# I think i am finally beating the steak!



## jason (Jan 23, 2008)

Ok i have been doing some looking around for marinade's and just different ways too cook steak. I'm going to be honest here i have gave steak a few try's only to be better off chewing on my shoe in the end. Soo since i love food network so much i checked out the show "good eats", sure many of you may know the show i am talking about. And i had a friend of mine tell me pretty much the same thing that i saw on there, start in a cast iron pan and finish in the oven, so far so so gooooood. ok but now i come back to all of you here on the site i enjoy so much (even though i rarely have time to get on anymore =( ) too ask the so many of you here a few questions. 

1: How do you cook your steak, and how do you like it, rare, med rare, ect.

2: Does anyone have a good marinade that would not mind sharing with me?

And last but not least, 3: What kind of steak do you prefer? 

I just got done cooking a petite steak and it was good yes, but it takes a lot less longer to cook then i had thought. I like sirloin but yet have never cooked one for myself, and from what i have seen of the "london broil" steak it seems to be a very tender piece of meat so i am told. I hope to hear from anyone who wants to share! :bounce:


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## kyheirloomer (Feb 1, 2007)

Just my personal opinion, but I'm not big on sirloin. It's the most over-rated hunk of meat going.

For me, a rib-eye is the top choice. 

Porterhouse is considered to be the king of steaks. What it is is a very thick T-bone (2 inches or more). A T-bone is, as the name suggests, a steak with a bone shaped like a T in it. There is a large piece and a small piece of meat flanking the bone. The small piece is the filet mignon, the large piece is the strip (or New York Strip, or Kansas City Strip, or, more recently, just New York Steak)

There are several other top cuts that are formed into steaks. But those are the most popular.

Good beef has a flavor of its own, Jason, and there's no reason to cover it up with marinades and sauces and, God-forbid, ketchup. Besides which, marinades are used to tenderize an otherwise tough piece of meat. 

Most of the time, when heavy sauces and the like are used, it's because the steak was overcooked, and the sauce used to replace the lost moisture. My brother, for instance, cooks a steak until it resembles shoe leather, then douses it with ketchup because it's too dry.

Some sauces do complement the taste of the beef. But you want to be leary of getting heavy-handed with them. 

How to prepare it really depends on your taste. But if you go past the medium stage you're treading on it being overcooked. Don't forget that steak, like any other meat, needs to rest, and continues cooking as it does so. Personally, I go to medium-rare. After resting it's perfect for my taste. 

But I have a friend who likes his so rare it's still dripping blood. His idea of the perfectly cooked steak: Introduce it to the heat, but allow no further conversation. 

London Broil is sort of an oversized flank steak. Although it can be made tender, it is a bottom cut, and inherently tough. Among other things, no matter how you prepare it, you must cut it thinly, against the grain. Same goes for flank steak, of course. These are the ones where marinades come into play.


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## koukouvagia (Apr 3, 2008)

Steak has to be my favorite edible pleasure. I'm so sorry to hear you are having a bad experience with it, especially when it is so gratifying when made properly, and there's different ways to do it.

My favorite cut is the ribeye, also referred to as Delmonico. It has great marbling (fat) so it stays tender even if you overcook it. Overcooking steak is a culinary sin just so you know and real steakhouses like Peter Luger's or Mortons will refuse to cook your steak past medium I believe. Medium rare is the perfect temperature for me.

Marinades on a good steak are unecessary. If you buy a cheap cut like sirloin then yes, you may have to submerse it in acidic gooo for a while to tenderize but a nice ribeye does not need or want it. There is no better way to eat a steak than just salt and pepper, but if you want more flavors a dry rub would work well. Sometimes I use a mesquite rub from Costco or I make my own mix of salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano.

I like chargrilling my steak. I rub a little olive oil on it, salt and pepper, and then grill it simply over charcoal. The flavor shines. But recently I've been trying the stove top and that works well too. I don't have a good cast iron yet so I use my calphalon (do not use a non-stick pan). Again I rub a little olive oil on to the steak, season, and wait for the pan to get piping hot before I put the steak in. After I turn it over I put 2 tbsp of butter into the pan and just baste it continuously until it's ready. I know I know it's bad for you but the flavor is great. Let it rest for 4-5 minutes then eat up.

And don't forget that steaks cook best when you leave them alone. Which ever method you choose to cook your steak, place it in the pan or grill and leave it. Don't toss it around or keep flipping it. Leave it where it falls. And most importantly don't poke with fork while it's cooking!!!!!


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## cakesbysarah (Apr 7, 2008)

I, too, am partial to the rib-eye. Also good is a rib steak, which is a rib-eye with the bone in. I always cook them on the grill, rubbed with a small amount of olive oil and a generous amount of Montreal steak seasoning. I use gas + lava rock and a wood chip packet for smoke. (soak hickory or other wood chips in water, wrap in foil, and perforate.) Preheat the grill and oil it lightly. Sear the steak on a direct (high) flame. Turn off the direct heat, and cook on medium-low indirect heat until medium or medium rare. Let it rest for 5 minutes before digging in.

Also worth noting...

Grilled asparagus goes exceptionally well with steak. I like to coat mine generously with white truffle and porcini infused olive oil (they have it at our local organic market, and I'm addicted now!) and balsamic vinegar. From there, you can either grill it as-is, or wrap little bundles of 3 or 4 in pancetta. If you're grilling it without the pancetta, cook til it's tender and grill-marked on the outside, with a little crispiness left inside. If you're wrapping it in pancetta, grill til the pancetta is done. When finished, sprinkle with salt and pepper.


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## ghettoracingkid (Feb 19, 2007)

im nto a fan of steak so much but...

med rare always....

I enjoy the tenderloin/ filet when I do.


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## phatch (Mar 29, 2002)

Rib eye medium rare, flank between rare and medium rare. Steak is best cooked simply. salt pepper and garlic. No fancy marinades and so on. 

But steak is largely over-rated. Beef is at it's best with roasts in my opinion. 

Phil


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

The Good Eats episodes 'Raising the steaks' and 'Steaking your claim' are both pretty good, and available on youtube, as I recall. Good cuts like ribeye and strip need very little supporting cast to make them the star, just good production. Tenderloin being as lean as it is sometimes needs a bit of extra help, which is why it is often served wrapped in bacon or with a rich sauce like bearnaise to counteract any dryness from cooking.

Sirloin I usually reserve for such dishes like stir fry or stroganoff type things where it can be sliced thinly and cooked in some sort of sauce. Flank, skirt, london broil, chuck, tritip and such are all flavorful cuts, but tend to be on the tough side. They respond well to a good marinade and being served thinly sliced across the grain for sandwiches, fajitas, etc. Chuck roasts (really big chuck steaks ) can be smoked in the manner of brisket for a change of pace. 


Anyone who would go to a steakhouse and order a dry aged ribeye well done has no business being allowed on this planet.

mjb.


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

Another thing - a good, simple, easy marinade for beef is just a bottle of your typical Italian dressing, or one of the dry dressing mix packets where you add your own vinegar, oil and some water. Start from there, and after that head off on your own with extra garlic, herbs, red pepper flakes, onion powder, flavored vinegars and such.

mjb.


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## jason (Jan 23, 2008)

Wow i had no idea i was going to get so many answers in only a days time! I guess my thing about steak is i just like one big piece of meat, no bones and such. But i have not thought about the ribeye actually, and well tomorrow is my payday so i will heading back out to the store now lol! But again i had no idea that steak did not a marinade either, at one point i was one of those people who simply could not eat steak if it was less then well done. Yes yes i know shoe leather in the making as i soon found out, now i like mine anywhere from med rare to rare, oh and KYHeirloomer want you said about your friend and his steak , my grandpa was the same way. I'm sorry i would rather my steak not moo at me when i try to eat haha. But i will try some good dry rubs and a ribeye tomorrow and let everyone know how it is goes! Thank each of you for the answer's! :smiles:


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## blueicus (Mar 16, 2005)

I think a really nice minimalist accompaniment for steaks for those who want a little bit of sauciness on a plain steak is a good slice of compound butter, such as maitre d' butter or a taragon butter. Just get a stick of softened butter, add your seasoning ingredients (like herbs, spices, a dash of flavoured liquids), blend until mixed well, roll it up into a log using saran wrap then chill in the fridge until firm.


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## ninja_59 (May 2, 2004)

Rib steak for me, just add a rub in of Mc Cormick steak spices , awesome


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

Or saffron butter


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## cakesbysarah (Apr 7, 2008)

Do tell...


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Rib eye or sirloin, has to be grass fed and aged. Salt pepper, white hot pan and a quick sear then into the oven until rare. Same technique on the grill, just move the steak to a cool spot to finish. Maybe top with some garlic herb butter but thats not often.


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## oregonyeti (Jun 16, 2007)

I have no recipe for saffron butter. It's just saffron and regular butter, and my proportions are intuitive, but I would guess 30-40 stamens per quarter cup of butter. I melt the butter, put in the saffron, keep it hot for at least 10 minutes or so, and then it's ready to use. If you store it in the fridge, stir it a bit when it's getting solid.

I put it on meat only after the meat has started to brown, and I brush it on a few times as it's cooking. I've used it mostly for kebabs. It's delicious and not intrusive.


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## chamcham (Jan 21, 2007)

I really like good stake at restaurantes, but a bit afraid of making it at home, because i dont really know how to spot it when its ready. it sound very simpleut it in the stove when its done/pink/rare.but how can I tell how many minutes i need?(i mean,my steak needs?)
Thanks.cham


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## chamcham (Jan 21, 2007)

it sounds easyut it in the oven until it is done.but how can i tell how many minutes my steak needs to be pink (that is how i like it)?i always have problem with that, i keep overcooking the stake.
thanx.cham


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## dillbert (Jul 2, 2008)

Cham -

forget the minutes thing - those are guidelines only as cooking temps, thickness of cut, etc., play a much more important role.

I like the "pushie" method - open your thumb from your hand, not stretched out tight - just open. with your other hand index finger, poke the fleshy web between the back of the hand and the thumb - it's firm but a little "gooshy in the middle." oh - if you are really skinny, find a friend who.....

that's medium rare. poke the steak with your finger / blunt end of a wood spoon to judge. better to error on the too soon side - you can always put it back in for more. a little practice and it's an easy technique.


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## chamcham (Jan 21, 2007)

thanx for the answer.my hand is gonna be perfect for the purpose. not skinny at all. 
cham


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## maryb (Mar 21, 2008)

Or cheat and buy an instant read thermometer :roll:I just use the poke with my finger method though.


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## jason (Jan 23, 2008)

Dillbert makes a good point cham, i was a line cook and when i first started that is what my friend told me to do. Only i do mine by moving my thumb across my fingers but pushing on the same spot, opne hand is rare and when you get your thumb to little finger that is well done, just touch the tips as you go across.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

You seem to like your meat in the medium-rare/medium range. Getting it right consistently has quite a bit to do with how thick your steaks are, and how you cook them. Very thin steaks, 300 gm and 20mm or less, should be cooked in a pan, and cooked very quickly. Very thick steaks, 500 gm and 30mm or more should be seared in a pan or in the broiler, then finished roasting in a 220C oven. Those in between should be cooked in a pan or under the broiler at a slightly more moderate heat than thinner steaks. 

For steaks between 20 and 30mm, a good time to remember is two minutes. A room temperature beef steak will take about two minutes to sear in a hot pan. Preheat the pan on a medium-high flame, put around 1 tsp of oil in it, let the oil come to heat and add the seasoned steak. Allow it to cook exactly two minutes, then shake the pan to loosen the steak. If it won't slide, give it another 45 seconds and shake again. When the steak moves, that means it is seared and you can turn it over. If it won't release after the extra 45 seconds, turn it anyway. 3 minutes is plenty of time to sear a piece of beef.

Cook for another two to three minutes on the other side. Then push your index and middle fingers gently into the steak. 

The touch methods suggested by the other posters are all good, but a little difficult to learn. If you press the steak and it's very soft, it's not cooked. If it's hard, it's overcooked. If it just pushes back, it's between medium rare and medium. This method is very simple and fine to begin with. The more you do this, the better you get at making fine distinctions and the more adept you'll be at comparing the steak's texture to your hand. At some point, you don't need that anymore. You just touch and know.

If the steak isn't cooked the first time you feel it (it won't be) reduce the heat to medium and repeat the steps, allowing another 60 seconds per side. If a steak takes more than 8 minutes total (4 minutes per side), it was too thick to cook under the broiler or in a pan and should have been finished in a hot oven.

To do this, note the weight of the steak before cooking. Preheat the oven to 220C, and when it's heated, sear both sides of the steak on top of the stove in a pan that can go into a hot oven. Then put that pan in the oven. Figure 14 minutes per 500gm for medium rare, less the time spent searing. So, if you seared a 500gm steak for 2 minutes on each side (4 minutes total) you'd subtract 4 minutes from 14 and get a total of 10 minutes in the oven.

The best way to test the temperature on a thick steak is with a thermometer. After about 40mm, the touch method is no longer reliable. Instant read thermometers are very inexpensive, and very useful. Everyone should have at least one. Unfortunately, if the steak is too thin -- less than 15mm -- it's difficult to get an accurate measurement. 

When the steak is cooked, you must allow it between 5 (thin steak) and 10 (thick) minutes to rest. 7 minutes is ideal. The resting period is part of the cooking process, you shouldn't short circuit it. Rested meat will be juicier and more tender. 

Finally -- never cut into a steak to see if it's done. This will always result in a dry, overcooked steak. 

Hope this helps,
BDL


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## jason (Jan 23, 2008)

Wow BDL now that my head is kinda spinning haha, I do have a question i want to ask and a comment for you cham cham, BDL said finish it in the oven and to use a pan that can from stove top to oven, i use a cast iron pan myself cause they can go from one to the other with no problems and they retain heat quite well. So BDL i have a method i wanted to get your insight on about resting steak, i have a friend that cooks steak all the time and he rest his on a saucer turned upside down . . . why?


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Totally stumped. Please ask him though, it will be interesting to hear his thoughs. 

I either rest mine on the board, or on a warmed plate. Because I usually make a pan-reduction, and wait until the steak is out of the oven to finish and plate the sides and garniture, the resting time works without any extra thought. 

BDL


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## shel (Dec 20, 2006)

Grass fed and grass finished, prime or top choice quality, dry aged rib eye is a great choice. I'm not a big steak eater, and in the past when eating steak I ate different cuts. However, the past year or so, after being introduced to it, the rib eye is my steak of choice.

Grilled over mesquite lump charcoal may be my favorite way to cook it, but other woods are also nice. Charcoal briquettes are not part of the equation. Season with a little salt (Diamond Crystal Kosher is my preference) and some fresh ground (medium grind), good quality black pepper, maybe a little oil rubbed on the meat, and that's it. Medium rare with a nice crust ... no need for much more, if anything.

shel


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## teamfat (Nov 5, 2007)

If done properly, a pan seared, oven finished steak will have a nice brown crust on it, somewhat akin to the bark that forms on a smoked pork butt. Putting the steak on something elevated while it is resting helps to keep the crust from getting less crusty by the water vapor and such that will be coming out of the meat. Just flopping the steak on a plate won't let the crust 'breathe' and can make the crust soggy. I usually rest my steaks on a wooden cutting board, a porous surface, loosely tented with foil to keep it warm while I fuss with the rest of the plating.

mjb.


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## jason (Jan 23, 2008)

Ahhh ok i can see how that would work now. Thank you very much for letting me know TF


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