The PERFECT Steak

[GoBills808]

Just now, Jauronimo said:

I'd lend you some of my fancy cookbooks but you'd probably skim the pictures and wind up trying to build a shed out of your mise en place with those reading comprehension skills.

See I just only barely read ‘muse en place’ and a little part of me died inside for you.

[Jauronimo]

Just now, GoBills808 said:

See I just only barely read ‘muse en place’ and a little part of me died inside for you.

You're one of those people who still orders "freedom fries" aren't you?

[GoBills808]

1 minute ago, Jauronimo said:

You're one of those people who still orders "freedom fries" aren't you?

And you’re the kind of guy who asks if you can get ‘em with truffle oil and mayonnaise.

 

...and you’d probably try to call them ‘chips’. Ugh. I’m shuddering thinking of having a meal in your vicinity.

[Augie]

17 hours ago, Jauronimo said:

Thats not a conflicting rule.  You NEED salt to taste other savory compounds.   Sometimes ACID or FAT are exactly what you need to highlight other flavors in food. In fact theres a book called Salt, Acid, Fat, Heat and a Netflix documentary exploring this topic. Brief excerpt below:

 

 

Pepper CAN burn during a high heat sear and produce flavors that some people do not like at all.  Pepper is no more essential than chili powder or paprika or onion powder.  Purely optional.  

 

There is no conflict here.

 

Really? How often do you see people tell you the right thing to do is season with salt (of course) AND PEPPER. They say THAT is “the right way” to do it, but my point was it IS personal preference, and as long as I like it the end product as is, THAT is the right way. It’s all optional. And different people will tell you different and conflicting things. Nothing is in stone here and 100% right or wrong. If you notice, in the video you supplied Kenji seasons with salt AND pepper. 

 

If it’s awesome, you did good. 

17 hours ago, Jauronimo said:

I agreed with Keller on all accounts.  I disagreed with Augie's takeaway on the matter. 

 

You read like you cook steak.  Poorly.

 

Here’s the thing, it’s not MY take! I’m just saying different “experts” will tell you different things. That’s a fact. As long as you like it the way you did it, you WON!  ?

Edited September 26, 2019 by Augie

[Golden Goat]

On 7/16/2019 at 2:14 PM, Gugny said:

 

Catfish is delicious.

 

Catfish, walleye and perch are my favorite freshwater fish.  YUM!!!

Notice how he avoids the saltwater variety.

*COUGH* CLOSET MARLINS FAN *COUGH*

[mrags]

2 hours ago, Augie said:

 

I’m a dog lover myself, but there are limits!   

 

Unless she gets a job doing commercials or something......she gets the dry stuff.  ?

 

We did a cooking class/date night thing recently where we seared sea scallops on a Himalayan Salt Block. It was delicious, but I was a bit surprised by how much of the salt flavor was added. He also said he took about 5 hours slowly getting it up to 500 degrees, one step at a time. I guess it’s better/safer for the block to raise the temp slowly?  

Yes it is. But I never use mine over 250 anyway 

[The Dean]

For me it's typically a Ribeye (bone in is my favorite). I also can really enjoy a NY Strip, a Filet or other cuts. But Ribeye is my go to.  Can't have a grill at my current location (but I'll be moving soon). So cast iron grill it is.  Here's one I took a pick of as I put it away.

 

 

[billsfanmiami(oh)]

5 hours ago, Augie said:

 

Here’s the thing, it’s not MY take! I’m just saying different “experts” will tell you different things. That’s a fact. As long as you like it the way you did it, you WON!  ?

 

Wait, you’re saying there’s not necessarily a “correct way” to do something totally subjective like cook a steak!? Well what the hell!?...Now I feel like that article I read on the internets lied to me! 

[Johnny Hammersticks]

I’ll maintain that a well seasoned cast iron pan is the absolute best way to cook a steak. Finish in the oven if you have any medium pussies.

 

S&P heavily...canola oil brushed on pan with a cloth.  Hit heavily on both sides to create a nice crust.  Throw in a stick of butter, some fresh herbs of your choosing, and baste away.

 

Ribeyes are the play.  The fattier the better.

Filets are for dolphins fans.

[Augie]

9 minutes ago, billsfanmiami(oh) said:

 

Wait, you’re saying there’s not necessarily a “correct way” to do something totally subjective like cook a steak!? Well what the hell!?...Now I feel like that article I read on the internets lied to me! 

 

Hear me out!

 

?

 

There are a lot of good ways to do a lot of different things. I don’t care if it’s cooking a steak, managing a retirement portfolio, measuring a house or picking a tennis racquet. If it works for you, all is well. 

 

Certainly, some methods have certain advantages and more widely appreciated results, but in the end it’s all personal preference (except measuring a house, but don’t get me started! Close enough is close enough). There is NOT one way that is the “right way” for most things in life. Many options can end with great results.

 

 

.  

[Jauronimo]

8 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Hear me out!

 

?

 

There are a lot of good ways to do a lot of different things. I don’t care if it’s cooking a steak, managing a retirement portfolio, measuring a house or picking a tennis racquet. If it works for you, all is well. 

 

Certainly, some methods have certain advantages and more widely appreciated results, but in the end it’s all personal preference (except measuring a house, but don’t get me started! Close enough is close enough). There is NOT one way that is the “right way” for most things in life. Many options can end with great results.

 

 

.  

Lots of things work to some degree or another.  Some of those steps along the way are pointless with regard to the final outcome or even detrimental.  

 

The past 2 pages of this thread have NOT been about advancing one acceptable method to cook steaks but dispelling commonly held myths with the best information out there to date.  I know science isn't too popular in the current socio-political climate but there is nothing to be scared of.

[Augie]

11 minutes ago, Johnny Hammersticks said:

I’ll maintain that a well seasoned cast iron pan is the absolute best way to cook a steak. Finish in the oven if you have any medium pussies.

 

S&P heavily...canola oil brushed on pan with a cloth.  Hit heavily on both sides to create a nice crust.  Throw in a stick of butter, some fresh herbs of your choosing, and baste away.

 

Ribeyes are the play.  The fattier the better.

Filets are for dolphins fans.

 

After a Viking cooking class with a Ruth’s Chris chef that became my method. I was a grill guy until then. It was a game changer......until I stumbled upon the sous vide stuff here. We VERY rarely do steak (mostly fish and chicken with veggies). 

 

Changing direction: FOOD PROCESSORS! I just got an obscenely expensive food processor because my old cheapy broke. I got a Breville Sous Chef Pro 16. It was $399 minus 20% with BB&B discount. Turns out it wasn’t expensive enough! The one that does all the dicing is the peeler/dicing machine for $499! With discount it’s $400 thru BB&B, but still obscene! Then I have to buy dicing blades for $129. 

 

Our son has brought a lovely young vegetarian into our family. The dicing option can save me hours in chopping with 3 different size dices. Great reviews, incredible machine, but I feel like an idiot spending that much. At the same time, if it’s a couple decades of time saved dicing.......

[Augie]

3 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

Lots of things work to some degree or another.  Some of those steps along the way are pointless with regard to the final outcome or even detrimental.  

 

The past 2 pages of this thread have NOT been about advancing one acceptable method to cook steaks but dispelling commonly held myths with the best information out there to date.  I know science isn't too popular in the current socio-political climate but there is nothing to be scared of.

 

My point is, and as Kenji pointed out, the myths don’t generally hurt. You just end up at about the same place. It’s all good, and I totally appreciate and respect your takes, especially on food. In fact, I’m available for a meal at any time!  ?

 

Oh, but if you’re trying to paint me as socio-political anything, I beg you to talk to anyone who knows me. I’m not anti-science any more than I am pro-disco. I just won’t live and die by the science of the day. My point is I like what I like, and you can get there in a variety of ways. There is not one way to get to scrumptious! 

[billsfanmiami(oh)]

6 hours ago, Jauronimo said:

Lots of things work to some degree or another.  Some of those steps along the way are pointless with regard to the final outcome or even detrimental.  

 

The past 2 pages of this thread have NOT been about advancing one acceptable method to cook steaks but dispelling commonly held myths with the best information out there to date.  I know science isn't too popular in the current socio-political climate but there is nothing to be scared of.

 

Sure there’s some “science” that goes into cooking. Doesn’t mean it’s the be all end all for something so subjective. What exactly about some of the other suggestions or methods would you say is detrimental? I don’t think I’ve seen ketchup mentioned...

[Virgil]

On 7/16/2019 at 11:28 AM, BringBackFergy said:

Wondering how you fellas prepare steak, what type, heat source and, ultimately, how you eat that mutha.

 

Let's assume you have everything at your disposal: type of beef, cooking utensils, pans, herbs/seasonings, knives, grills/ovens, etc.

 

How do you do it?

 

Fergy's Perfect Steak:

* A 20 ounce prime ribeye with good marbling and thick cut at 2+ inches. Let steak get to room temp and coat with light olive oil.

* Kosher salt and black pepper (peppercorns crushed with a mallet inside a bag. Cover steak with plenty of crushed peppercorns)

* A cast iron skillet real. Olive oil in skillet and bring to medium high temp.  Have two sprigs of thyme and rosemary and two cloves crushed garlic handy as well as 2 tbsp of butter.

* Lay ribeye in skillet and sear first side for two minutes, flip and put thyme and rosemary and butter in skillet. As searing the second side, baste with the butter and herbs.

* Let sear for three minutes, flip and sear another minute to get buttery herb mix on both sides..

* Take off heat and put in oven at 300 for about 10-15 minutes to cook through to medium rare.

* Take out of oven, remove steak from skillet and place on cutting board with loose "tin fole". Pour any remaining juices over top of steak before covering.

* Let that mutha rest for 15 mins.

* Remove "tin fole" and get a sharp ass knife.  Cut ribeye in diagonal direction across grain with 1" slices (I may get some argument here, but sliced steak is really solid and tender rather than trying to cut your way through an entire whole steak).

* My wife loves it this way. It's a panty dropper.

 

I'll hear some argument about charcoal grilling a steak or Sue Vidae (which are all great), but screw it. This is my perfect steak. Make your own!!

 

I just came 

[BringBackFergy]

33 minutes ago, Virgil said:

I just came 

Do that over on @mrags steak...leave mine alone.

[shrader]

10 hours ago, Augie said:

 

After a Viking cooking class with a Ruth’s Chris chef that became my method. I was a grill guy until then. It was a game changer......until I stumbled upon the sous vide stuff here. We VERY rarely do steak (mostly fish and chicken with veggies). 

 

 

And that's the wonder of a thread like this.  I'm more than willing to try some new methods on a steak and there's more than enough inspiration here.  In fact, I think I need to stop and pick one up on the way home tonight.

[Jauronimo]

4 hours ago, billsfanmiami(oh) said:

 

Sure there’s some “science” that goes into cooking. Doesn’t mean it’s the be all end all for something so subjective. What exactly about some of the other suggestions or methods would you say is detrimental? I don’t think I’ve seen ketchup mentioned...

Only some?

 

I could have sworn that entire process was science.  Understanding the application of energy in the form of heat to a piece of meat and the subsequent effects on the muscle fibers of meat, or cooking, is all science.  

 

Why does your charcoal grill or cast iron pan produce different results than your gas grill (unless maybe you have a powerful infrared burner)?  What's driving the maillard reaction and how do you optimize conditions for this chemical process to achieve the perfect crust? Why salt your meat? Why DON'T you salt the interior of your burger patty while shaping and only season the outside?

 

https://amazingribs.com/ratings-reviews/how-to-buy-a-grill/charcoal-vs-gas

 

Taste is subjective.  Once you understand the science of cooking process become much less subjective.  Then its more a tradeoff between convenience, time, and other limiting constraints.  

 

Edited September 26, 2019 by Jauronimo

[Jauronimo]

I think I should remind everyone that this thread is about "The PERFECT Steak". Not "A PRETTY GOOD Steak".  Not "Anyway You Want to Cook A Steak Is MAGICAL!!!".  Not "We ALL Win Again Because We COOKED!!".

 

If you're scared of new information, skeptical of science, and are worried that learning a few words in French will make you gay then this probably isn't the thread for you.

[Gugny]

30 minutes ago, Jauronimo said:

I think I should remind everyone that this thread is about "The PERFECT Steak". Not "A PRETTY GOOD Steak".  Not "Anyway You Want to Cook A Steak Is MAGICAL!!!".  Not "We ALL Win Again Because We COOKED!!".

 

If you're scared of new information, skeptical of science, and are worried that learning a few words in French will make you gay then this probably isn't the thread for you.

 

Are you an atheist?