Your Tips For Cooking The Perfect Steak?

[Kiopa_Matt]

You shouldn't poke so many holes in a quality piece of meat. It lets a lot of the juices out when you're cooking it. Your overnight marinade should flavor the steak just fine without making swiss cheese out of it.

I don't know, but I always assumed that's what the oil (and somewhat beer) is for? You put a decent amount in, so by the time you take it out the next day, it's all solidified and slimy. I thought that helped keep the juices in, and poking it was to tenderize it.

I don't know, I've tried the standard way with salt + pepper + hot pan, and I must be doing something wrong, but can never get it to taste anywhere near as good as everyone rants and raves about it. Granted I couldn't do it here because they have shit beef, but even back in my Alberta days with AAA grade sirloin. Guests never seem very enthused about it either, but if I serve the marinated steaks, there's almost always one or two having a mouthgasm ("ohhhh, mmm... ow wow, mmmm")

Then of course, the obligatory sliced potatoes, carrots, and onions in tin foil with salt + pepper + buttter on the BBQ. Plus some corn on the cob, caesar salad, and garlic toast, and you're good to go for a feast.

Oh, and only charcoal from now on me as well. Even if I was back in Canada, I doubt I'd revert back to a propane / gas BBQ. Charcoal is a bit of a pain, because it takes a while to get some good coals going, but tastes better.

 

[Fatbat]

I don't know, but I always assumed that's what the oil (and somewhat beer) is for? You put a decent amount in, so by the time you take it out the next day, it's all solidified and slimy. I thought that helped keep the juices in, and poking it was to tenderize it.

^^ A good quality piece of meat shouldn't need holes poked in it to be tender, and you can make cheaper cuts tender by salting them and letting them rest. Then rinse off the excess salt...

http://www.steamykitchen.com/163-how-to-turn-cheap-choice-steaks-into-gucci-prime-steaks.html

But hey, there's a million ways to cook a steak, and everyone thinks they know the best way as this thread demonstrates. There are so many myths about grilling meat perpetuated here that it's kind of funny, but even the experts can't agree. It's easy to find one camp that says room temperature, while the another says it doesn't matter. Some might say salt (and pepper) early and let the meat rest, others say salt right before grilling, and yet others say to add the salt at the end (because seasonings might actually burn, imparting bitter flavors). Some might say it's OK to use a BBQ fork, while others make it sound like your steak is going to bleed out every last drop of moisture at the slightest prick. And the other point that stood out for me is the only turn once rule, vs some people that say turn as much as you like, as often as you like, the more the better.

And LoL at people criticizing Ramsay, one of the most decorated Michelin star holders in the world, like they know how to cook a steak in a frying pan better than he does. A little smoke coming off your vegetable oil isn't going to ruin your steak or kill you, and as soon as that steak hits that pan it's going to suck a ton of heat out of that oil and it's not going to be smoking anymore.

If you want to pick up some decent books on BBQ, check out anything by Adam Perry Lang. The guy is a BBQ guru and has tons of great ideas. I've got this one...

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Serious-Barbecue-Smoke-Outdoor-Cooking/dp/0986042501/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405654967&sr=1-1&keywords=adam+perry+lang]Serious Barbecue: Smoke, Char, Baste & Brush Your Way to Great Outdoor Cooking.: Adam Perry Lang, JJ Goode, Amy Vogler: 9780986042508: Amazon.com: Books[/ame]

And this one, which is more like recipe cards...

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/BBQ-25-Adam-Perry-Lang-ebook/dp/B003JBHVT0/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405654967&sr=1-4&keywords=adam+perry+lang]BBQ 25 - Kindle edition by Adam Perry Lang. Cookbooks, Food & Wine Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com.[/ame]

Also picked up this Pitt and Cue Co. book about a month back. It's got loads of interesting stuff in it, and not a single steak recipe IIRC...

[ame=http://www.amazon.com/Pitt-Cue-Co-Cookbook/dp/184533907X/ref=sr_1_1_title_1_har?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405655048&sr=1-1&keywords=pitt+and+cue]Pitt Cue Co. The Cookbook: Pitt Cue Co., April Bloomfield: 9781845339074: Amazon.com: Books[/ame]

Going to buy a smoker one of these days and a better charcoal grill. I just have a Weber kettle at the moment and some cheap piece of shit gas grill that someone gave us. However, you can take a cheap kettle and add a proper cast iron grate to improve it...

22.5" Cast Iron Grate

This is the one I really want Grillworks Inc - makers of The Grillery; the premier artisanal wood grill for over 30 years. << I mean, fucking look at that thing, it's bloody gorgeous!

BBQ and smoking is an art that you can work on mastering for a lifetime. I don't profess to be an expert and am constantly trying to learn new things about it. Basically, at the end of the day, do what you think tastes good and keep working on perfecting that.

 

[-joe-]

I pretty much cook it the same way you do Jake, except that I wouldn't use olive oil, as its smoking point is way too low. Consider an oil that can handle high heat, like coconut oil. You don't need a lot of it, because the steak fat renders when you cook.

Regular olive oil (decent stuff, as with parmesan, always buy the best oil you can, lasts ages. The extra virgins are good for drizzling on a pizza near the end of cooking, or eating raw - extra virgin rapeseed oil is nice too, it's a nutty flavour) doesn't have too high a smoke point, and should be fine. Virgin (not extra) should be fine too, although it does have a lower smoke point than regular olive oil.

 

[JayyC]

This thread literally inspired me to go buy and cook my first steak today, figured it was time to become a man.

- Poverty Wal-Mart steak to bust my cherry.
- Pan cooked, no grill (shit, I know)
- Salted the shit out of both sides, also a little pepper, left on counter for an hour.
- Olive oil in pan, got hot as fuck (estimated heat)
- Throw steak in, 30 seconds each side at first, then turned 90 degrees and seared the ends for 30 seconds also.
- Turned heat down slightly, 1 minute a side each. Two minutes total.
- Threw a shit ton of butter in pan, another 1 minute per side turning 4 times. 4 minutes total.
- Placed on plate, poured remaining juices on top. Set for 5 minutes.

Tasted much better than I expected for my first, not sure what to change to try and improve on though.

 

[Kiopa_Matt]

Tasted much better than I expected for my first, not sure what to change to try and improve on though.

I'm not sure, do you like your steaks rare? I like some pink in the middle too, but yours is still moo'ing I think.

Doesn't matter though, and to each their own. You can eat beef raw, and it's generally not going to hurt you.

 

[Reive]

Looks good to me.

 

[clear]

I rarely cook any steaks in a pan. If I am cooking a steak in a pan it will be a chuck-eye steak with butter (kerrygold) I never use olive or coconut oil when cooking steaks. Do not mix up chuck steak and chuck-eye steaks, the chuck-eye is the end cuts.

-Remove steak from fridge, season with montreal steak seasoning
-Let sit for atleast 30 mins, steak should be close to room temp
-Heat the grill up, each grill is different, my grill has the temp gauge on the burners and not at the rack level (I like this better) burns are around 450
-Do not poke, stab, cut the steak, it should only be flipped once. 5 to 8 mins on the first side then 3 to 5 mins on the second side. Thicker and larger steaks may take a few more mins.

Above method works for chuck-eye, ribeye, sirloin flap, tenderloin. I rarely cook any other sirloin's or porterhouse.

When selecting meats.
-Ribeyes, in the above picture, you will see the top part of the ribeye that curves around the eye, this is the tastest part of the steak.
-Chuck-eye, these should look like they are falling apart, when you pick it up, it should separate.
-Sirloin flap, not much to these. Some people prefer the cuts to be really thick others prefer thinner. I prefer thinner, they cook faster and taste better to me, but the thicker cuts are juicier.
-Any other sirloins, throw them in the trash or feed them to your beloved dogs, never to cats. Cats deserve nothing.

If your butcher can shred meat for you, ask for sirloin tri-tip to be shredded at thin as possible. This makes the best philly cheese steak ever. All you need is a cast iron pan, kerrygold butter, onions, peppers, mushrooms and the shredded steak.

 

[lukep]

Where I grew up a steak wasn't "edible" unless it had these three attributes:

1. Marinated 2 hours to Overnight in Dales: (Extremely salty stuff)

2. Cooked on a charcoal or wood-smoke grill. (Gas grills & stovetops are what you cook for your pets on.)

3. There had to be some amount of red in the middle. If you accidentally cooked it all the way through you either get made fun of mercilessly by everyone present for hours, or outright beaten, depending on how much steak was brought that night.

Maximum doneness:

The #protip was to bring a cast iron skillet and spend half the time first searing both sides of the steak with butter, right there on the open flames... That's way more messy to clean up after but it was certainly better that way.

Like this but not with a fish:

Different ppl liked different cuts, women always wanted the filet mignon, guys liked ribeyes, sirloins, & porterhouses, and suckers liked NY Strip steaks. A good chef should be able to cook them all at the same time.

 

[JohnCJackson]

I do the "sear and roast" to medium rare with a cast iron skillet and oven at 425. I'm not good at giving directions or recipes because cooking is something I just do out of habit and don't really think about too much.

1. Buy Ribeyes. Must be at least 1" thick and at least "Choice." You look at the marblization and pick out something good.
2. I leave the steak sitting out for awhile. Maybe I'll go to the pool or a baseball game or something, leave it on the counter, and cook it when I get back.
3. I put the oven on 425. Heat up the skillet on Med. High.
4. Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper on both sides. I rub extra on the fat.
5. Since I use a stupid skillet with "grill marks" built in, I throw the steak on and rotate it after about 1 min, cook another 30 sec or so and then flip. The goal is to not cook the inside at all on the stove top. It's just to sear the outside. Flip it, cook it another minute.
6. Throw the skillet in the oven for 5 minutes or so.
7. Transfer to a plate. Let it sit for about 10 minutes, loosely covered w/ tented foil.
8. Transfer to another plate and eat it.

If you cook/order your steak more done than Medium, you should stick to chicken.

 

[Meatytreats]

Charcoal grill, period. I wouldn't waste a piece of meat doing it any other way.

Interesting, tidbit for you steakhouse lovers... Many steakhouses actually throw the steak in the freezer for 30 minutes before cooking!

It is a common misconception to bring your meat to room temperature before you cook.

 

[Bababoey31]

WTF would you waste your time making a steak in a pan. What a f*&$ing mess. Grease, dirty plates/pan.

1) Get in your car
2) Go to a local restaurant. Even if it's Applebee's, the best thing they have is steak, so it's not horrible. A1, or salt and pepper can make anything taste good.
3) Drink your beer, and eat a salad while you wait for your steak to be fixed for you.
4) Order another beer, eat your steak and potato.
5) Pay your bill.
6) Go home and bang the wife
....or fix it at home and clean up a fucking mess. Maybe I'm just a lazy fuck?

 

[jaranen]

Make it sure that there is no olive oil

 

[richcookies]

What are you trying to do, make us all hungry?

 

[Pheasant]

WTF would you waste your time making a steak in a pan. What a f*&$ing mess. Grease, dirty plates/pan.

1) Get in your car
2) Go to a local restaurant. Even if it's Applebee's, the best thing they have is steak, so it's not horrible. A1, or salt and pepper can make anything taste good.
3) Drink your beer, and eat a salad while you wait for your steak to be fixed for you.
4) Order another beer, eat your steak and potato.
5) Pay your bill.
6) Go home and bang the wife
....or fix it at home and clean up a fucking mess. Maybe I'm just a lazy fuck?

Enjoy your freezer steaks, I'll be gettin greasy with dat grass fed primo preem.

 

[lukep]

2) Go to a local restaurant.
...
6) Go home and bang the wife

BACHELOR SPOTTED.

 

[ChrisS]

Get a good cut. Ribeye is my favorite.

Get QUALITY meat. Costco or local butcher is the way to go. Don't bother with a thin Wal-mart shitnugget.

1. Rub on a tiny bit of minced garlic (both sides)
2. Rub on a tiny bit Montreal steak seasoning (both sides)
3. Rub on some Olive oil
4. Rub on some SOY SAUCE (A Chef told me about this and it makes a huge difference)

GRILL to rare / medium-rare (overcooked steak is a crime against God)

Dolop of butter. Let sit for at least 4 minutes so juices stay inside when you cut into it.

Serve with rosemary/pepper/salted oven baked baby red potatoes.

NOM NOM

 

[ShadowPanther]

I am really surprised that most people are listing fillets. Personally I like bone in cuts more than fillets because you retain more marbling when cooking the meat. My favorite bone in cut is a cowboy chop, although its pretty tough to beat a nice flank steak when you are in the mood for some char.