teach me the ways of the steak

[Mattoid]

Im a fledgling cook and I love steaks. Post up your favorite marinade/ seasoning recipes! I just threw something together with a lil ranch dressing, barbeque sauce and some steak seasoning on the grill. It was random, but really not bad. So hit me with some sugjestions!

[SkaredShtles]

Good steak - no marinade/dressing required.

A little salt, a little pepper.

Make sure the steak is thick.

Don't cook it too long.

Serve with hearty red wine.

[Tenchiro]

Im a fledgling cook and I love steaks. Post up your favorite marinade/ seasoning recipes! I just threw something together with a lil ranch dressing, barbeque sauce and some steak seasoning on the grill. It was random, but really not bad. So hit me with some sugjestions!

Never marinade a good steak. Salt, pepper and maybe garlic. If you want to get fancy, fry up some garlic cloves in olive oil. Sear the steak on both sides and then cook it (indirectly) over some hickory or maybe a bit of mesquite. (Oak wood be good too.)

Once you pull it off the heat, give it 5-10 minutes to rest. Otherwise the second you cut it, all the juices are going to just run right out.

When buying steak, stay away from the orange or pink looking ones and go for a nice dark red (dry aged if possible) piece of meat. Go to the end of the aisle where the discounted pieces of meat live. They are almost at their pull date and usually more tender because they have had time to break down a bit.

See that strip of fat on the side, DO NOT cut that off.

http://www.fowlersfoodandwine.com/images/Dry%20aged%20steak.JPG
:drool:

[Tenchiro]

Oh, get an electronic remote probe style thermometer and cook that bad boy to 145°. Pull it off and it should probably reach 150° and back to 145° by the time it has rested for 10 min and that will give you a nice medium well steak.

[narlus]

tenchiro speaks the truth.

aside from the medium-well thing. steak should never be more than medium-rare

[SkaredShtles]

tenchiro speaks the truth.

aside from the medium-well thing. steak should never be more than medium-rare
:stupid: Medium well is a travesty............. :nono:

[Tenchiro]

tenchiro speaks the truth.

aside from the medium-well thing. steak should never be more than medium-rare

Crap, 145° is Medium Rare.... I have no idea why I typed Well....

But yes, Medium Well is unacceptable.

[Motionboy2]

When grilling your steak keep the heat low and flip once. I like putting salt, pepper and garlic on my steak and serving it with sauteed mushrooms.

Now if you have more time (like 24 hours) and you really need to marinate this steak...try this.
http://www.i-clipse.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=78895-74004

I have been using this more in Burgers now because you can chop up onions and garlic and put them in the meat with this and it is SOO GOOD.

[Mattoid]

MmMmmm im ready for dinner. Take two will be tonight!

[narlus]

When grilling your steak keep the heat low and flip once.

i prefer to crank the heat high, sear the sides once each (you can rotate it 90 deg if you want some fancy cross-hatching pattern), and keep it bloody in the middle.

[caboverpete]

I say flip often... dont give the juice time to come to the surface and evaporate off. When you see the juices begin to bubble to the surface flip and allow those juices to come back through the steak, do this until the steak reaches your prefered doneness.

[gastro]

I get the grill as hot as possible to sear and seal, and give it one flip (two max), about 8 minutes per side depending on thickness.

I stick with cuts that have "loin" in the name (tender or sir), as they're leaner and less greezy than anything with "rib."

[SkaredShtles]

i prefer to crank the heat high, sear the sides once each (you can rotate it 90 deg if you want some fancy cross-hatching pattern), and keep it bloody in the middle.
I usually sear each side quickly on high heat, then drop the heat and let 'em cook for around 5-8 minutes/side. This assumes the steak is about 1 to 1-1/2 inches thick.

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>
I stick with cuts that have "loin" in the name (tender or sir), as they're leaner and less greezy than anything with "rib."
I've found that the leaner steaks, whilst good, are not generally as tasty as a well-marbled ribeye. :drool:

Good steak should never be "greasy" though. :think:

[Tenchiro]

I say flip often... dont give the juice time to come to the surface and evaporate off. When you see the juices begin to bubble to the surface flip and allow those juices to come back through the steak, do this until the steak reaches your prefered doneness.

I understand where you are coming from, but if you properly sear a steak, it should seal in all the juices during cooking. Plus it will form a real nice crust, and flipping more than once while searing interrupts that.

[MTB_Rob_NC]

All great advice...

My favorite rub is a little garlic salt and Cayenne Pepper :drool:


For the quick inexpensive but tasty treat, buy yourself a thin piece of skirt steak. Your favorite rub followed by a quick brush of olive oil. HOT HOT grill sear and flip. Probably 2 minutes per side for Medium rare. Whatever you dont eat makes for a PERFECT sandwich the following day.

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

[SkaredShtles]

All great advice...

My favorite rub is a little garlic salt and Cayenne Pepper :drool:


For the quick inexpensive but tasty treat, buy yourself a thin piece of skirt steak. Your favorite rub followed by a quick brush of olive oil. HOT HOT grill sear and flip. Probably 2 minutes per side for Medium rare. Whatever you dont eat makes for a PERFECT sandwich the following day.

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:
You know - thinner, cheaper cuts of beef are really good candidates for a sauce. I had a hanger steak a couple weeks ago with a roquefort cream sauce. :drool:

Steak with stinky-cheese cream sauces are :drool: for sure.

[Tenchiro]

You know - thinner, cheaper cuts of beef are really good candidates for a sauce. I had a hanger steak a couple weeks ago with a roquefort cream sauce. :drool:

Steak with stinky-cheese cream sauces are :drool: for sure.

Taking a slab of compound butter w/ Bleu Cheese and melting it over the top of a steak is tastey. At least my girlfriend thinks so.

[SkaredShtles]

Taking a slab of compound butter w/ Bleu Cheese and melting it over the top of a steak is tastey. At least my girlfriend thinks so.
Yup. Steak and stinky cheese. Match made in heaven.

[OGRipper]

i prefer to crank the heat high, sear the sides once each (you can rotate it 90 deg if you want some fancy cross-hatching pattern), and keep it bloody in the middle.

Yes!! Black and blue baby, black and blue. Or should I say "bleu"?

The better the steak, the simpler the cooking. (Actually, for me that applies to all food. With quality ingredients I need/want very little other than good cooking technique.) For a steak, salt and pepper should be all you need, but that assumes you have a flavorful, tender piece of meat. Save the marinades for tougher cuts like skirt, flank, etc., and save the aromatics for side dishes. That's how I like it anyway.

And keep your damn blue cheese away from my dinner!! :mumble: :D

[narlus]

surefire sauce...

preheat oven to 200F

in a hot pan w/ melted butter, sear filets (S&P beforehand, bonus points fo crushed green peppercorns stuck into the meat), about ~2-3 min per side, depending on thickness and how you like yr meat cooked. transfer the steaks to the oven, while keeping the pan on the burner. reduce heat, throw in some chopped shallots, and fry up (adding a bit more butter). throw in mushrooms too and chopped thyme, until the mushrooms release their moisture. deglaze the pan w/ red wine, and reduce down. when the sauce is thickened, add in a bit of heavy cream.

take the filets out of the oven, top w/ sauce, serve.

:drool:

[MTB_Rob_NC]

Taking a slab of compound butter w/ Bleu Cheese and melting it over the top of a steak is tastey.

okok.... my arteries are getting clogged just from reading that :blah:

[McGRP01]

:nono: Never salt a steak (or any meat) prior to cooking. the salt will draw the juices up and out of the meat.

[narlus]

:nono: Never salt a steak (or any meat) prior to cooking. the salt will draw the juices up and out of the meat.

yeah, that's a habit i'm trying to break.

[Tenchiro]

:nono: Never salt a steak (or any meat) prior to cooking. the salt will draw the juices up and out of the meat.

I don't think that the little bit of salt you would use to flavor food would do much to effect the juiciness of a piece of meat.

But for a side of salmon, I always dry brine it for at least 4 hours before cooking it. While this does draw out the moisture it also breaks down the protiens in the meat making it super tender without being overly salty. (or dry tasting)


EDIT -- Damn, my spelling is atrocious...

[MTB_Rob_NC]

Ya I cant imagine putting a little salt on a steak before you toss it on the grill is gonna draw much juiciness.

[Ciaran]

Now I want steak for dinner. :drool: I have always tried to adhere to a few things that have worked well for me...

THICK - It's gotta be thick.

Cook slow over low heat turning frequently.

Not much in the way of seasonings. Maybe a little pepper. If I am being crazy I'll drop a little fresh basil on it after I pull it off the heat.

Never done more then medium rare.

[SkaredShtles]

Now I want steak for dinner. :drool: I have always tried to adhere to a few things that have worked well for me...

THICK - It's gotta be thick.

Cook slow over low heat turning frequently.

Not much in the way of seasonings. Maybe a little pepper. If I am being crazy I'll drop a little fresh basil on it after I pull it off the heat.

Never done more then medium rare.
All sounds good. Try searing it, then only turn once. May or may not notice a difference.

Hopefully my wife'll come home from Costco with a couple of these tonight:

http://image1.styleinamerica.com/wsecimgs/images/products/200529/0005/img92m.jpg

[OGRipper]

:nono: Never salt a steak (or any meat) prior to cooking. the salt will draw the juices up and out of the meat.

This is a pretty hot topic. I have read support for both. Personally I think salting a steak about 20 or 30 minutes before cooking helps produce a more flavorful crust. I can't remember but there is something about drawing the moisture to the surface to help carmelization.

And if you shouldn't salt meat because it makes it too dry, when then does a salty marinade like teriyaki result in tender and moist meat? Huh? Huh? :p

[Fathead]

All sounds good. Try searing it, then only turn once. May or may not notice a difference.


There is a LOT of great advice here. To reiterate an earlier post, the better the cut, the less you should handle it in preparation. A nice thick ribeye goes on w/a sprinkle of cajun spices after the first flip, and a second sprinkle on the backside upon removal. A $1.99 sirloin gets hammered, marinated, and covered with spices. Both end up w/great taste and texture.

Yes, searing is good. Have plenty of grill area available. Once 1 side is seared, flip it to a part of the grill you haven't used, so the next side gets just as strong a hit.

I hate to admit concern for presentation, but when grilling steak I like to put a crosshatch on when I have space. I quickly sear a side over max heat, flip it to the other side of the grill to sear, reduce heat and cook for 3 min, flip it back and rotate 90 for a "cross sear" and cook for 3 min, then flip/rotate to the other side for a short, final sear. On a 1" cut, w/my cheap 2-burner gas grill, this is is medium rare, plenty juicy, w/a great looking surface. On a thicker cut, you get both a nice crust and a soft red center.

Know your audience. I've cooked steak for several dozen people over the years, and found a lot of them don't really know what they like. Some of the "well done" crowd have just never had a good medium rare steak. Give 'em what they want, but see if they'll try a heavily-seared ribeye w/a firm pink center, and they might cross the fence. If they want ketchup on the table before the steak arrives, just burn them some sirloin or strip & write 'em off. It doesn't make them bad people, just bad eaters. Same for the ones who avoid fat: don't ever serve these people ribeye. . . something something pearls to swine.

WARNING: If you get good at steak, you'll find it hard to enjoy steak at a lot of the "steak" joints in this world. You'll have to learn to order different foods at these places. There are at least 3 people in my family who can turn out a better steak w/$4 worth of meat than most places can do for $17. More money for beer/wine/scotch :D

[SkaredShtles]

<snip>
WARNING: If you get good at steak, you'll find it hard to enjoy steak at a lot of the "steak" joints in this world. You'll have to learn to order different foods at these places. There are at least 3 people in my family who can turn out a better steak w/$4 worth of meat than most places can do for $17. More money for beer/wine/scotch :D
Best advice in the thread! :thumb:

[Westy]

I'm a cheap bastard, I prefer the taste of a simply prepared nice cut of meat but a lot of times I prefer to cut back my fat intake and save some $$. I like to get very lean cuts of cheap steak. Marinate in in a ziplock for a day. Make sure to have something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar in he marinade, it will help break down and tenderize the meat. Grill to your liking and enjoy. It ends up being healthier and saves money.

[SkaredShtles]

I'm a cheap bastard, I prefer the taste of a simply prepared nice cut of meat but a lot of times I prefer to cut back my fat intake and save some $$. I like to get very lean cuts of cheap steak. Marinate in in a ziplock for a day. Make sure to have something acidic like lemon juice or vinegar in he marinade, it will help break down and tenderize the meat. Grill to your liking and enjoy. It ends up being healthier and saves money.
Sounds good.

I'm not gonna give up my NY strip, though. Hell - it's only about $5.50/lb anyway....... cheap for good beef. :thumb:

[Tenchiro]

Personally if it came down to eating a chep steak, I would just go with pork or chicken.

Although skirt steak is yummy. (Carne Asada :drool: )

[narlus]

there's difference between "cheap and tastes like it " and "needs some work but can be great". flank steak is a great example.

[berkshire_rider]

Lots of good advice here. I wish I lived somewhere I could cook over a REAL fire sometimes. One of the best things about camping, IMO.

[OGRipper]

Damn Fathead, good stuff!! And yeah, it's funny how once you get some decent skills it's harder to find a satisfying restaurant meal. The experience as a whole still has lots to offer but the bar on the food gets raised and it's easy to be disappointed when you are paying restaurant prices, especially out here in SF.

[Westy]

Personally if it came down to eating a chep steak, I would just go with pork or chicken.

Although skirt steak is yummy. (Carne Asada :drool: )

I usually do stick with chicken. But sometimes I just need to see blood.

[binary visions]

And yeah, it's funny how once you get some decent skills it's harder to find a satisfying restaurant meal. The experience as a whole still has lots to offer but the bar on the food gets raised and it's easy to be disappointed when you are paying restaurant prices, especially out here in SF.

Agreed, there. I generally don't order steak at restaurants, since I'm perfectly capable of preparing one that's good if not better in a short period of time for much less money. Steak is an easy food to cook, why would you spend big $$ on it? What I order at restaurants is generally something I'm too lazy or not inclined to prepare for myself.

Back on the original topic, I like a good, thick cut, with a little salt, occasionally a little garlic, seared to medium rare. I can't imagine that salting a steak draws enough moisture out to make a huge difference. The amount of salt you put on a steak won't even absorb a teaspoon of water, and there's a lot more juice than that in a good cut.

Anyone here love steak tips? :drool: I typically marinate them for 24 hours first, but my other favorite is to toss 'em on the grill and cover 'em with cracked pepper as they're cooking. Cooked right, they'll just fall apart under your fork.

I haven't gone looking for a good butcher down here - I had a great one back in New Hampshire.

[SkaredShtles]

there's difference between "cheap and tastes like it " and "needs some work but can be great". flank steak is a great example.
Hanger steak?

[SkaredShtles]

Damn Fathead, good stuff!! And yeah, it's funny how once you get some decent skills it's harder to find a satisfying restaurant meal. The experience as a whole still has lots to offer but the bar on the food gets raised and it's easy to be disappointed when you are paying restaurant prices, especially out here in SF.
Same here. Although I'm pretty sure you're paying a different level of premium out there in the Bay............

[narlus]

Agreed, there. I generally don't order steak at restaurants, since I'm perfectly capable of preparing one that's good if not better in a short period of time for much less money. Steak is an easy food to cook, why would you spend big $$ on it? What I order at restaurants is generally something I'm too lazy or not inclined to prepare for myself.

generally agreed, but some steak houses do boast dry-aged beef which you wouldn't typically find in a butcher shop.

[Fathead]

generally agreed, but some steak houses do boast dry-aged beef which you wouldn't typically find in a butcher shop.

True. I've felt good about a ~$25 steak at Twenty-Twenty-One in Philly, and at Vic&Anthony's in Houston (but you have to order the right cut). At your standard national chain, if I really want steak there, I'll just get the cheapest decent cut, order it rare, and hope they don't eff it up.

BTW, berkie: nothing beats a fire (you should see our camping neighbors crane their necks when we cook ribeyes slow over hickory on the ground), but I've had damn good skillet-prepared steaks at some shops out in the sticks. Specifically, one joint did a ribeye in butter that would almost stop your heart, another hammered a thick sirloin down to about 3/4", and fired it in the skillet w/onions and mushrooms.

[narlus]

Fathead, try my skillet filet (heh...in ireland that would rhyme) recipe above.

[Fathead]

Fathead, try my skillet filet (heh...in ireland that would rhyme) recipe above.

Yah, I saw that . . . It was a yummy read. I don't intend to fry steak until it gets nasty outside, prolly December or January, but I'll give it a shot around then, especially if the ducks don't cooperate.

Over the summer we grilled some medallions then melted some funky herbed French cheese over it. That was yummers.

[Biscuit]

This is the best thread ever!

Other than cooking it raw, the only thing I put on a good stake is salt, pepper, garlic, and whole grain mustard.
The whole grain mustard is a little different, but mix the four up, rub a little on, and it makes for a super tasty crust.

Other than that, on cheap steak, for fajitas or something, my favorite is a good ceasar dressing mixed with Trader Joes Taqueria sauce (best salsa for cooking hands down), add poppy seed, salt, pepper, cook, eat.