Another Food related thread

[SeaCat]

Yes the Cat is back talking about food.

Let's talk about something oh so simple and American as steak.

Steak is something that most Americans love and yet always seem to destroy. (I can't tell you the number of times I have ordered one in a restaraunt or had one at a cook out and found it to be terrible.)

OKay let's start with the meat.

Find how you like the meat. Some people like a nicely marbled chunk of meat, I prefer mine to be nice and lean. Do you like Bone in or boneless? It's all a matter of taste. My prefered steak is a New York Strip followed very closely by the Porter House.

Okay so you know what cut you like. Now go out and get some meat. In this like in some other areas you want the meat to be thick. Thicker is better. (Quiet ladies.) I prefer steaks three to four inches thick. You can special order these but your better grocery stores and most butchers will cut them for you.

Bring the steak home and season it a couple of hours before grilling it. I like to rub it nicely with Sea Salt, Fresh minced Garlic and Onion with some Olive Oil. (I tend to season it the day before grilling and let it sit covered in the fridge.) Do not poke holes into the meat or tenderize it.

Pre Heat your grill while letting the meat come to room temperature. (This is important.) When the meat is at room temperature turn down the heat a bit and set the steak on the grill. For a three inch thick steak I let it cook on the first side for about six minutes. Turn it over using tongs. (Not a fork.) Let it cook for another five minutes then remove to a plate.

Now let that steak sit for a few minutes. Five minutes at least.

Now you have a choice. It all depends on how you care to serve the meat.

If you're like me you'll serve it in a chunk and cut it at the table. This allows people to get a nice chunk of medium rare steak on their plate. Others though like to slice the meat and place it on a plate in a nice looking manner before serving. If your going to do the latter do yourself a favor and melt some butter. As you place each slice of steak on the platter brush it lightly with some butter, your guests will love it.

Cat

 

[colddiesel]

Just to confuse you, outside of North America a strip loin is called the Porterhouse and the tenderloin is referred to as fillet.

Personally I dislike lean steak, don't think it cooks so well. You don't want too much backfat but generous marbling is good. I also like a porterhouse but not cut so thick as Cat likes, 1.5 inches is ok for me as a maximum, especially as I prefer rare beef. Any thicker and they would be raw in the middle.

Get Angus, Shorthorn, Red Devon or Murray Grey if you can but particularly avoid the Bos indicus beef (Brahmin), Mc Donalds can have that.

Some of the European breeds produce big fast growing animals but they tend to be tough and excessively lean, examples being Charolais, Belgian Blue, Limousin. Grass fed is better than grain fed, grain fed beef tends to be younger, it is tender but lacks flavour.

Don't buy meat that is bright red and 'fresh' looking. A slightly plum colour is better. A good butcher will tell you how long it has been hung. Beef needs to have marbled fat to age well. Lean beef can only take about 4 to 6 days in the cooler, marbled beef can improve for 12 to 14 days, even longer sometimes.

Unfortunately beef loses weight through hanging, so firstly it is more expensive and secondly many butchers will lie about how long it has aged.

As Cat says, never ever cook steak until it is up to room temperature. When you are perfecting your cooking technique don't be scared to use a stop watch, it will guarantee a top result. He's right about pre heating and resting.

Don't put too much on a plate, it's never enjoyable to feel you have to fight your way through a steak that is miles too big. If you are going to brush with melted butter(not my preference) do not burn the butter, just melt it gently.

A good red is a top accompaniment, my usual preference is a big shiraz or maybe a cabernet sauvignon, or a claret makes a nice change.

And yes, my dad was a Beef Farmer and his Dad was a butcher.


PS Do not buy Mcdonalds Angus Burgers, they are only 30% Angus beef in the USA and 50% in Australia. Why the hell they're allowed to call that Angus and thus exploit the Angus's reputation for quality is beyond me.

 

[R. Richard]

Good info, from people who obviously know.

However, let's go back a step. If you live in the western USA, you can get your beef from locally grown steers. The stuff they sell locally is the very top. (They have to live, day-by-day, with the people they sell to.) Local favorites are grass fed, but finished on grain.

OH YEAH!