Shit, is that really true? / Dayze's wife.

Good Cow + fire = good steak. It is not that hard.

A marinade can be useful in a cheaper cut of meat but isn’t necessary or desirable for a good one. I like some pepper and sea salt or Garlic salt but that is really about all you need.

Had an unnamed in-law ask if I had any BBQ sauce for the Filet mignon I had just cooked for him once. Ya can’t fix stupid.

Man, you must cook as bad as vailpass

cook them on low heat, not high. There is a secret to making good steaks, it's called...

SALT. SALT THE SHIT OUT OF THEM.

There, I just gave everyone a huge secret on cooking great steaks.

My ex wife used to do that shit. Loved steak, we'd go out to eat she'd order up a beautiful cut o meat and then she'd douse it with A1. I finally got smart and started grilling at home and buy her the cheap shit. Didn't know the difference.

bullshit, on the low heat.

that's how I do them, but over coals, not flame. If you cook a big thick steak over high heat, all you'll do is burn the crap out of the outside and leave the inside blood red. Vail says he likes them "medium". So, you can't cook a medium steak on high heat.

Thats exactly how you make a great cut of cow taste like a shoe

Low heat?

Broncos fans don't know how to be men.

I shouldn't be surprised.

I wouldn't do a good cut of meat over flame. Mines got to get a good sear on it.

Dammit, everyone grill a steak tonight and compare pics just to **** with vp.:evil:

You probably have to take into account where these guys live too. Probably shitty meat there.

well, he likes his steak cooked medium.

for a "medium" cooked cut, yep. Much depends on the thickness of the cut too.

OP says "grilled steaks" right? That's what I'm talking about, not oven cooked steaks.

Yeah, I had some steaks cut 2 inches thick on a side a couple of years ago - sonsabitches were not fun to cook at all. Apart from being requested at 2 inches, the butcher got a little overzealous on several and I ended up around 2.5 - 3 inches on those. They were essentially roasts at that point.

Direct heat for about 4 minutes/sd, off to indirect with the lid down for about 10 minutes thereafter. I hated doing it, but it was the only choice I had.

Sometimes the thickness of the steak makes the 'proper' method impossible, but not based on the dimensions he gave us.

Nope it was a nice bacon wrapped Fillet cooked over a bed of hickory wood Coals that you could cut with a fork. I wanted to cry.

HyVee steaks are pretty awesome.

I like Rent a Chef seasoning, also found at HyVee. Low sodium is perfect.

http://www.chelbergfoods.com/a-rent-...seasoning.html

I just cooked 3 beautiful ribeyes medium rare last night with my grill reading about 450.

but that's medium rare. Ok, so maybe low heat is not correct, but you gotta turn the heat down to cook it medium, otherwise all you do is burn the outside.

People seem to swear by those Big Green Eggs.

I've never owned one - way too expensive.

I own a nice Weber and I probably won't ever have anything else.

Cast Iron Hibachi Grille is the way to go... Extreme Heat , Minimal Charcoal

http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/...L._SL1200_.jpg

There's a butcher here in KC called the Local Pig - they're in the east bottoms, past Columbus Park.

Their steaks and pork cuts are fantastic. It's pricey - but you get what you pay for.

Oh and in terms of seasoning - Montreal Steak FTW.

This all the way. When I was a kid this was all my dad could afford. Cut my teeth on these bad boys.
Master the hibachi and you will never **** up your meat again.

28 bucks on Amazon

Hot enough to sear for Rare and Medium Rare, adjustable for Medium to Burnt

Beer only for steaks. Garlic pepper seasoning. Cook hot and fast.

I don't marinate. I get em up at room temp, brush some olive oil on em sea salt and pepper.


Like I said prior, if you haven't tried one yet I recommend the A1 dry rub black pappercorn (they have a garlic flavor rub that I use on chicken but it says it can be used on steaks too). Great flavor.


That being said, my homey vailpass has inspired me. I went to ye ol grocery store and lo and behold they had some t bones on sale. I'm fitting to eat like a king. I'll call this my birthday dinner. Think I'll sip a beer and pray that peyton gets his ass handed to him tonight.

That would be perfect for camping.

I just bought some T-bones today too. Wasn't planning on it but they looked good and were on sale. I got them for $4.99 lb. You?

$5.99 a lb and they look great!

Mine too! I couldn't believe the sale on them. Can't wait. Enjoy man.

OK, vail... here's the skinny. I'm not going back through 270 posts to point out which posters clearly don't know WTF they're talking about, but there are some.

You must season the meat. Salt makes things taste more like themselves. It also stimulates your salivary glands, which tricks your mind into thinking it has more moisture.

Do not salt right before you put it on the grill. Salt will draw out moisture. Over time, that moisture will draw back into the protein, but if you do it right before you grill, that moisture is going right into the fire. If possible, salt your steaks a day in advance. At a minimum, salt it an hour in advance.

Do let it sit out for 30-60 minutes before you grill. This is not harmful because any bacteria that might contaminate the food isn't going to have time to get on the inside of the protein... and anything on the outside will die over the fire.

Sear over a high heat for 2-3 minutes per side, then move it to a cooler zone on your grill. Despite what many on here say, searing does NOT "seal in the juices." As a matter of face, you lose more juice by searing than you do over a low heat. However, what searing does do is create the Maillard reaction (creates the brown crust, and brown food = good food), which creates hundreds of flavor compounds you wouldn't otherwise get. And the moisture loss is fairly minimal.

SOP is flip it once, but there's a lot of recent literature indicating you get a more even cook and juicier steak by flipping regularly - as often as once a minute. I've had no problems doing the one flip.

Marinades... if it's a cheap steak, by all means, marinade. If it's a ribeye or strip, keep that shit away from it. Salt, pepper, and a little granulated garlic are all you need.

I'm sure there's more, but I'm in a hurry. Will try to post more later.

I have a thread on here about sous vide, and it's awesome (sous vide, not the thread). It's nothing like a roast or a prime rib.

Manchambo - since you're new, feel free to peruse, add to it, ask me anything, and please share your own tips and experiences! http://www.chiefsplanet.com/BB/showthread.php?p=7823233

quality post is quality. would read again. :clap:

Word. Rep.

Marinade with something that has a little acid in it for cheap steaks, helps to tenderize it. I like using just a decent Italian salad Dressing or something else in that family for cheap cuts.

There are a number of good cooks here, but I'd be happy to help if you'd like. Feel free to PM me.

Listen to fire me boy. Once you do that, then you will look back and think how did I ever **** up a steak..

I do like low cooking and then searing on real high for a few seconds..

http://imgur.com/gallery/cPTAVE8

Follow this instructional format

Thanks.

I've seen some articles and done it a few times myself starting over low and finishing over high. The theory is you bring the entire steak up to temp slowly and you'll get a better sear and more evenly cooked piece of meat by searing at the end. Makes sense: easier to sear the outside if the outside is 120 degrees than if it's 70. My few experiences with this rings true - you get less of that medium/medium well band on the outside.

I just did Ribeyes for the wife and I and they were excellent

Started with good meat...I cut my own from a ribeye section. 1 1/4-1 1/2 in thick

Thawed them in fridge all day then out and allowed to come to room temp. I never microwave thaw.

Salt and pepper on the meat the entire time it is out of fridge and coming to room temp.

Charcoal. I dont do gas. Im sure some folk do well with gas I just dont and dont intend to. I use Kingsfords for just us but if doing a lot of steaks or burgers I will use lump.

I like Rosemary. So once the coals are perfect...hotter than three shades of hell...I toss a nice sprig of fresh rosemary on the grill and put steak on top of that...3 min or so....then check for a good crusty sear. If done, flip it and go another 3-4 min.

We like Rare to medium rare.

Mr Fire Me Boy has basically the same approach. Dont over complicate stuff.


Indoors I use a OLD Cast Iron skillet...I have a bunch. What one depends on number of steaks. I get the pan hottttttt. Oven preheated to 450. Sear that bad boy adding a bit of Olive Oil Flip it, sear side two...toss in oven for 10 min, check for doneness...let stand 10 min before serving.

For the record tonight I had a great microbrew wheat beer with my steak from Amana Iowa. http://www.millstreambrewing.com

Very nice people. We stopped there yesterday on way home from Illinois. And if you like root beer? Yikes... good stuff.

Yep, fairly simple stuff. I like the rosemary idea, and I have an assload of it in my back yard. Gonna give that a try next time I grill. :thumb:


I use my trusty 12-inch cast iron for steaks inside (and hamburgers - it's very tough to beat cast iron for a hamburger). Though if I'm doing them inside, I'm doing them sous vide, so all I'm doing is searing in the cast iron. Crank that sucker up on my big burner on high, wait till it gets about 700 degrees, and sear for 1 minute per side... omnomnom.

Report back on the Rosemary success. We were just in Italy and has steak one night in Florence. Other than a bit tougher than our beef it was salt, pepper, cook over HOT oak coals with rosemary under, olive oil to get better sear, bias cut and serve....Very nice.

Yup. I really like their rub.

I may be weird this way, but I like a little sweetness in my rub too. I love using either brown sugar or a coffee/cocoa mix.

Coffee is great in a rub with some chile. If you like some sweetness, find some granulated honey or maple sugar for a nice change of pace.

:thumb: Excellent as always. Thanks man!

Interesting. Will need to give it a shot.

Now this is serious filet Mignon on the grill. you have to let it cool off before you cut it, n00b

https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/...42535557_n.jpg

Carcass Before

https://scontent-a-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/...18086059_n.jpg

Just a quick addition but use Sea Salt and not regular table salt. Fresh cracked black pepper is better than a ground black pepper.

slow cook on low heat. comes out great.

It also only takes twenty minutes for the bacteria to double in population.

check your science here FMB, salting in advance will draw out the mositure and make them dry. you want to salt just before grilling.

the rest is spot on.

his point is that it is mostly surface bacteria - this is not ground meat where the bacteria are throughout. On the surface, heat will take care of it.

we understand commercial kitchens have restrictions homes do not. That doesn't mean it's better.

Leaving the meat out does nothing but make you wait longer for your food. Use oil and HIGH heat to sear, then lower the temp to cook to your preferred internal temperature.

Read this: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/06/t...ing-steak.html

Kosher salt flakes tend to stick better in my experience, but I usually use Kirkland sea salt grinders. If you use table salt on steak, you ought to be shot.

be that as it may, on the occasions that I have forgotten and had to throw steaks on cold, they have not cooked as evenly. I don't think it's mental, as I can physically see the difference. But that's just me.

I would totally agree on thin cuts, but when cooking an 1 1/2" or 2" steak, I am convinced it makes a difference.

And I always preheat the Weber to 600 plus. Get those grates nice and hot.

Wrong. Given time, that moisture (and the liquified salt) will draw back into the steak and season inside the meat. http://mobile.seriouseats.com/2011/0...ct-steaks.html

IMO the only reason why you would own table salt in a household is to waste on water when boiling eggs... **** that shit..

let them rest for like 5-10 minutes with foil over them

Another option is Hickory Cane Syrup. There is a guy who makes and sells it from Belton Mo. Interesting product. He also sells a great smoked sea salt.

http://hickorycanesyrups.com

I have a slight variation on most of the GOOD advice in the thread, but I always get compliments.

1) Set meat out to come to room temp. It's not strictly necessary, but I find it helps make an even cook. Salt at this time. And you want to use either sea salt or kosher salt. Both are fine. And you want to cover the meat in salt as much as possible. It doesn't dry out the meat and anyone that tells you it does has no idea what they're talking about. I've been known to leave it out as long as 4 hours at this point. The salt keeps bacteria from growing on the meat, and even if it did, the heat would kill it off. There is zero reason that this small amount of time outside of the refrigerator would grow bacteria that would be harmful. If you get sick from the meat, it was already contaminated.

Also, if you're not going to be able to salt ahead of time, don't grill the steaks. You need at least an hour of them salted for it to do what it's supposed to, which is to begin to break down the fibers of the meat and season it.

2) Preheat the grill. As hot as possible.

I also don't sear on the grill grates. I use a seasoned cast iron grill pan/plate. It's completely flat to maximize contact with the meat and get the best crust possible. I usually wait until the plate is about 900 degrees or so. Pretty easy to do with a standard grill and a nice, thick cast iron plate.

3) Right before they go on the grill, I rinse off the salt and dry the steaks with paper towels. It doesn't need the salt on there at this point. It's already in the meat. But you don't want the steaks to be wet, either. That only interferes with the meat getting a nice crust.

Then, I rub them with olive oil. A teaspoon or so per side, but that's not a strict rule. Just make sure it's covered.

4) Grill. Usually 3 minutes per side, and then off. That goes for about 1" thick steaks.

5) Rest the meat for at least 5 minutes. As soon as the steaks come off the grill, put a small pat of butter on top to melt off and become to sauce for the steak.

It always tastes amazing and only gets compliments. I get people asking if they can pay for my steaks because they taste so good.

This is one of several reasons an Aussie Walkabout is better. I was all about the weber for years until I got the aussie as a gift. I'm sure many will vehemently disagree, but it is the best charcoal grill ever made.

:thumb:

EXACTLY. Garlic is optional, and do let it rest at least 5 min afterword.

if you use table salt at all, you need to be weeded from general pop.

seriously? genocide over salt???

It seems....extreme.

I recommend broken shins personally.

Yep, I like to sear both sides as well. Keeps the juices inside.

I just hope vp got himself a decent steak.

We got busy and didn't cook them tonight. Did have the bacon shrimp though.
F-ing delicious.

Good thread I have had similar issues though never really gone out of my way to figure out the error of my ways. My steaks are always just ok.

Same boat. There are some very promising tips here though.

I dunno I just go to Longhorn. They make a pretty good steak for a chain. $13 where its still $6.99 in the store not including sides is a deal IMO

I stopped cooking and spent more money on eating out, been happiness ever since

Cue the....ZOMG you like a restaurant chains steak! I can eat food better than you poast

You've been given some really good tips and some straight up horrible info. ROFL

You'll figure out the grilling, but somewhere in this thread you mentioned you're trying to find a better source of meat. I believe I read "organic" in there somewhere. This term's definition is all over the place, but I'd urge you to figure out what it actually is and if it's really giving you the product you desire. In the high end meat market "organic" and "high quality" are generally not correlated with one another when it comes to putting 100 dollar steaks on the plate.

Yeah I'm sorting through it all. In this case "organic" just means buying from a rancher who doesn't inject his cattle with growth hormones and feeds them natural ingredients.
Agree with you that the organic food market in general is misleading.

IMO, if there's just one thing you can focus on to start, it's the amount of heat you use to get a good sear. It's absolutely critical to have a very, very hot grill to get a good sear. The rest is really just details.

I buy "choice" grade strip steaks and ribeyes from Costco. They still taste amazing.

I use Natures Seasoning, salt, and pepper. I usually season them up several hours before they go on the grill, seal them up in an air tight container, and let them set in the fridge. I will only grill steaks over charcoal, with some hickory chunks to add a nice smoke flavor. I've never had a steak come out dry, or tough from salting it before cooking. Also, when picking out a steak, make sure it's got plenty of marbling in it. That fat adds flavor, and juiciness.

When you find your meat source and speak with the butcher, ask him how long it's going to be aged. If it's less than a week, ask him if you can pay him a little extra to let it hang another week or two. If he doesn't know why you're asking for this you should probably look for one who does. It's one of many very important steps to producing truly high quality steaks that has been eliminated from most suppliers protocol in an attempt to increase profits.

Just skimmed a quick Google search article, but most of the info in it looks correct and gives you an idea of why it's important.
http://bbq.about.com/cs/beef/a/aa030301a.htm

If people saw most of our carcasses hanging in the cooler they'd never eat the steaks they drool over on the plate. ROFL

I've heard good things about tapenade.