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How do you like your steak cooked? (1 Viewer)

What says you?

  • Rare

    Votes: 17 6.6%

  • Medium Rare

    Votes: 167 64.5%

  • Medium

    Votes: 59 22.8%

  • Medium Well

    Votes: 10 3.9%

  • Well Done

    Votes: 4 1.5%

  • I don't eat steak

    Votes: 2 0.8%
  • Total voters
    259
All issues resolved.  :thumbup:

For as we all know, Grilleon and Aromaic are both sub-set dialects of the true ancient Brohanese.

Man...I luvs me this kind'a delv'in...

...it makes life's treasures so rare...

...well, so blue rare....

...that I could eat a steak...

...RIGHT NOW!

 
Don Quixote said:
I like filets. I'm not sure why being easy to chew is a ding against it.  I'll take it over a wad of fat in my mouth that I need to figure out how to secretly spit into my napkin.
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Then you need to buy better steaks or learn to trim the fat as you slice the steak. Most rib eyes have a big glob of fat in the middle. It's just the nature of the cut of steak. Cut around it and leave it on the plate rather than putting it in your mouth.

 
Harry Manback said:
Tip about the salt: Makes sure if you salt it, you let it sit before cooking for 30 min or so. You want the salt to extract the liquids to the surface via osmosis, but also have time to mix and then re-enter the steak. 

If you salt and cook too soon, you'll end up drying out the steak. 
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I got into an argument with a local radio personality after doing his show on this very subject. He swore by putting the salt on right before cooking and i was in the other other camp. I did a side by side taste test. Two steaks, one I salted 30 minutes out, one right before I cooked it. Cooked them the exact same way. Verdict? Couldn't taste the difference at all. 

 
sometimes i will just dump a huge slice of chicago pizza on a nice wangchungubi new york strip cooked to a perfect pure grey inside take that to the bank brohans 

 
Koya said:
If I want cool in the center but not raw, and charred on just the very outermost edge, yes I need to to come up from 40 degrees before searing it. Basically for me searing IS the cooking. 3 min super high heat each side for a decently thick cut.  
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Then buy yourself a good probe thermometer and get ready to wait. It takes hours for a steak to come up 40 degrees, not 30 minutes. 

 
TheFanatic said:
Then buy yourself a good probe thermometer and get ready to wait. It takes hours for a steak to come up 40 degrees, not 30 minutes. 
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I usually let it rest for 45 min or so if it's a thick steak.  I'll do a check to see how much it comes up. :thumbup:  

 
Koya said:
I usually let it rest for 45 min or so if it's a thick steak.  I'll do a check to see how much it comes up. :thumbup:  
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Here's a quote from Amazing Ribs:

 A 1 1/2" steak took just over two hours for the center to come to room temp.
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That being said, I do like to let them come up to room temp. I think they cook more evenly that way. But I leave mine on the counter for a couple hours. 

 
Koya said:
I mean, I'd wrap bacon around bacon if I could. 

Hmmm...
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The reason they wrap filets in bacon is they have no flavor. The bacon (or compound butter) is there to put fat in the meat and thus add flavor. I prefer my steaks to be full of flavor at 2/3 the cost than pay Filet prices and have to up the flavor. 

 
proninja said:
Exactly. By the time your interior is up to room temperature your exterior is a petri dish. Takes forever. If you rest for a half hour tour interior is going to change about five degrees. Which doesn't make a damn bit of difference in your finished product. 
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I leave uncooked steaks at room temperature, covered of course, for long periods of time (multiple hours). Fresh meat (at least beef) doesn't spontaneously become poisonous because of it. I clearly wouldn't do this with chicken (or fish).

And if there is some bacteria on the exterior, well, that gets killed off real good by being seared at super high heat.

I was trained in proper food handling when I worked at a restaurant and while I completely understand why Health Department regs are what they are, they also aren't always guided by science. I never serve pork (unless it is ground pork) at 165 degrees, for instance.

 
TheFanatic said:
The reason they wrap filets in bacon is they have no flavor. The bacon (or compound butter) is there to put fat in the meat and thus add flavor. I prefer my steaks to be full of flavor at 2/3 the cost than pay Filet prices and have to up the flavor. 
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OMG, steaks with flavor are so chewy though!

 
RedmondLonghorn said:
Still no real idea what you are talking about.
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This dude is hard to understand. Got in a couple discussions with him in the Shart Pool and still have yet to figure out what he's talking about. Kind reminds me of if Boomhauer and SWC got together and had a few too many. Seems like a nice enough guy, just sorta tough to follow. 

 
TheFanatic said:
The reason they wrap filets in bacon is they have no flavor. The bacon (or compound butter) is there to put fat in the meat and thus add flavor. I prefer my steaks to be full of flavor at 2/3 the cost than pay Filet prices and have to up the flavor. 
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It was a joke, my friend.  Filet's have their place.  Generally speaking, unless it's a bone-in, that place is not on my plate.

 
TheFanatic said:
Here's a quote from Amazing Ribs:

That being said, I do like to let them come up to room temp. I think they cook more evenly that way. But I leave mine on the counter for a couple hours. 
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And, as I stated above, if you get from 40 degrees to 55 or 60 even, that's a good ways, especially for those of us that like a cool / rare center.

 
proninja said:
Just a hint of pink, still nice and moist. I got a little aggressive with the sear on this, but it's the only picture of a cutout I could find. 

Food safety is a function of time at temp. One of the benefits of sous vide is that you can hold a precise temperature for enough time to achieve the same reduction in bacteria you get at a higher temp in a shorter period of time. So you can be just as safe at 140 as at the government recommended temperature. 
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Yeah, that looks perfect to me. :thumbup:

When's dinner?

 
I have never owned a meat thermometer.  I do not time outdoor cooks, and do not do so indoors with steaks.  I just know.  Steaks, Turkey's Roasts, Chicken, Pork, Lamb never a complaint, and in fact almost always a compliment.  I am one with the process.

It does disturb me to cook beef beyond medium rare.  I get antsy, I have to fight myself to keep from pulling it before it gets to what in my mind is ruined from what it could have been.  Still, there are some well done aficionados who mean the world to me so I do it without comment. Hell, if Otis were my guests and he wanted me to turn high quality beef into shoe leather I would cook his steak just as he likes. 

 
I was just thinking about this - I would prefer a nice beef carpaccio about a third of the time.  Drizzled with olive oil, parm shavings and a few capers.  

When my steak is cooked, I'll take it medium rare ...on the rare side.    

 
Ditkaless Wonders said:
I have never owned a meat thermometer.  I do not time outdoor cooks, and do not do so indoors with steaks.  I just know.  Steaks, Turkey's Roasts, Chicken, Pork, Lamb never a complaint, and in fact almost always a compliment.  I am one with the process.

It does disturb me to cook beef beyond medium rare.  I get antsy, I have to fight myself to keep from pulling it before it gets to what in my mind is ruined from what it could have been.  Still, there are some well done aficionados who mean the world to me so I do it without comment. Hell, if Otis were my guests and he wanted me to turn high quality beef into shoe leather I would cook his steak just as he likes. 
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You've never over or under cooked meat. OK....

 
I like it medium/medium rare.  I live in a city and don't have a grill so I pan fry it in bacon fat.  Yes, I keep bacon fat from when I cook bacon, and cooking with it does make a difference.

I love steak and get some from the butcher every week.  IMO if you like cooking meat, it's important to find a good butcher and build a relationship with him/her.  You can get the best cuts and the quality of the ingredients is so important.  Any good meal starts with high quality ingredients. 

My prep starts well before I actually cook it.  I learned a great and simple at home method of dry aging without having to buy special equipment to dry age like they have in restaurants.  You wrap the steak in a couple of paper towels and put it in a plastic bag in the fridge.  When the paper towel is soaked through you change it, usually once a day.  You can tell it's soaked through because the paper towel will turn pink.  I do this for a few days and the steak will be firmer and smaller since you have removed some of the water.  It is still very juicy after you cook it, provided you do it properly (you must let the steak sit at least 10 minutes after cooking).

When I am going to eat it, I take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to let it come to room temperature.  It cooks more evenly when you do that.  I also apply the seasoning at that time and the 30 minutes or so gives it time for the seasoning sink in, which helps create browning and getting a crust on it when you cook it.  I season it with garlic salt, pepper and a little onion powder.  As I mentioned, I pan fry it over medium/high heat in bacon fat, preheated so it's very hot.  When cooked properly, it comes out with the outside browned and crusted but the inside is still red so it's medium rare.  You HAVE to let it sit after cooking for at least 10 minutes to let the juices redistribute through the steak so when you cut it, it doesn't lose the juices.

I make steak all the time and it comes out so well that I never get steak in restaurants anymore.  No point in it when I can do it at least as well, if not better. 

 
RC94 said:
I like it medium/medium rare.  I live in a city and don't have a grill so I pan fry it in bacon fat.  Yes, I keep bacon fat from when I cook bacon, and cooking with it does make a difference.

I love steak and get some from the butcher every week.  IMO if you like cooking meat, it's important to find a good butcher and build a relationship with him/her.  You can get the best cuts and the quality of the ingredients is so important.  Any good meal starts with high quality ingredients. 

My prep starts well before I actually cook it.  I learned a great and simple at home method of dry aging without having to buy special equipment to dry age like they have in restaurants.  You wrap the steak in a couple of paper towels and put it in a plastic bag in the fridge.  When the paper towel is soaked through you change it, usually once a day.  You can tell it's soaked through because the paper towel will turn pink.  I do this for a few days and the steak will be firmer and smaller since you have removed some of the water.  It is still very juicy after you cook it, provided you do it properly (you must let the steak sit at least 10 minutes after cooking).

When I am going to eat it, I take it out of the fridge at least 30 minutes before cooking to let it come to room temperature.  It cooks more evenly when you do that.  I also apply the seasoning at that time and the 30 minutes or so gives it time for the seasoning sink in, which helps create browning and getting a crust on it when you cook it.  I season it with garlic salt, pepper and a little onion powder.  As I mentioned, I pan fry it over medium/high heat in bacon fat, preheated so it's very hot.  When cooked properly, it comes out with the outside browned and crusted but the inside is still red so it's medium rare.  You HAVE to let it sit after cooking for at least 10 minutes to let the juices redistribute through the steak so when you cut it, it doesn't lose the juices.

I make steak all the time and it comes out so well that I never get steak in restaurants anymore.  No point in it when I can do it at least as well, if not better. 
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I don't recommend trying to dry age individual steaks. Takes 3 weeks for a real flavor change and after 3 weeks, when you trim off the hard black stuff of an individual steak, you won't have much left. A whole primal cut is an entirely different story. 

 
TheFanatic said:
I don't recommend trying to dry age individual steaks. Takes 3 weeks for a real flavor change and after 3 weeks, when you trim off the hard black stuff of an individual steak, you won't have much left. A whole primal cut is an entirely different story. 
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It works great for me.  I have been doing it for years.

 
RC94 said:
It works great for me.  I have been doing it for years.
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Do a blind side by side of a couple day aged steak vs one not dry aged and one aged 3 weeks. You will find one steak with a noticeable difference and 2 that taste nearly identical. Putting extra work into something can lead to a perceived taste difference, but without a control group or two, it's impossible to really tell. A big part of the dry aging is about the enzymes maybe even more so than the moisture loss that concentrates the flavor. The enzymes enhance the flavor and tenderize the meat. But that takes more than a few days. At least that's what they told me in the dry aging room at Fleishers Meat Market in Brooklyn when I got a tour. 

 
The 80/20 rule applies to most things in life... and steaks are one of those things. 80% of the results are achieved with 20% of the effort. After that, you see severely diminished returns on your effort. 

Sure you can get as cute as you want with crazy rituals/tricks/etc, but unless you nail the basics (quality meat, salt/pepper, hot fire, don't overcook), you're wasting your time. It's like that journeyman golfer trying to help his game with a trick set of new clubs. The guy with the right swing could be playing with a $100 set of used Walmart clubs and he's going to wipe the floor with you.

Take the time and money you're wasting on random crap you don't need, and spend it on better meat. Focus on the basics and getting them perfect. Once you do that, keep doing it until you can't NOT get it perfect. Then, I'm betting, you'll find a steak so good you won't have any need/desire to mess with any of these little gimmicks and crutches. 

Unless you cook your steak beyond medium... then stick with USDA Select Beef and just microwave the thing or something. Leave the good quality meat for those of us who can taste it, please. Danka.  :bye:

 
Last edited by a moderator:
[icon] said:
The 80/20 rule applies to most things in life... and steaks are one of those things. 80% of the results are achieved with 20% of the effort. After that, you see severely diminished returns on your effort. 

Sure you can get as cute as you want with crazy rituals/tricks/etc, but unless you nail the basics (quality meat, salt/pepper, hot fire, don't overcook), you're wasting your time. It's like that journeyman golfer trying to help his game with a trick set of new clubs. The guy with the right swing could be playing with a $100 set of used Walmart clubs and he's going to wipe the floor with you.

Take the time and money you're wasting on random crap you don't need, and spend it on better meat. Focus on the basics and getting them perfect. Once you do that, keep doing it until you can't NOT get it perfect. Then, I'm betting, you'll find a steak so good you won't have any need/desire to mess with any of these little gimmicks and crutches. 

Unless you cook your stake beyond medium... then stick with USDA Select Beef and just microwave the thing or something. Leave the good quality meat for those of us who can taste it, please. Danka.  :bye:
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This guy knows things! 

 
[icon] said:
Sure you can get as cute as you want with crazy rituals/tricks/etc, but unless you nail the basics (quality meat, salt/pepper, hot fire, don't overcook), you're wasting your time.
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You forgot garlic and butter.  But I agree a lot of this discussion is stuff that is in the noise.  But it is more like 95/5.  

 
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jon_mx said:
You forgot garlic and butter.  But I agree a lot of this discussion is stuff that is in the noise.  But it is more like 95/5.  
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I may be a wierdo... but I don't ever cook my steaks in butter. I've never found they need it. I do understand the richness of a broiled steak bathed in butter, but IMO it takes away from the beef flavor if it's a quality cut. I admit I may be in the minority, but that's just me. 

I love some garlic in my seasoning. I lean on Montreal Steak Seasoning for quick and easy seasoning as it gets your salt, pepper, and garlic in one swoop. That said, I'm perfectly content with a simple fresh cracked coarse black pepper (must be coarse) and salt (also preferably coarse). 

But yeah... picking nits with this. Same page indeed. 

 
[icon] said:
I may be a wierdo... but I don't ever cook my steaks in butter. I've never found they need it. I do understand the richness of a broiled steak bathed in butter, but IMO it takes away from the beef flavor if it's a quality cut. I admit I may be in the minority, but that's just me. 

I love some garlic in my seasoning. I lean on Montreal Steak Seasoning for quick and easy seasoning as it gets your salt, pepper, and garlic in one swoop. That said, I'm perfectly content with a simple fresh cracked coarse black pepper (must be coarse) and salt (also preferably coarse). 

But yeah... picking nits with this. Same page indeed. 
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I'm the same way, but every now and again, I butter baste a steak over cast iron. Absolutely amazing. Throw in some garlic cloves and some sprigs of thyme or rosemary and oochie-MAMA!

 
[icon] said:
I may be a wierdo... but I don't ever cook my steaks in butter. I've never found they need it. I do understand the richness of a broiled steak bathed in butter, but IMO it takes away from the beef flavor if it's a quality cut. I admit I may be in the minority, but that's just me. 

I love some garlic in my seasoning. I lean on Montreal Steak Seasoning for quick and easy seasoning as it gets your salt, pepper, and garlic in one swoop. That said, I'm perfectly content with a simple fresh cracked coarse black pepper (must be coarse) and salt (also preferably coarse). 

But yeah... picking nits with this. Same page indeed. 
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I don't use butter either.
But a question for the experts: What's the best oil for pan frying steaks on a cast iron skillet?

 
I love steak and up until a few years ago I always ordered my steaks medium well.  I guess I just did what my parents did growing up.  Now, I order them either medium or medium plus.  I do not like them medium rare.  My wife and kids still order their steaks medium well.

 
TheFanatic said:
Do a blind side by side of a couple day aged steak vs one not dry aged and one aged 3 weeks. You will find one steak with a noticeable difference and 2 that taste nearly identical. Putting extra work into something can lead to a perceived taste difference, but without a control group or two, it's impossible to really tell. A big part of the dry aging is about the enzymes maybe even more so than the moisture loss that concentrates the flavor. The enzymes enhance the flavor and tenderize the meat. But that takes more than a few days. At least that's what they told me in the dry aging room at Fleishers Meat Market in Brooklyn when I got a tour. 
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If the guy is happy with his process and feels like it works for him why do you care? Why in the world would he do a taste test? Control group??  :lmao: You come off like a know it all in here.  

 
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EYLive said:
I don't use butter either.
But a question for the experts: What's the best oil for pan frying steaks on a cast iron skillet?
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Grape seed oil has a very high burning point so you can actually get it hotter than olive oil.  Second for me is plain old canola oil. I preference this with i do a steak in a pan once in a blue moon.  

 
What I was talking about isn't dry aging so I probably shouldn't have called it that.  It's really just removing some of the water from the steak.  It makes a small difference, but it does help and it's only the cost of a few paper towels.  I am not interested in getting into a semantics argument so I will just call it drying the steak from now on.

 
Also, here is the recipe for my favorite side dish with steaks:

Garlic and Rosemary Roasted Potatoes

(1 ½ pounds of potatoes makes approximately 4 or 5 servings)

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ pounds of small red-skinned potatoes (I use fingerling or red bliss)
  • 1/8 to 1/4 cup good olive oil (use enough to well-coat all of the potatoes.   I never measure it)
  • 1 tablespoon kosher salt (or to taste - I tend to use more salt since salt goes well with potatoes)
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or use amount you like)
  • 1 teaspoon garlic salt (or use amount you like)
  • 1 teaspoon onion powder (or use amount you like)
  • 6 cloves of minced garlic (I sometimes use more since I love garlic)
  • 3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves  (3 or 4 sprigs)
Note – I never measure out each ingredient.  You don’t need to be exact with the measurements.

Directions

  • Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
  • Cut the potatoes in half or thirds or quarters depending on the size of the potato and place in a large bowl with the olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic salt, onion powder, minced garlic, and rosemary.
  • Toss/stir until the potatoes are well coated, then place the potatoes on a baking sheet and spread out into 1 layer.  Make sure to coat the potatoes with the oil, garlic, rosemary, and seasonings still on the bottom of the bowl after you place the potatoes on the baking sheet.
  • Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, flip and then another 30 minutes. They should be browned and crisp but still soft and fluffy inside.
  • Remove the potatoes from the oven, season with salt, pepper or whatever you want, and serve.
 
Didn't read the whole thread - voted medium rare. But the only cut I'm interested in ordering/buying/eating is the Ribeye. 

Wanted to post to also say that Costco really does a good job - really great Ribye cuts there at a great price.

 
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