Seasoning a steak

[undercoverbrother]

Originally Posted by Daradon

Like, put the sealed bag in a pot of water and boil it?

And what makes it the best? Tenderness, safety? Obviously flavor can be somewhat an individual preference.

No he is talking about one of those immersion bath things that you always see them using on Food TV. The water can be set at a specific temp and stays there, most def. not boiling temp.

[Daradon]

Oh, I've never seen that before. I'll have to look it up.

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by undercoverbrother

No he is talking about one of those immersion bath things that you always see them using on Food TV. The water can be set at a specific temp and stays there, most def. not boiling temp.

sous-vide is the name of that method.

[moncton golden flames]

pre heat a good heavy bottom pan when pan searing a steak. once heated, pour in some olive oil. place a well seasoned, room temperature steak in pan and sear all sides. make sure to use a high heat for this. just before i sear the last side, i place a good sprig of rosemary in the pan and place the steak on top of it. now is also the time to add a few cloves of crushed garlic, not minced. throw the pan into a pre heated oven until desired temperature is achieved. remove the steak and let it rest. back on the stove top, add some red wine to the rosemary and garlic to deglaze the pan. once the wine has reduced a bit, add some butter to thicken the sauce. this will also give a nice shiny look to the sauce. serve and enjoy!

[Mike F]

Originally Posted by troutman

Nova on PBS just had a show on the science of cooking. They showed the best way to do steak was to vacuum seal it and cook it in hot water. Then they blowtorch the exterior.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/can-i-eat-that.html

You had me at blowtorch.

[sclitheroe]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

sous-vide is the name of that method.

It's an interesting approach but I'd be hesitant to do it with any meat that comes from the grocery store - Combining typical grocery store freshness with home-kitchen grade appliances could be a recipe for a variety of unexpected flora and fauna.

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by sclitheroe

It's an interesting approach but I'd be hesitant to do it with any meat that comes from the grocery store - Combining typical grocery store freshness with home-kitchen grade appliances could be a recipe for a variety of unexpected flora and fauna.

imo, sous-vide is best used for tougher, cheap cuts of meat. i would not want to sous-vide a strip, rib eye or tenderloin. good meats deserve attention and detail, not a plastic bag and boiling water.

[BlackArcher101]

Originally Posted by Rathji

I use Montreal Steak Spice and Hy's Seasoning Salt together. I tried a few different things over the years, but always came back to this simple combo. Don't put much on, but make sure the entire thing is evenly covered.

This, but I add one thing. When I flip it on the grill, I pour a little beer on it. Can't describe what it tastes like, but wow.

[GGG]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

imo, sous-vide is best used for tougher, cheap cuts of meat. i would not want to sous-vide a strip, rib eye or tenderloin. good meats deserve attention and detail, not a plastic bag and boiling water.

I think it can be used on good cuts of meat but the benefits of the technique really show themselves best on leaner meats. There just isn't as much to gained on beef striploin steak. But I don't think using cheap cuts is the way to go either. Wild Game which tends to be tough when bbq'd works excellent with this technique. So an elk striploin might me the best cut of meat to cook this way. The Ranche (in fishcreek) I believes uses this technique on its caribou which is fantastic.

You certainly dont use boiling water. If you want a rare steak you cook it with 140 F water and the steak will never get more done than rare. The fats melt into the meat because it is vacuum sealed.

The key to the whole process is the temperature controlled bath which determines the doneness of the meat.


As for a steak marinade: Olive Oil, garlic, Rosemary,Oregano, Basil. Use fresh spices finely chop or process them, add olive oil to form a paste, set aside enough sauce to coat while BBQing after flip, Put on meat around 1 - 4 hours before cooking. If you are using a tougher cut of meat (or for some unfortunate reason like medium well or well done steaks) add a little vinegar or lemon juice as an acid to tenderize the meat. Salt as required to bring out flavour.

[moncton golden flames]

Originally Posted by GGG

I think it can be used on good cuts of meat but the benefits of the technique really show themselves best on leaner meats. There just isn't as much to gained on beef striploin steak. But I don't think using cheap cuts is the way to go either. Wild Game which tends to be tough when bbq'd works excellent with this technique. So an elk striploin might me the best cut of meat to cook this way. The Ranche (in fishcreek) I believes uses this technique on its caribou which is fantastic.

You certainly dont use boiling water. If you want a rare steak you cook it with 140 F water and the steak will never get more done than rare. The fats melt into the meat because it is vacuum sealed.

The key to the whole process is the temperature controlled bath which determines the doneness of the meat.


As for a steak marinade: Olive Oil, garlic, Rosemary,Oregano, Basil. Use fresh spices finely chop or process them, add olive oil to form a paste, set aside enough sauce to coat while BBQing after flip, Put on meat around 1 - 4 hours before cooking. If you are using a tougher cut of meat (or for some unfortunate reason like medium well or well done steaks) add a little vinegar or lemon juice as an acid to tenderize the meat. Salt as required to bring out flavour.

i'm very aware of the proper techniques for sous vide. i used the term boiling water to simplify the discussion.

i do agree that lean meats, like game, do well with this method.

[Rudee]

Originally Posted by moncton golden flames

pre heat a good heavy bottom pan when pan searing a steak. once heated, pour in some olive oil. place a well seasoned, room temperature steak in pan and sear all sides. make sure to use a high heat for this.

High heat and olive oil makes for a very smokey kitchen.

[MRCboicgy]

Steak goes on the BBQ with nothing but a little oil on the grill itself. I baste the steak with melted butter as it cooks, and the last few minutes see a little fresh ground pepper on it. A little salt if it is well marbled.

[Northendzone]

Originally Posted by Mike F

You had me at blowtorch.

Kill it with fire!?!?

[boosterjuice]

Okay. I've tried many different rubs and marinades for steak.



I stopped experimenting when I tried Steven Raichlen's basic barbecue rub. We use this rub for steaks, pork, and chicken. My wife loves it and we get excessive compliments whenever we have dinner guests.

Make a batch or a double batch and store in your pantry.



1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup sweet paprika
3 tablespoons black pepper
3 tablespoons coarse salt
1 tablespoon hickory-smoked salt or more coarse salt
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons onion powder
2 teaspoon celery seeds
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

[boosterjuice]

Re: sous video, I've been planning on purchasing a sous video cooker. You can get a "sous vide supreme" for around $450. I just haven't been able to justify the purchase yet. If anyone has tried sous video, let me know if you like it.