Let's talk Steak

[Fuzz]

My steak marinade contains cognac (atm using Otard Champagne Cognac).

[El Presidente]

7 hours ago, Wertman said:

I am all about but steak.  Especially Australia with Wagyu beef.  Is it cheaper in Australia than the States?  Also I grill my steaks and then use black or white truffle butter.  It's amazing that way 

For Wagyu Eye fillet I pay $39 a kilo 

$39 AUD = $29 USD

One kilo = 2.2 pounds.

Approx $13.20 USD a pound if my math is correct. 

[99call]

Love a Bavette Steak, for Steak Frite, Fiberous beef, aways seems to be beefier to me, it also lets the garlic butter permeate well when resting

 

[Kitchen]

Short ribs, English cut bone in, wine marinated, braised with mirepoix and stock for 4 to 5 hours, cooled, deboned, wrapped in caul fat, seared, and served with braising fluid that has been strained (through a tamis several times) and reduced to a third. 

[El Hoze]

8 hours ago, FatherOfPugs said:

Edit: Let 10 - 12oz filet mignon get to room temperature

I am glad to see someone mention filet mignon. I always hear “real steak guys” talking down filet mignon as though it’s an inferior BS cut of meat that lacks flavor. I totally disagree! I love disgustingly rich fatty ribeye but I find myself cooking alot of filet mignon as the richness of a ribeye can be alot to handle and I find a good filet the perfect compromise when I am craving steak but want to eat more than three bites. 

I often cook a whole center cut prime tenderloin (for a group, etc.)  “chateubriand style” on the grill quickly, then finish it in the oven, let it rest, then slice it into individual steaks, and serve. It’s a much different experience than a ribeye, but nothing to sneeze at!!!!! My guests are usually wowed. 

[JY0]

Two inch Angus ribeye's at room temperature, dash of seasoned salt, Big Green Egg at 700F, 3.5 minutes on each side.... perfectly rare on the inside and charred on the outside. 

[prodigy]

I've heard that wagyu beef is the most "faked" steak out there. Or maybe I'm thinking Kobe, but still, how do you know if you're getting the real deal? And where in the states can you go to buy this high end steak? Online? Thanks for any input.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

[Fugu]

32 minutes ago, prodigy said:

how do you know if you're getting the real deal?

By look, feel and smell (and lateron taste).

'Kobe' is Wagyu from the Kobe region, produced to designated standards, a protected designation of origin.

[Fugu]

The all-time top-rank in our family is Ribeye (Entrecôte). Keeping it basic and simple: cut to 2-2.5 inch (no less than 5 cm), coarse black pepper, kosher salt, charcoal. Preferred Argentinean pasture-fed (free-range) prime quality (dry-aged on occasion, but not a necessity for us, as you also lose some of the fresh beef aromatics). Might not be as tender as Nebraska-soy-(force)-fed cattle (sorry folks ), but the taste is so superior.

Best-value cut: Tri-tip or colita de cuadril as they call it in Argentina.

I've come to learn: Beef quality comes first by a large margin, the particular cut second. So I'll take what good qual is on offer at a time (a good butcher knowing his business is hard to come by these days).

[godpheonix]

Big fan of the porterhouse cut but i did have have a nice filet mignon( 1 inch cut from the local food Market) the other night. just added some steak spices. too cold for BBQ here still so seized the juices in a skillet at high heat for a few minutes and in the oven for 10 min at medium heat. result, a medium cooked really juicy steak! yum!

[BrightonCorgi]

I buy whole sides of grass fed Vermont raised beef that is dry aged before being butchered.  I have the butchers refrain from fat trimming as much as possible and package everything into about 2.5 lb packages; be it steaks, roasts, or scraps.  All cuts are bone-in when possible.  The meat is less marbled than some, but is tender and healthier than anything you'll find a traditional US supermarket.  I trim off the yellowy fat as it is too grassy tasting me usually.  I also buy my own piglets and have them raised in a similar fashion, making my own pancetta, chorizo, and fresh sausages (along with all the traditional cuts done in the same manner as the beef).  I use the beef suet in lamb sausages.

As for cooking, my better half likes beef more well done than I so we settle at medium.  I prefer cooking over natural hardwood charcoal with an open grill.  Usually just rub with a touch of oil and then heavy sea salt before going on the grill and black pepper once it comes off.  Sometimes I'll rub the meat with fresh herbs and garlic before putting on the salt.  

Here's a side I am getting next week:

[Riverstyx]

Favourite 

Bone-in Ribeye

How do you like it

Medium Rare

Any secrets to your prep. 

Get the grill HOT! Sear in the juices.  I have a friend that swears by Sous-vide but haven't tried.  I've changed my prep to match the quoted post below, and have found it to be excellent!

On 8/10/2011 at 12:22 PM, brazoseagle said:

Howdy,

I know it is cliche, but being from Texas, I consider myself an expert in the areas of all things grilling and BBQ'ing (smoking).

I've been grilling and cooking since I've been a teenager, learning from my father, uncle and grandfather. In my college days I grilled or BBQ'd just about everyday, now I have a family, but I still will grill out 4+ times a week. I've got charcoal grills, I've got propane grills, I've got natural LP gas grills, I've got infrared grills and I've got smokers and pits galore. My favorite smoker is an 18ft custom number that can be pulled behind my truck and has a grill section, a smoker box and two propane cooktop burners. It also comes equipped with with a storage box, counter top and cutting top.

Basically, all of that "chest pounding" was meant to convey that I know my stuff and I know how to cook award winning meat and BBQ.

I am now sharing with you one of the greatest tricks I have ever learned. I had always tinkered around with the idea of cheating on a "quick dry age", but I never really took the time to perfect it, until a chef friend of mine, who is more like a scientist when it comes to cooking, shed some light on the science behind what I was trying to achieve.

Step 1 - GOOD QUALITY MEAT!!!!

It doesn't matter what you do to a steak, if you choose bargain, poor quality meat you will never achieve that high end steakhouse flavor and texture. The cut and quality you choose is the most important step. I've eaten every cut of steak that's out there, and I've had store bought, organic, free range, grass fed, grain fed, and homegrown out of my own livestock.

To me the #1 best steak is a USDA Prime grade Bone in Ribeye. The fat is perfect and the bone adds such a great flavor and tenderness. Here in Texas they run anywhere from 12.00/lb - 14.00/lb for prime. Yes prime does make a difference.

Step 2 - Plan ahead. Go buy your steak from a reputable source 2 days (48 hours) before you plan on cooking it. When purchasing a good quality steak, make sure the butcher will let you look at it and smell it if you want. If there is not the size or appearance you like in the display have the butcher go cut you what you want fresh.

Step 3 - Beginning the cheating process Why do this???...Dry Aging serves 3 purposes. Flavor, Texture and Crust

Flavor - Nothing else is better than the flavor achieved from some dry aging and pre-seasoning. This process also concentrates the Beef flavor by extracting out water.

Texture - When you dry age things you pull out water and also the fibers of the meat itself changes structure to make a more tender steak.

Crust - This process pulls proteins and other moisture based compounds to the surface of the meat, which will react to high heat, and give your steak that awesome Steakhouse quality crust!!!

******BIG MYTH**********

It is a well debunked myth that pulling out water or pre salting a steak or any meat causes the meat to be dry once cooked.

This is a myth. Pulling out water merely concentrates the flavor. Water is not what makes the steak moist, the proteins and other compounds found inside the meat and locked inside the fibers is where you get your moisture from. Water will cook out and evaporate anyway, regardless of what you do in pre cooking.

2 full days before you plan to cook the steak, take it out of it's packaging, place a thick layer of paper towels on a plate, place the steak on the paper towels, and place another thick layer of paper towels on top of the meat. Place the steak on the plate in the open air of your fridge, somewhere close to the bottom and where air can circulate around it.

This starts the process of changing the texture and utilizing the paper towels absorbing qualities mixed with the cooling dry air in the fridge and the evaporator of the fridge to draw out water and start concentrating the flavor and developing the crust.

After 24 hours you will notice a visible difference in the texture of the meat.

Step 4 - 24 hours after letting it sit, and 24 hours before cooking, remove the plate, discard all paper towels and put together your seasoning. DO NOT RUB WITH OIL AT THIS STEP.

The greatest secret to Steakhouse flavor is NOT to over season. The reason why we all love a good high end steak floavor, other than the fact we don't have to cook it ourselves and the quality of the meat, is when you eat one of those $50 dollar steaks , you actually taste the steak, it's not masked with aggressive seasoning.

To each his own but this is what I use and I will even tell you my very well hidden secret.

Kosher salt

Cracked Black Pepper

Powdered Beef Bouillon or Powdered Beef Stock (The Key Secret)

Sometimes I will use a Chicago Steakhouse Flavored Fresh Grinder - Can't go wrong with that!!

Lay new paper towels out on your plate

Season very aggressively and liberally with the black pepper and evenely and consernatively with kosher salt - one side at a time

Sprinkle the powdered Beef Bouillon on. Heavy but not as aggressive as the salt and pepper

very lightly grind the steakhouse grinder or sprinkle a little garlic powder and onion powder.

*****Don't Rub but pat the seasoning in.. SPANK IT!!!

Repeat on the other side

If your steak is thick, make sure to season the sides too.

Place back on paper towels, this time do not put a paper towel on top.

Place back in the fridge.

Step 5 - After 12 hours, flip the steak

Step 6 - Final Prep and cooking

2 hours before cooking pull the steak out and let it come to room temp.

The first thing you will notice is the gorgeous crust of meat juice and seasoning that has developed everywhere on the steak. It will just look like the taste has been concentrated!!

Get your fire going - I prefer infrared or propane/LP gas. Charcoal and wood have their place for sure, but I prefer to taste the meat and the smokey taste it gets from it's own juices and fat dripping down into the fire causing smoke and a slight flame to provide a great flavor. I don't like charcoal overpowering a delicate Prime steak.

I either use my infrared searing burners on high or I set my whole grill to high and let it heat up for 10 minutes.

*****The thickness, coating, cleanliness and quality of your grates will greatly effect your crust and overall sear of your steak.

After 10 mins my Infrared will be around 1100 F and my gas grill will get up to about 700F

When you can't hold your hand over the flame for longer than 1 second it is ready. Higher the heat, the better it will sear the outside which locks in flavor and moisture by closing off the pores and that's how you insure a great crust and char.

COOKING:

Put your steak on over the hottest part of your grill, you should already know where this is

If cooking more than one steak make sure there is enough room between them.

Cooking times depend on many things, thickness of meat, cut of meat, temperature, flames or no flames, covered or uncovered, bone or no bone, and level of desired doneness.

I like medium rare, if you like your steak well done, than you just wasted a lot of time reading this and a lot of money on a good piece of meat that you are about to ruin.

For medium rare on my grill with my usual cut of steak, it takes about 3-5 minutes per side.

********Don't be a hero and try to move the steak during the cooking to try to achieve picture quality grill marks:

Rule of thumb, the more you move the meat the more it decreases the overall quality.

************Most important thing to remember - Only flip the meat once, NEVER, I repeat NEVER, flip the steak more than once.

I usually tell my steak is ready by touch and mainly by appearance of color/char.

Not too dark of a char, just hints of black starting to form, but the meat should be a nice crusty dark brown on the outside.

****Don't jab it with a thermometer - STUPID MOVE, allows moisture to burst out under an instant pressure release

Don't cut it to check the doneness - again allows for moisture release, as a steak cools the fibers suck back in all the juices to make for a great steak experience.

Step 7 Cooling

I always recommend transferring your steak directly to the plate you will serve it on and not on a seperate tray or plate. This will warm the plate and keep the run off juices intact.

Tent the steak with foil for 5 minutes. Don't look at it, don't cut it, don't poke it, don't dive right in. When a steak is subjected to such high heat, all off the juices and goods expand and are under pressure and move to the exterior of the steak, cutting it before cooling is like popping a balloon or shocking it and all the moisture runs out and never had a chance to soak in.

When you cool your steak, the fibers and tissue start to calm down and suck back in their juices and moisture. If done properly, after 10 minutes of cooling all the juices are now back happy and intact, and the temp is still perfect.

Step 8 - Eat one of the best steaks you have ever cooked yourself

I prefer a nice sourdough bread

Baked potato

Grilled Asparagas finished with butter and lemon zest

Sauteed Mushrooms.

NO SAUCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My favorite side for a steak is a tie between a Parmesan Truffled Grits/polenta. And a Snail, Wild Mushroom, Truffled Risotto!!!!

Pair with a nice Shriraz/Syrah , Cabernet, Merlot or Red Bordeaux

Finish with a great Cuban Cigar

You will be in heaven

Carry on the Meatscape Jouney and post your own Steaksperiences in this thread for all to enjoy!!!!!

 

[raymond5737]

WAGYU BEEF "IT'S WHAT'S FOR DINNER"

I never knew what they looked like...

[dominattorney]

I've got two favorites:

Steak: bone in ribeye, dry-brined in the fridge for 72 hours, and cooked in a pan to medium rare. 

Roast: tri-tip, rubbed with cumin, garlic powder, mustard, rosemary, and salt to sit in fridge for one day, then smoked at 350 for 25 minutes over pecan and red oak, with a mop sauce made of sweet vermouth and yellow mustard applied every 6 minutes and flipped.  Then paired with horseradish chimi.  delicious.

[SokaKiel]

Another fan of bone in rib eye.

Marinated for at least 24 hours in olive oil, fresh rosemary, thyme and some garlic.

Grilled medium rare over charcoal. Some fresh ground pepper and good salt on top!

None of the ‘salt bea’-shit?

[luv2fly]

New York Strip, Filet, and Flank Steak are my favorites.  

Various seasoning/marinades depending on what I want at the time.

As to the "doneness" of the meat, lets just say I have had food poisoning.  I have a strong aversion to "pink" meat.  I know it is all in my head but that is the way I roll.  That said, I have no problem making the juiciest stake with no pink inside.  Even my wife, who loves Medium, says I make a mean juicy steak...

[Azksig]

My go to cut is a bone in ribeye like most people here.  My all time favorite cut is a Porterhouse. A little T-bone, a little filet. It’s perfect.  Just so hard to find good ones here in a Phoenix.

[Ryan]

The best steak I've ever had was in San Sebastian 2 years ago.

There's a place called Bar Nestor in the old town. They do four dishes, steak is one of them.

The get the meat from aged dairy cows (vaca vieja). Most beef worldwide is from animals slaughtered at 18-30 months. This beef comes from dairy cows that have been retired out to grass and slaughtered at 14 - 18 years.

You choose your cut, it's usually very thick sirloin on the bone (T-bone without the fillet), then it comes out to you about an hour later. Salt is the only seasoning. Rare is all they do.

The age of the beef gives the fat a deep yellow colour, it's not "cut with a spoon" stuff but the deep, intense flavour is extradorinary.

Well worth it if you're ever in that part of the world.

 Review of the place here, with pictures of the steak.

https://meatandonevegblog.wordpress.com/2018/04/26/bar-nestor-san-sebastian/

 

[backbone]

Ny strip here, to make my Cardiologist happy!

I use a combination of garlic salt, Everglades seasoning and cracked black pepper.  I rub it on generously because most will come off on the grill anyway.

Sear at 600* and finish it up with indirect heat to the guests request.  It makes a nice seasoned crust.

Tent for 5 mins and serve.

Not for the purest meat eater, but truly a great taste.

[ayepatz]

I can’t believe we’ve come this far without anyone posting it.

 

[BrightonCorgi]

2 hours ago, Ryan said:

The age of the beef gives the fat a deep yellow colour, it's not "cut with a spoon" stuff but the deep, intense flavour is extradorinary.

Our beef has that real yellowy fat on it too.  I am not sure how old the cattle is before slaughtering.  I think part of it is "on demand".  No one likes to slaughter during the summer as the cows eat for free unless a sale warrants it.

[Frozen North]

Alberta AAA bone in Rib Eye. Salt/Pepper and lots of heat. You can’t beat Alberta beef, sorry fellas.

[BlackFriar]

12 hours ago, El Presidente said:

For Wagyu Eye fillet I pay $39 a kilo 

$39 AUD = $29 USD

One kilo = 2.2 pounds.

Approx $13.20 USD a pound if my math is correct. 

That’s a bargain in the US!

[Duxnutz]

I’m living with a vegan currently and haven’t had a steak in 6 months! This thread is making me crazy!

[El Hoze]

4 hours ago, ayepatz said:

I can’t believe we’ve come this far without anyone posting it.

 

I have been to this guys places in Miami and NY. Prices are a little nuts but it’s pretty damn good!