Well I'm slowly getting better from a cold and feeling bad and not keeping food in (I'll leave it there )

I'm getting pretty fit again, working out at the gym, BP is good Cholesterol is good, I seem to have more medics and psychiatrists after me than an Olympic athlete.

I have a good diet; I think, high in protein low in carbs, lots of fruit and salad.

I weigh 62kilos and stand 170cm ish. I try to look after myself.

I love steak.

I cannot cook one for love nor money.

I've followed the recipes, hot grill/pan whatever, sear and turn whatever, let it breath, give it oxygen, Geez I've tried mouth to mouth..

My best indicator of steak cooking is my smoke detector.

If it doesn't go off it is rare and inedible. If it does go off it is burnt.


I can go too my local steak house and the chef puts a piece of cow that is about 2 inches thick, is bigger than a plate and is ready in minutes, cooked medium rare and as tender as anything. Mushroom sauce and a few chips and Cindy doesn't need to eat for a week.

I buy any cut off meat and can never duplicate it.

Not even close.

If I can eat it it is a victory. If the local crows will peck at my burnt offering, they usually drop dead.

So, how do you cook a perfect steak?

What cut do you look for?

How do you know it isn't a piece of leather to begin with?

How do you cook it?

What is the secret? Beyond going to the local steak house?

Medium to Medium Rare. Pink without a blood bath. Tender without a hacksaw.

Any Answers?

Cindy

The perfect steak for me is bloody!

Yum! I love to just throw  it in the frying pan just long enough so that the outside is cooked, but the tender inside is all bloody

Do you have a BBQ?  That seems to make it taste better for a start. 
I marinate mine for an hour or so. Generally just a supermarket jar of marinade, nothing fancy.
If I had a good gas grill again it would be easier to control the temperature, leectric is too slow to respond.  I prefer to hit it with a high heat to seal in the juices both sides, then lower to medium temp to cook.
Trial and error but like I say BBQ is better. Also a good Coonawarra red.

The restaurants have ovens that reach extremely high temps; they sear the outside of the steak which locks the juices inside and cooks the steak quickly. At home we don't have that equipment so it's a little harder.

I always cook steaks outside on a grill. Gas grills are easier while charcoal gives more taste. I heavily salt & pepper the outside (I use sea salt) and then let it sit on the counter for about 30 mins. While the steaks are sitting I crank up the grill on high (gas grill) or build the fire (charcoal, with one side hotter than the other). After about 30 minutes I take the steaks and throw them on the grill (hot side for charcoal) and try to get a sear on both sides. Then I reduce the temp (gas grill) or move the steak to the cool side (charcoal) and cook it to the desired doneness.

When you take it off the grill let it sit for about 5 minutes before cutting into it.

If you haven't yet developed a feel for pressing the steak on the grill to figure out it's doneness then invest in a meat temperature fork.

Bon Appetit.

If it's underdone you can always put it back on for a while.  Trial and error I'm afraid.  You can always invite a few test pilots over as well.

Hot Grill.  Slat and pepper each side lightly.  2 Min each side - Rare. 3 Min each side - Medium Rare. 4 Min each side - Medium. 5 Min each side - Well done.   Use a spatula to turn them.  Never use a fork, you will lose the juices.

You can do it will a pan, but you will have to add liquid smoke to get that great smoky flavor.

Marinates work good.  This one I use quite often.

1 Cup Olive Oil
1 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar.
1/4 tsp Liquid Smoke.

Wisk together and pour a little in the bottom of the container.  Place steaks in container and pour the rest of the steaks.  Refrigerate for an hour.  Let stand till room temperature .  Grill.

Can I just say that the posts here of late have not been good for my budget or my diet. I've been drastically trying to resist ordering a leg of lamb from one of my purveyors, and now I have to do steak too?

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A good steak is more about the quality of the meat and less about how much you do to it.  I may be wrong, but I like my steaks to taste like beef especially if I'm spending the money to buy one.

The cut has a lot to do with the tenderness and the flavor of the meat. The more used the muscle is on the animal, the tougher it is going to be. Usually those meats are better suited to cooking for extended periods because the proteins really need to be broken down. That's why things like the legs, tail, etc tend to make great stew. For a steak though the desired cuts are from places that the animal doesn't exercise, like the tenderloin.

The way the fat is distributed on the meat is going to influence the flavor a lot. Fat is flavor. Fat is also 9 calories/gram as opposed to 4/gram of carbs and protein. A ribeye (my choice) has marbling throughout the cut, and tends to make for a very savory piece of meat. Tenderloin is prized because it has virtually no fat (and because they're a ridiculously tender cut).

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So, my process (without doing it sous-vide that is):

First of all, my favorite way to cook a steak is in a cast iron pan on the range. As much as i love the grill, there's nothing that can come close to getting the flavor I want like this. So for my method, having a cast iron pan is ideal (and they're cheap, I paid 15 dollars for mine and that was 6 years ago. If you don't though, it'll be ok, you just need something oven-safe.

When you cook the meat, it's important for you not to cook it when it comes straight out of the fridge. There are arguments about when to season, but what I do is about 30 mins prior to cooking, I take the steak out and season it very generously with salt and fresh black pepper. Nothing else. I let it sit out on the counter so that the salt can draw some of the internal juices to the surface.

In the meantime preheat your oven to 450/500 F (232/260 C). Put the cast iron (or other oven safe) pan inside and let it heat (dry) with the oven. After about 30 mins there should be some moisture on the surface of the meat. Take the pan out of the oven, put it on a burner over high heat. Add a little bit of oil (just enough for a thin film) to the pan, and coat it. Add the steak and sear the first side. Depending on the thickness and the desired doneness the next step changes slightly. Basically though after a few minutes you're going to have a beautiful mahogany brown crust on one side of the steak. Flip it. If you have something like a bone in ribeye (yum) or a thick piece of filet you want to take the pan and immediately put it into the oven. If its thinner and is already about 1/3 of the way cooked, the you should finish it on top of the range.

Cook it until its just under the temperature you want (read below for a neat trick on that that I picked up on my first job)
Bring it out of the oven and put it on the range, and drop the heat to low. Take about 1 T of unsalted butter and 1 or 2 sprigs of thyme and toss it in the pan (the thyme will spit at you so be careful of hot oil). Tilt the pan so that it's on an angle going up and away from you, and scoot the steak to the top of the pan. Let the fat and the thyme collect at the bottom, and using a spoon baste the steak in that fat.

And that's it. Finally. Take it out of the pan (add some finishing salt like a fleur de sel or a lava salt if you have it) and serve it. If you want to slice it prior to serving, wait 10 to 15 mins to let it rest because the internal juices are flowing almost like currents inside and if you cut it before they settle then the steak will leak juices all over

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Now for telling the temp of a meat, without poking it with a thermometer or cutting into it, the best way is actually to do it by touch. As everything cooks it tends to 'toughen' up slightly. The tougher something is to the touch, the more well-done it is. Poking into it with a thermometer or cutting just gives a place for juice to escape. The trick I learned was at my first job and it works well enough. After a while you'll figure it out and be able to do it without using the trick and you'll develop a real feel for it
Meat Temps by Touch

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Oh, and the perfect steak...Bone-In Dry-Aged Ribeye, Cooked Mid-Rare w/ Sauce Bordelaise and Béarnaise

OK K.I.S.S. is my motto, as a beginner you need 6 things, Kosher salt, ground pepper, a good non stick pan, blended oil, I use EVOO and canola, a food thermometer and your fav cut of steak, mine is a good rib eye.

Start with your steak, any cut, at room temp, season both sides with kosher salt and crushed black pepper, pre heat the pan on high heat splash a light coat of your blended oil, let the oil get hot, get the steak in the pan it should start sizzling, 7 minutes don't touch it, flip it, 5 minutes, don't touch it, 5 minutes stick in the thermometer it will be around 150ish, a few more minutes should do it, 160 - 165 is good, slide your steak out of the pan and allow it to rest 8 -10 minutes and dig it.  a good cut of steak cooked correctly will need no sauces :-)  latter after you get this down you can experiment with marinades, a marinade should break down the fibers and add a layer of flavor only.....

Well... we've had a burn-ban in effect all summer (par for the course) - but I usually just wave mine past the grill and call 'em good.

Quote from: Ms. OBrien on September 04, 2012, 09:09:44 AM
Hot Grill.  Slat and pepper each side lightly.  2 Min each side - Rare.

Yep!

It is easy enough Cindy - start with GOOD quality steak no less than 1cm think. Get it from a butcher, not a supermarket and tell him you want rump.

Never fry steak, always grill it and turn the grill up to 250C. Lightly coat each side with vegetable oil (I use rapeseed oil) and then I cover lightly with freshly ground pepper. Once it is hot under the grill put the steak in. When it starts to turn dark brown, flip it over and when this side is dark brown then serve up. It will be medium done.

If you want medium rare get a steak 1.5 to 2 cm thick. For well done get thinner steak.

I like ribeye, I brine it, add a lttle vegetable shortening to a skillet and put it on high heat. After a minute it will start to lightly smoke. Carefully put the steak in and watch out for the splatters. 2 minutes to a side exactly, then wrap it in foil or put it on a foil covered plate for eight minutes of rest. Perfect.

Hmm

I like them still mooing as they go down. Not sure that qualifies as cooking, though.

for the perfect steak you need to start with a good quality meat so as far as steak houses go here they go in the order of highest to lowest quality.   1. fillet Mignon 2. ribeye 3 t bone {a t bone is the fillet and the newyork strip separated by the bone between the two cuts of meats} 4. porterhouse 5. newyork 6. topsirloin after that it degrades into shoeleather and is suitable for stews and roasts. now for cooking heat your oven with the oven to stove top pan in it to 450 or 500 degrees season the meat to your liking with basic salt and peeper or a favorite dry rub when oven and pan is desired temperature place meat into pan and do not crowd. {i  use a dollop of fresh butter on top here to help with the sear} let cook 4 Min's each side ten remove from oven continue on stove top to desired doneness using the inside of your thumb and index finger to test doneness {well done should feel like a closed fist  when you touch the flesh above the webbing} remove steaks and let rest  deglaze pan with a fine moet or other wine scraping brown bits up as u go swirl in fresh cream  and pour sauce over steaks an alternative to this is too place fresh butter on the steaks just prior to removing them and let it melt.
hugs
Jessi

Here is one of the recipes that, for whatever reason, has been dubbed redneck and ridiculed until it's been tasted.

Get a steak.  I won't talk about which is best because, with a good marinade a cheap steak gets a whole lot better.  Plus, everyone has their preferance.  My dad is t-bone all the way, I prefer a good KC strip, my mom a sirloin, and so on. 

This is cheap, easy, and good (at least we think so). 

Go get your steak of choice, a good cola, and your seasonings.  When you choose your cola, make sure it's acidic.  I normally use Coke, RC, or Dr. Pepper but I have used cheaper ones in a pinch (like Sam's Choice Cola).  I use Season-All with a little extra garlic for the seasonings.  Keep in mind that no recipe is set in stone, they are all subject to experiments and alterations. 

Put the steaks in a large bowl (gallon ziploc bags work very well too) and put your seasonings on to taste.  You want to rub them in (so you want a juicy steak, in other words, fresh) until both sides have a thin coat of season mush on them.  Take the cola and pour it into the bowl/bag.  Avoid pouring it directly on the steak and too quickly.  The seasoning will slowly come off as it marinades and that is fine, but you don't want it off too early.  Cover the bowl or seal the bag and let it set in the fridge for about an hour.

After the hour, pull the steaks out of the fridge and let them sit.  Get your grill started.  If you are using a pan/griddle you can wait.  After 30-45 minutes the steaks should almost be room temp.  With a grill, put them on.  I personally don't move me steaks till I flip them.  If you use a pan make sure it is hot to start (around high on the range top) then cool it down to around mid.  You'll want to flip after 30 seconds to a minute witb a pan, then lower, then cook till done.

Easiest way to see if thy are done is to cut, but flavor does get out.  If you do this, feel the steak, then check.  You should catch on to the feel of the levels pretty quick. 

Couple more bits.  I like to sprinkle a touch more season all on before I put it on, and before I flip.  I also add a bit more marinade as it cooks.  It helps keep it moist and, if using charcoal, the smoke smells great ane helps with flavor.

Again, if using charcoal, throw a couple ears of white corn on with your steak.  Whole thing, husk and all.  You'll know when it is done... it'll be hot ashell and the husk will be dry and pretty burnt.

That was long.  lol

Does it taste sweet? In my experience Americans have a sweet tooth and what tastes sweet to them is inedible to many Brits.

The other thing that gets me is the US preference for sour milk. I always wondered why Hershey bars tasted like v*mit until found out they used sour milk instead of normal milk.

Quote from: brc on September 13, 2012, 10:18:52 AM
Does it taste sweet? In my experience Americans have a sweet tooth and what tastes sweet to them is inedible to many Brits.

The other thing that gets me is the US preference for sour milk. I always wondered why Hershey bars tasted like v*mit until found out they used sour milk instead of normal milk.

Is what sweet?

Hershey bars are delicious by the way.  Speaking of sour milk though, if you like sour cream, cottage cheese, some types of cheese, or various other foods then you like sour milk products.  Everything has its use and everyone has their taste.

I did not know about the "Hersheys process" thank you. You do learn something new every day. Hugs, Devlyn

Quote from: Pretend on September 13, 2012, 12:01:46 PM
Is what sweet?

Steak in Coca-Cola - unless I misread your post you were using a cola mariande and cola has 9 spoons of sugar per tin.

Quote from: Pretend on September 13, 2012, 12:01:46 PMHershey bars are delicious by the way.

Hershey bars rank as one of the vilest things I have ever eaten. I was convinced that it had gone bad and spat it out. The next time I tried another one it was equally vile. It finally dawned on me that they ALL taste utterly foul - that is the chosen flavour. I still find it hard to believe that anyone likes the taste.

Quote from: Pretend on September 13, 2012, 12:01:46 PMEverything has its use and everyone has their taste.

Evidently....

Quote from: Devlyn Marie on September 13, 2012, 12:18:40 PM
I did not know about the "Hersheys process" thank you. You do learn something new every day. Hugs, Devlyn

Do you like them?

I like dark chocolate, not milk chocolate. But I get some Kisses sometimes!