pepper.
 
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Thanks guys.

Hey, i indeed do have some beef stock. At what stage of the process do i add the beef stock?

Do i reduce the wine and beef stock simultaneously?


so i go Butter-----> Shallots-----> Mushrooms------>Red Wine/Beefstock----> Finish sauce with a little butter

Also, how much beefstock? will be using cup of red wine like you suggested

Final Question: So i sear these steaks, then slide in meat thermometer, then slide them in the oven?
 
Also, since it will take a decent amount of time to reduce the stock/wine, should i still leave the mushrooms in there the whole time? they won't get all soggy?
 
Mylegsbig said:
Also, since it will take a decent amount of time to reduce the stock/wine, should i still leave the mushrooms in there the whole time? they won't get all soggy?

The mushrooms will be fine. Check the second recipe for the method on making the sauce. If you elect to not use the roux as a thickener, then you'll have to reduce the liquid much more.
 
Yep- what Alex said... do not puncture those steaks with a probe... just give the feel-test...
Try this... make the "OK sign" with your hand; that's the one with the thumb and first finger making a circle. Do not squeeze as hard as you can, but moderately squeeze the thumb and finger together... with the other hand feel the "tightness" of your muscle at the base of the thumb. that's what medium rare feels like.
If you were going to cook it more than that- do not waste your money on Kobe...
Just as suggestion... wash, dry the meat and rub with vegetable oil, not a lot, just a little sheen on the meat. Sprinkle liberally with pepper on both sides... no need for salt.
Heat the skillet, with oil- not too much, we are not frying here...Now sear in the skillet . Yes, with luck the fond will be left in the skillet remove the meat to the oven if you must, and watch it closely- the time in the oven ought not to be much more than 5 minutes... on a side... reach in a press the meat... feel the "give"; judge the doneness.
Remove from oven and wrap in foil, and a towel around that- let it rest while you deglaze the pan and cook the veggies... ought to be good. let us hear...

Meanwhile- sine I am telling you all this- go ahead and make a compound butter. This is a good portion of soft butter- mix in some salt, some garlic powder if you have some- for God's sake not that cheap stuff from the grocery- use Penzy's or some other real garlic... and some herbs- use what you like... some thyme is good, and some parsley.. chop them finely- mix all together. after taking the meat out of the foil put a teaspoon of that compound butter on there and get ready to eat....

Houston huh! that's great. We lived in Spring till a year or so ago.... miss it. OBTW go to Penzy's Spices down on 19th street in the Heights... get a bottle of the Garlic powder- you will be glad you did.
 
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thanks Hopz will let you all know how it turns out. I personally use that little test you are talking about and find it to be nice but when you are talking about 2" thick steaks i wasn't sure if you could properly impliment it.
 
Hopz said:
do not puncture those steaks with a probe... just give the feel-test
Yes the feel test is a great way to go if you are skilled at doing it. Kobe beef is not where I would want to test that to see if I really know how to tell the internal temp by touch though. If I was 100% sure in my abilities then yes, but this is expensive meat and I would not want to ruin it by overcooking. A probe thermometer ensures that will not happen.
 
you guys arent going to believe this crap. Okay the meal turned out awesome. i did not bother with the red sauce / mushrooms as i had been drinking a good deal and got lazy. so i just made the kobe filets as is and topped them with garlic parsley butter. served with baked potato. the filets were OUT OF THIS WORLD they tasted like a filet you would get served at mortons or ruth's chris. i seared for 2 minutes a side and 6 minutes in 450 degree oven.

here is the downside.

Guess where i spent the second half of last night?

FOUR HOURS IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM.

On accident i PICKED UP the skillet that had been in the 450 degree oven. Not touched mind you, i PICKED IT UP. Im not used to handling skillets like that plus i had been drinking. I was in excruciating pain any second i didnt have a huge icepack on it and i have blisters on my finger tips.

i finally saw the doc and he gave me some cream and some vicodin and im OK just some pain.

im not putting that **** skillet in the oven anymore.
 
Big,

I am soooooooo sorry!:ohmy:

I have done that too, but not actually picked it up firmly.

Next time......

When you put it in the oven, direct the handle away from the oven door so that you will have to use a hotpad to pull the rack out to get the pan out. And a silicone mitt can go over the handle once it is out of the oven to remind you that it is hot.
 
Oh man leg that sucks!!! I did that once too, although like Jenny I did not firmly grasp it. It only takes once and then you will never make that mistake again. I know everytime I go to grab a skillet I think of that time now.

Well at least your Kobe came out great :)
 
omg, legs, that supersucks! i gotta wholeheartedly agree with the crew: get one of those silicon mats. they ROCK as multipurpose jar openers/pot holders/rack puller-outers/trivets. got mine at walmart for about $5, it's just a 7" square of silicone with big quarter-size bumps on both sides.

someday i'm going to test drive this idea of cooking steaks inside the house, but i've never been brave enough to put the whole pan into the oven. i know that's why there's no plastic bits on the handles of my beloved ss cookware, but apparently i have it in my head that pots and pans are for stovetop, baking dishes are for oven...
 
WOW! Sorry to hear about your burns, man. I've done that, too.

I now have some little potholder sleeves that slide onto the handle of a skillet. They're more heat resistant than pot holders. I slip one on to take the pan out of the oven and it stays on until after dinner.

Glad you enjoyed the steaks. They sound awesome.
 
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