(trying to) improve my game - steaky steaky steaky !

[nazali]

So my steak is hit or miss, mainly on the hit side, can anyone give me some further tips...

Please note the following

* Pan cooking
* Gas range
* I do have a griddle affair to put onto the range (would that help)
* mid to mid-rear
* trying for steak not to be too chewy
* like flavorful and can usually do that
* cut sirloin AAA, with fat and some marbling (department store butcher)

So below is what I try and do,


Grill Times and Temperature for Steak

Medium-Rare: pull off the grill at 125-130, leave to rest around 10 minutes, thick cut

leave steak out for 30 minutes if I can

pan to hot, in with the canola oil reduce to med-high.

dab moisture off, then oil both sides of meat with olive oil, salt and pepper,

add butter, garlic, 3 minutes on mid-high, flip, baste, 3 minutes medium, then flip every minute, and check temp

remove at around 125 put into a cold pan and cover, make gravy in the leavings,

transfer to cutting board , pour any remaining jus from pan into gravy boat with the hot gravy from the pan , cut thick

[nazali]

OH and any ideas on making a toe curling beefy flavorful gravy

[2000cs]

Switch to filet mignon, rib eye, t-bone or porterhouse. Choose the best quality meat you can afford. From there on, it is hard to go wrong unless you over cook it.

[DETRoadster]

#1 tip, you need to salt your steak on both sides an hour before cooking. This allows time for the salt to be drawn into the meat and absorbed. It greatly improves the flavor.

[Manny01]

Read this guide on Serious Eats. Cuts, cooking temp, style, etc. Perfect steaks each time and also dismisses a bunch of bullshit myths (for example, steaks don’t have to come to temperature before cooking, you don’t have to wait to eat your steaks, bone in adds no flavor, etc.).

https://www.seriouseats.com/the-food...-seared-steaks

[nazali]

@manny @det

txs, from that website, also says to use kosher,
that is def not something I'm doing.

also the cut is NY strip (from the pics)

@2000 , txs agreed on the cuts

also from thoes pics looks like I'm getting choice and not prime, because def not aged.

quoting an article about the salt aspect, although I just tried it now and it tasted like salt beef not steak
"Truth of the matter is that you should salt your meat about 40 minutes before it hits the grill. When the salt first hits a steak, it sits on the surface. Through the process of osmosis, it'll slowly draw liquid out of the meat, which you'll see pool up in little droplets. As those droplets grow, the salt will dissolve in the meat juice, forming a concentrated brine. At this stage in the game—about 25 to 30 minutes in—your steak is in the absolute worst shape possible for grilling. That moisture will evaporate right off, leaving you with a tough, stringy crust."

[nazali]

looks like I'm outta kosher, dammit,

[6oclockshadow]

When I cook steak indoors, I sear both sides on very high heat in a cast iron skillet for 1.5 to 2 minutes per side, then into a very hot oven (450f-500f) for 5 minutes. Perfect medium rare.

[RMachuca3d]

Originally Posted by 6oclockshadow

When I cook steak indoors, I sear both sides on very high heat in a cast iron skillet for 1.5 to 2 minutes per side, then into a very hot oven (450f-500f) for 5 minutes. Perfect medium rare.

Similar to me, i sear both sides so it helps keep the juices in, after that i cook until desired color is achieved, i personally like it medium\well done.

What was said before is absolutely true, the first step is to get a good cut, with nice marbling and FRESH, it makes a world of difference, add to that the seasoning an hour or more before cooking, the salt helps tenderize the meat as it is absorbed making it even more tender.

[upstatedoc]

Originally Posted by nazali

@manny @det

txs, from that website, also says to use kosher,
that is def not something I'm doing.

also the cut is NY strip (from the pics)

@2000 , txs agreed on the cuts

also from thoes pics looks like I'm getting choice and not prime, because def not aged.


Truth of the matter is that you should salt your meat about 40 minutes before it hits the grill. When the salt first hits a steak, it sits on the surface. Through the process of osmosis, it'll slowly draw liquid out of the meat, which you'll see pool up in little droplets. As those droplets grow, the salt will dissolve in the meat juice, forming a concentrated brine. At this stage in the game—about 25 to 30 minutes in—your steak is in the absolute worst shape possible for grilling. That moisture will evaporate right off, leaving you with a tough, stringy crust.

Wait, are you asking for advice or giving it? :

[BMW F22]

I've cooked a lot of steaks over the last few years and pretty much perfected it. Everyone has a different method and preference but here's what I have been doing:
- the cut matters. I went with sirloin and other cuts before but for the past year have switched to NY strip and ribeye exclusively. Been having ribeye last few weeks
- seasoning: mainly sea salt and black pepper. I season both sides generously as you lose a lot of it when cooking. If you use Montreal steak seasoning, be careful how much you put because that stuff can get very salty. I seasoning it for at least 1 hour before cooking (preferably overnight if I plan on cooking it next day).
- cut a few branches from the rosemary bushes outside and crush some garlic cloves
- preheat oven to 350*F and pan on high. Throw some butter in the pan until it starts to smoke.
- sear both sides of the steak for 45-60 seconds depending on how thick and how the sear turns out
- then throw the steak in the over and cook it for about 2-2.5 minutes on each side (slightly longer if thicker cut)
- here is where it differs depending on if you use the pan only method or pan and oven method: if pan only, turn down the heat to medium (or slightly below), let the pan cool, put the steak back in and baste it with butter, garlic, and rosemary while flipping the steak every 30 seconds. You want to do this for about 5 minutes. If pan and oven, put the pan on low heat, cook garlic and rosemary until caramelized, put steak from over back in and just baste it for a few minutes. This is not going to overly cook the steak but is merely adding flavors.
- take the steak out and let it rest for a while (5-7 minutes)
- enjoy with a glass of wine! You can eat the cooked garlic too btw. It's good and healthy.

This all takes about 15 minutes to prep AND cook. Although I have a thermopen, I have only used it once or twice for BBQing and never for cooking steaks. My method above has consistently turned out medium rare steaks that are juicy and tender. I'm cooking another ribeye tonight for me and pops.

Edit: some pictures from few days ago. I eat other dishes with veggies to make up for the lack of veggies in these steak pictures. lol

[nazali]

lol no asking, was quoting the website that was given me sorry

about the salt

Originally Posted by upstatedoc

Wait, are you asking for advice or giving it? :

[nazali]

I tried a steak just now for lunch, killed it,
way to salty and too well done,


but my potatoes and gravy were good

back to the drawing board

liking @bmw f22's method

[Captain Blood]

I just made the two best steaks of my life.

Sounds like you have a lot of good technique. Some things you might want to consider.

1. A more consistent kind of steak. Sirloin is fine, but the chewiness is caused by a lot of connective tissue in that particular cut. That's why sirloin is so cheap.
I would not do a porterhouse or a T-bone, that bone in the middle makes things complicated.
I usually have stayed away from Strip steaks, but the two I made the other day were grass fed strip steaks. Very thick, excellent. I'll cook those again

2 I use an electric griddle. Seems to provide very consistent temps.

[cmyx6go]

I have it down to a science on the grill but have never cooked a steak indoors. I need to get a cast iron pan. Ribeye is my cut of choice.

Grill Mates does have a low sodium option. I like the spicy one but way too salty. I have been favoring just kosher salt and hot shot (ground black and red pepper).

[2000cs]

Captain Blood is right about bone-in complicating things, but it also means my pup gets a nice treat when I’m finished eating, so it is worth the extra for me.

Also worth mentioning is bison, if you can get a good cut reasonably priced.

[P1]

People really, really overthink making steaks.

[nazali]

Oh my good Lord, thats a dinosaur YUM

Originally Posted by P1

People really, really overthink making steaks.

[nazali]

OK, some more research, I think I'm looking at several problems with what and how I cooked

1> The thickness of the steak, it's not thick enough to do 5 min on a side
2> The salt I only had was table and not Kosher
3> I'm going out and bloody well buying me a thick heavy bottom skillet

I saw a vid where the guy actually salted and put it back in the fridge for 30 min's as it was a THIN cut of steak, not 1" 1.5", I dont think my supermarket does anything thicker, so I need to adjust.

He even said 10 min's in a freezer

did 2 min's on one side,then 2 on the other

I over cooked today

Going shopping tomoz, steak again

I am worried about the salt content, as I'm supposed to be on a low sod. restricted water content diet (heart issues)

[P1]

Keep us posted, and let us know how the next one goes!

My biggest rule on steak (and meat in general) is "garbage in, garbage out". Get your meat at a high-end supermarket or a proper butcher.

[ashtaron14]

My lazy method to steak that has been working for me

Gas stove
24cm non-stick pan
20cm clear glass pot lid

1. Dab dry both sides with paper towel, salt and pepper on both sides
2. Tea spoon oil on pan, medium heat
3. Steak should sizzle when it hits the pan, cover with pot lid right away
4. When you see that the top of the steak is starting to cook and hear the oil sizzling, it's time to flip and cover again (make sure you don't get the water on the pot lid into the pan, so lift without tilting)
5. Remove and rest at desired doneness
6. Enjoy

The pot lid helps cook the steak quicker more evenly and you can get a slight crispy exterior that would normally be reserved for cast iron cooking, and also with a lid you also have less of a mess to clean up.

[DocL]

I don't like to cook my steaks inside due to the smoke from the sear, so I use my grill. Here's how I do it.

While warming up my grill to 500deg I salt, pepper, and put olive oil on both sides of the steak. I like the steak to be about 1.5in thick, especially for a NY strip or ribeye. I get my cast iron skillet hot with EVOO oil until it starts to smoke on the stove portion of my grill. I sear it for two minutes on both sides. When I transfer the skillet to the grill I put a tablespoon of butter on the top and sometimes a twig of rosemary and garlic in the pan. I close the grill and let it cook for 4 minutes. I take it off and spoon some of the butter onto it, but that will cook it a little more so I slice it immediately. I like my steak closer to rare+, and this hits it every time. I never flip it once it's on the grill.

As others have said, buying a nice prime cut of meat with good marbling is the key to a steak that melts in your mouth. Everyone who I have cooked a steak for has said it was better than most steak houses they've gone too. If someone wants it cooked more than medium, I refuse. I don't want to waste a prime cut on them. For those people I keep some regular grade tenderloin on hand. A burnt steak tastes the same no matter how expensive it cost.

I have also never checked the internal temperature. I like steak tartare, so that should give you a little insight.