STEAKS, I have a question (1 Viewer)

[Lew Crippen]

Some mass supermarkets and most moderately upscale markets and all quality butchers will have USDA prime steaks available. Don’t pay any attention to things like Angus certified. The differentiator for marbling (and flavor and tenderness) is the grading.

After that pay attention to how the meat was cured and for how long.

Any reasonably good butcher will be able to discuss this and help educate you.

I’ve had Kobe beef many times in Japan. I am not sure as to its availability here and anything about its price. In Tokyo it is pretty easy to pay $100 for Kobe beef.

 

[MarkHastings]

Man, now I'm hungry for steak, and it's only 9:00 AM!

I hear ya! I have reservations for tomorrow night at a Japanese Hibachi restaurant and I'm craving their filet, especially when they cook it in butter. DROOL!!!!

I can't WAIT!!!!

 

[Lew Crippen]

One more note. While ‘free range’ sounds really good, it may well mean that the cattle have mostly been fed grass. Most American’s are used to beef that has a large percentage of corn in their diet. And won’t care as much for the flavor of grass-fed beef.

Of course this is somewhat of a personal preference thing.

 

[Win Joy Jr]

Ahhh, steaks...

Either a New Your Strip or a Rib Eye...

I find the meats at BJ's and Sam's Clubs better than what I can get out of the Supermarket case here in DC. When I lived in Arizona and New Mexico, boy things were different...

For in-home, Nothing beets my Weber grill with a nice, hot, fire. Throw on Mesquite and Hickory, and that is cooking...

For eat-out steaks, my wife and I have found that Outbacks is still the best outside of the high-end steakhouses. I even prefer Outback to Ruth's Chris (but, I also have issues with the chain since the founder died).

Now, for those of you who have a freezer AND a vacuum sealer, try getting a loin and cutting your own steaks... My dad and I used to go to Lexington Market in Baltimore years ago and pick up some loins to cut strips. We used to wrap each steak up in saran wrap, then foil, then a final layer of saran wrap. No Freezer burn.

As an aside, one of the best gifts my Mother-in-law ever gave me was a branding iron with my initials on it. Great conversation starters when throwing a dinner party over the summers...

 

[Frederick]

Ruth's Chris in Chicago cooks their steak with butter. Definatly gives it an interesting flavor. In Chicago, we have plenty of steak houses to chose from, so far my favorite in Magnum's. They know how to cook up a steak! Webber Grill isn't bad, either. Man, I can't wait to get a house so that I can grill in the yard. Nuthin' like a good t-bone on the grill to kick the warm season off ...


Freddy C.

 

[Matt Taylor]

Being from Kansas City, we are really lucky to have such great steaks that come into the stockyards from the surrounding area. Our local markets, i.e. Hen House sell some of the best steaks I've ever had, plus they're cheap! The KC Strip is my favorite.

I guess there is some advantage to living in a "cow town"!

Matt

 

[James Edward]

I'm surprised no one mentioned dry-aged beef. You should try and find a butcher that offers it. The taste is unbelievably concentrated, as up to 25% of the water content is evaporated during the 4-6 week aging period. Because of this, these are expensive- my butcher charges $19.00 a pound for T-Bones, shells, and Porterhouses. That's why I also try and find good beef at the supermarket when I can. If not dry-aged, at least look for prime if you're looking for a heady beef experience.
It is also a given that dry-aged beef will be prime- my butcher says you need a good layer of fat to properly age the meat.
Most steakhouses that say they 'age' their beef use a wet aging process in cryovac- this, to me, does not taste nearly as good as dry-aged. Around here, Peter Luger's and PG steakhouse are two that dry-age their beef.
As someone said, 'black angus' doesn't necessarily mean anything taste-wise. I always try and look for the most marbling, which makes the steak look more pink than red. Really red meat has no fat and usually is tough and flavorless.
Mail-order: I have found that I like Allen Brothers the best- just about all their beef is prime, unlike Omaha Steaks.

 

[LewB]

A nice medium rare NY strip steak with sauteed mushrooms and onions for me please !
If you like your meat blood rare, try this method of ordering to get your point across:

Knock the horns off, wipe it's butt and bring it out !

Don't know where I first heard that one but it still brings a smile to my face

 

[Ted Lee]

whoa...never knew kobe beef was that expensive. hmm...better find a business justification really quick.

medium rare for me. can't stand any kind of meat cooked more than that. horseradish rules!

patrick - i tried to find the recipe on foodtv.com but couldn't! anyway, it goes something like this.

[edit] check post #40. wayne provided the exact recipe.

this should put it right about medium-rare. i really like this recipe because it allows the flavor of the steak to come through. it's not masked by a lot of other stuff. i haven't done it in a while since i now live in a 1-bedroom apartment. when i cook with this method, smoke gets everywhere. i'm trying to find a decent portable bbq for my patio.

bill - you mentioned you've used your broiler? i've been wanting to try that since i think that will cause less smoke? anyway, mind sharing your technique?

maybe we should post our fave recipes too?

 

[Lew Crippen]

Most steakhouses that say they 'age' their beef use a wet aging process in cryovac-

Try Peter Luger in NYC. Dry aged and the best I've found.

 

[Bill Griffith]

Ted - what your describing sound like the first steps of blackening, the rest I'm not sure of. I tried that once and I think I need more practice.

Cooking the steaks in the Broiler is pretty simple.

For medium rare, 1" - 1 1/4" thick ribeye
First turn the broiler on high

take stake and put seasoning on - I rub on som minced garlic and the use spicy Mrs. Dash salt substitue, Ground black pepper, onion powder, papericka (sp?). once done with one side put the steak on the broiler pan (This is a 2 peice pan 1, drp pan with a sloted pan sitting on top) the seasoned side up, let it cook for 7 minutes take it out flip it over (Carefull not to knowck off any seasoning). season the other side similarly put back in with new seasoned side up for 5 to 6 minutes. take out and eat while hot.

 

[Bill Griffith]

The best steak house I've eaten at down here in Houston is by far, Morten's. Oddly enough its a chain also, I think started somewhere up north, Chicago or St. Louis I think.

My wife and I go there and usually get the 50 oz. Porterhouse for 2 and 1 side with the bacon wrapped scallops appatizer, and usually we split one of the deserts.

 

[Ted Lee]

thx bill - i'll give that a shot, sounds dang tasty! 12min isn't too long for a med-rare steak? also, do you put the pan as close to the broiler as possible?

btw - how does aging beef work? i mean, is it still refrigerated? how does it keep from going bad?

 

[Ted Lee]

oh yeah, i'll second morton's. i've been to the one in LA and here in Sac. very yummy, plus nice atmosphere.

 

[Philip_G]

since we've wandered into the realm of recipes, over the winter when it was -30F out I wasn't down with BBQ for my steaks.. so I started pan frying them in pure lard. It's really good for a change of pace A nice thick cast iron skillet, and some lard heated up as hot as you can get it without causing a greasefire and a few minutes on each side, then it's dinner time.

 

[Alex S]

My favorite is NY Strip.

Outback does have pretty good steaks but nobody beats Peter Lugers in NY.

They are unbelievable !!

 

[Nathan_F]

I am also a Morton's fan. But nothing beats prime cuts of ribeye or strips on the grill at home. I season with fresh black pepper, Jane's Crazy Salt (or sometimes kosher salt), and nothing else. Medium Rare of course!

My wife, however, loves the "Roadhouse" steak. You know from Texas Roadhouse, Logan's Roadhouse.. I don't know if those are nationwide chains, but they're prevalent around here. I can't stand to eat the meat there. I figure they can't screw up salad and chili too bad, but they always find a way to screw up my steak!

 

[James Edward]

It is refrigerated while aging. They generally put a whole shell of beef in a meat cooler(I'm not sure what makes it special for meat- something about the air and how it is circulated).

As it ages, the beef develops a greeinish mold on its exterior. When the time is right, the shell is cut into steaks, and the edges which have the mold are trimmed off. The meat inside the shell never gets moldy, just the exterior. Over the 4-6 weeks some type of enzyme action tenderizes the meat, and it develops its unique flavor.

Honestly, the first time I bought some, when the butcher brought it out and showed it to me, I was kind of surprised. But once he is done trimming, you don't see any mold, and you will have the finest beef eating experience
you can imagine.

For you Long Islanders, Petillo's in Smithtown is where I go. Fairway also has aged beef, but they only dry-age it for 3-4 weeks, and it never quite develops as much taste as one aged 4-6 weeks.

 

[Todd Hochard]

I prefer a grilled steak, over the frying style of places like Outback.

One of my favorite steaks is the Jamaican Top Sirloin at Hops. It really surprised me, as I've never found such a lean and tender sirloin anywhere else. Who knew?

I tend to cook either Filets or NY Strips at home- always on the grill, with one of my rubs. Don't ask me what it is, because I can never remember- I just raid the spice cabinet, and come up with whatever I like that day. That's one nice thing about FL- my grill is always available, 365 days.

Todd

 

[Wayne Bundrick]

Ted - what your describing sound like the first steps of blackening, the rest I'm not sure of. I tried that once and I think I need more practice.

It's not blackening, but merely searing with the intense heat of the cast iron frying pan on the stove. It forms a "crust" that seals in the juices.

Turning the steak with tongs is important, because piercing the steak with a fork will release the juices.

Here's the recipe from Alton Brown's "Good Eats" show on FoodTV:

Pan Seared Rib Eye
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown

1 boneless rib eye steak, 1 1/2-inch thick
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature.

When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste.

Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium rare steaks. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns.)

Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate.

Yield: 1 to 2 servings
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Difficulty: Easy