Come on then, how do I cook a really good steak?

[paulyman]

Make sure the steak is at room temperature before cooking and that you rest the steak for a reasonable amount of time after cooking to ensure it stays nice and juicy.

 

[Nullnvoid]

The old. Only turn once rule is rubbish. I don't know a single chef that follows it. If you want to cook your meat evenly you need to be turning it. I turn my steak every 30 seconds for about 3-4 minutes depending on who I'm cooking it for.

I'm with you! I turn mine every 15-20 seconds. Seals and cooks evenly.

And you only ever salt before you cook. This helps with the maillard reaction. Don't use pepper until afterwards as the pepper will burn.

And resting is important.

Sheesh. Now I feel like a steak.

 

[GalBrew]

The old. Only turn once rule is rubbish. I don't know a single chef that follows it. If you want to cook your meat evenly you need to be turning it. I turn my steak every 30 seconds for about 3-4 minutes depending on who I'm cooking it for.

Exactly!

 

[StalkingWilbur]

Hot thick based cast iron pan (if on stove top) means the heat won't drop when you put the steak on.

Room temp.

Salt and pepper.

I use grape seed oil mostly because you can get it real hot before it smokes.

I only turn once if I cook it perfectly, but I'm not scared to flip it if I think it needs it.

Buy a good cut.

????

Profit

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

Something no-one mentioned is aging, I like to age a steak for about 2 weeks or until it starts to go slimy and you can see the the rainbow colours on it.I like a good rare ribeye,cooked as Dicko's method 2 to 4 minutes either side in the Weber Q.
Melt in your mouth goodness, and the added adrenaline rush because you know it wasn't heated to a safe temperature in the middle.

Yep. An old butchers trick. They used to hang the carcass for up to 2 weeks..sometimes more in the chiller untill the outside went green. Then they would cut off the green bits and bingo, nice tender steak. They could turn the worst cuts into melt into tender meats using this method. Unfortunatly food safety laws, public perception etc killed this off. For some reason people think meat should be nice and bright red, which is why supermarkets use different colour temp lights in the meat section to make the meat look nice and red

Hanging/Aging allows the enzymes to break the meat down.

When I was a kid and we did our own kills we would let the carcass hang for a week or 2 depending on how things where going

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Supermarkets also inject oxygen into their red meat packages as it brings out the red blood colour. That's why supermarket stuff is so damn red, wish I had a photo of when they used to onsite butcher to compare!!!

For anyone in Melbourne, Brenta Meats in Fairfield does THE best eye fillet you will ever have. No affil just a happy happy customer and was referred by a mate who owns a Squires Loft (they don't get their meat from there either)

 

[Pogierob]

Every brewer has a thermometer.
http://www.topcut.com.au/Documents.asp?ID=68

Find your preferred internal temperature.
Good quality meat
Cook to temperature
Rest steak to allow it to relax.
Enjoy...

 

[Tasspark]

The old. Only turn once rule is rubbish. I don't know a single chef that follows it. If you want to cook your meat evenly you need to be turning it. I turn my steak every 30 seconds for about 3-4 minutes depending on who I'm cooking it for.

I don't mean to be smart, but how many chefs do you know?
I have heard the idea that turning often keeps the juices rising and therefore traps them in the steak, and heard this from a chef or cook on Tv (fast Ed I think)

But I've also learnt from trial and error, that your average supermarket cut steak is thin enough to only need 3 maybe 4 mins a side on a very hot grille.
If it is oiled and seasoned well (and aged as someone mentioned) and is rested on a warmed plate/tray, covered in foil for 4 or 5 mins you will have a beautiful steak.

I agree that once you get to 30mm thick or so turning another time or two may help as you need to get the center cooked, but the oven comes in to play here and searing on the grill with oven time works better.

Each to their own I suppose, but as long as you enjoy it!

 

[paulyman]

I know 2 personally but have spoken to plenty over the years. Had a good chat to Matt Moran once, helps my mate is a butcher and Matt used to be one before switching trades.

I'm not saying you should follow me and flip every 30 seconds, that's just what works for me on my crappy old electric stove. But the point is you don't have to follow the old wait until it bleeds then flip it once rule.

 

[Tasspark]

I know 2 personally but have spoken to plenty over the years. Had a good chat to Matt Moran once, helps my mate is a butcher and Matt used to be one before switching trades.

I'm not saying you should follow me and flip every 30 seconds, that's just what works for me on my crappy old electric stove. But the point is you don't have to follow the old wait until it bleeds then flip it once rule.

I'm surprised that you can cook a good steak on a crappy electric stove!
(because the simmer-stat switch causes fluctuating temperatures. (may work OK in a thick cast iron pan))

BBQ grille for me! I don't like the risk of ruining a good piece of meat!

 

[Seaquebrew]

Dry ageing is still done by good butchers and restaurants

Agree with, room temp, seasoning, hot Weber Q and resting

A 20 minute cold smoke before grilling also adds flavour

Cheers

 

[paulyman]

I'm surprised that you can cook a good steak on a crappy electric stove!
(because the simmer-stat switch causes fluctuating temperatures. (may work OK in a thick cast iron pan))

BBQ grille for me! I don't like the risk of ruining a good piece of meat!

I use a good old heavy based griddle pan. Webber Q is the bomb though when I can be bothered.

 

[razz]

F*&k it! Now I want to get a Webber Q.

 

[paulyman]

F*&k it! Now I want to get a Webber Q.

I have the 220? I think thats the model. I can easily fit an entire roast in the thing, cooked a roast lamb for chrissy lunch, it was fantastic. Get a cheap smoker box as well and you can get some great flavours into your meats.

*edit - also it's small enough to fit in the boot when we go glamping.

 

[Ducatiboy stu]

But I've also learnt from trial and error, that your average supermarket cut steak is thin enough to only need 3 maybe 4 mins a side on a very hot grille.
If it is oiled and seasoned well (and aged as someone mentioned) and is rested on a warmed plate/tray, covered in foil for 4 or 5 mins you will have a beautiful steak.

I hate cooking them.....there rubbish.....especially the rubbish ones

For some reason those supermarket steaks bring me undone every time.

 

[welly2]

I want one of these Weber Q things too. Looked at the price of them, it might have to wait a little while though.

I had the first of my many steaks this evening using the Ducatibu Stu Method. It was pretty much the method I've usually used except I cranked up the heat more and actually had the steak at room temperature rather than straight out of the fridge. I think that made quite a difference. It turned out very tasty. The steak was a Woolies 100 day aged porterhouse. It was really good and far better than usual. I'm going to find a local butchers and see what alternatives there are and I'll try another method tomorrow. Steak week is on!

 

[wide eyed and legless]

If you want something healthier, and to refrain from dragging your carbon footprint all over the planet have a look at this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2etKshkdMvA

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Interesting, never thought of mussels like that and I LOVE them. Tomato and white wine mussels are on the menu this weekend now!!!

 

[CrookedFingers]

With all due respect WEAL, I'd take a juicy steak over mussels any day.
That's exactly why we have cows, and we are doing the environment a favour too, cows create methane, we eat cows, environment helped !!!!

I do love all seafood too, mussels included !

 

[DJ_L3ThAL]

Hope that's in jest, the reason there are so many cows is because we farm them for food/milk etc, don't think cows would naturally populate the Earth in such numbers had they been left to their own devices. They produce methane over their lifetime, killing them at the end of it is hardly saving emissions. But yeah, hopefully you were kidding.