Cooking the perfect steak

[Rafa]

Does putting sea salt on a steak for around 30 min then rinse off really help? I normally brush olive oil,little salt, and some pepper and grill it. I read an article that mentioned putting sea salt on steak prior to doing anything to it for about 30 min so the salt can absorb the water. Mentions that doing that will help steak be more tender??

[momo]

it's been posted before, but this is the easiest and best way to cook a steak at home that in know of.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/pan-seared-rib-eye-recipe/index.html

Pan Seared Rib Eye
Recipe courtesy Alton Brown
Show: Good Eats Episode: Steak Your Claim
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Ingredients
1 boneless rib eye steak, 1 1/2-inch thick
Canola oil to coat
Kosher salt and ground black pepper
Directions
Place 10 to 12-inch cast iron skillet in oven and heat oven to 500 degrees. Bring steak(s) to room temperature.

When oven reaches temperature, remove pan and place on range over high heat. Coat steak lightly with oil and season both sides with a generous pinch of salt. Grind on black pepper to taste.

Immediately place steak in the middle of hot, dry pan. Cook 30 seconds without moving. Turn with tongs and cook another 30 seconds, then put the pan straight into the oven for 2 minutes. Flip steak and cook for another 2 minutes. (This time is for medium rare steaks. If you prefer medium, add a minute to both of the oven turns.)

Remove steak from pan, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 2 minutes. Serve whole or slice thin and fan onto plate

[bcoop]

there's no blood in steak

Correct. It's water and muscle tissue. So when someone tells you "I don't like my steak bloody", tell them what a dumbass they are.

[Cooter]

there's no blood in steak

[Tannerm]

I buy big, thick prime filets at Central Market, usually 2.5-3" thick, 12-16 oz. Bigger than baseballs. I never freeze them; I eat them the day they are bought. I let them sit out for an hour or two and then I brush them with olive oil, and then give them a pretty good coating of sea salt and garlic pepper, just to make a tasty crust when they are cooked.

I burn a lot of Mesquite lump charcoal (also from Central Market) for a good hot fire, and I just wait until the flames die down and the coals are glowing orange and mostly coated white. I spray some Pam on the grill so the steaks won't stick.

I have found that timing is everything. Guessing at it or just going by feel or looks never resulted in a perfect steak for me. Mind you, these are thick steaks, so I let them go about 3.5 mins per side for medium-rare or 4.5 mins on each side for medium. I cook with the grill closed except to flip and remove. I use the timer on my Iphone and I have it down to the very second.

This method has consitently turned out amazing steaks at my house. Unfortunately, it's not much cheaper than going to Bob's. I wish I had a hookup on the meat.

This!! I am also an extreme purist and steak fanatic. Olive oil, garlic, salt, n pepper are my combo. I also use mesquite chipped charcoal u can get anywhere to get a good hot fire going. Usually let it burn for about an hour before putting steaks on. If it aint cool and pinkish/red in the middle with blood seeping out, it aint my kind o steak.

My wife also grew up with shoe leather steaks. I CANNOT break her of A1 sauce... Oh well...

[unkoricky]

http://steamykitchen.com/163-how-to-turn-cheap-choice-steaks-into-gucci-prime-steaks.html

Anyways... i'll usually just buy cheap ol T-Bone Steaks and cook them in a pan.

I usually just put salt and pepper. My gf eats everything with a sauce so i dont mind her using A1 after... But if she used ketchup, i'd have to Chris Brown her hahaha.. i kid

[UserX]

The surest way to ruin a steak is to cook it too long.

Even medium rare is a bit done for me. I prefer blue, although most restaurants will only serve rare.

[jluv]

The good thing about sauces is that they can improve the flavor of cheap meat. I like A-1 Bold and Spicy, although it's not carried at my local Albertson's. Fuckers.

The bad thing about sauces is that they fuck up good meat. There jus isn't any reason to hide awesome, unique, natural flavor with a bottled flavor off the shelf.

[fordracing19]

I like sauces no matter how the food is cooked. Beef, pork, chicken doesnt matter.

[jluv]

I buy big, thick prime filets at Central Market, usually 2.5-3" thick, 12-16 oz. Bigger than baseballs. I never freeze them; I eat them the day they are bought. I let them sit out for an hour or two and then I brush them with olive oil, and then give them a pretty good coating of sea salt and garlic pepper, just to make a tasty crust when they are cooked.

I burn a lot of Mesquite lump charcoal (also from Central Market) for a good hot fire, and I just wait until the flames die down and the coals are glowing orange and mostly coated white. I spray some Pam on the grill so the steaks won't stick.

I have found that timing is everything. Guessing at it or just going by feel or looks never resulted in a perfect steak for me. Mind you, these are thick steaks, so I let them go about 3.5 mins per side for medium-rare or 4.5 mins on each side for medium. I cook with the grill closed except to flip and remove. I use the timer on my Iphone and I have it down to the very second.

This method has consitently turned out amazing steaks at my house. Unfortunately, it's not much cheaper than going to Bob's. I wish I had a hookup on the meat.

[bcoop]

Another thing to be mentioned, many people over-cook steaks, or cook them too slowly at low heat.

Absolutely. Anytime I cook steak, the grill is as hot as I can possibly get it. In fact, my grill doesn't even come close to as hot as I want it to get. I'm scouring for a commercial upright broiler capable of 1500 degrees. Cooking too long at too low of a fire, dries it out just the same as overcooking on a high fire. Steak thickness plays the biggest role in cook times. But when I hear people say 5 or more minutes on each side, I die a little inside. There are VERY few exceptions to this. It really does bother me to see people eating shit mid well and above.

[stevo]

Another thing to be mentioned, many people over-cook steaks, or cook them too slowly at low heat. My wife came from a family that basically cooked all meat to shoe-leather. She wouldn't eat meat that had any pink in it all all, the first time I got her to eat a nice steak that was cooked medium rare she couldn't believe it. I had to do it by telling her to close her eyes and take a bite. Now, that is how she wants them cooked.

I like mine cooked like Forest mentioned, high heat and short cooking time, well seared on each side and still cold in the middle, but that isn't for everyone.

Stevo

[bcoop]

Normally I would have been ticked off but it was my mother-in-law who is a very sweet lady, always great to me, and always compliments me on my cooking so she meant no harm.
Where do you buy your prime steaks?

All over the place. I've got a buddy that does sales for a processor, so some come from him. I've also got several friends at places like US Foods and Ben E Keith, who I get 'samples' from, David's Meat Market in Garland, and I have a source at a rather fine, local prime steakhouse that I can get them from, as well.

[Trick Pony]

I'd seriously take that as an insult and tell them not to bother coming back. The first time my wife had ever really been to a nice steakhouse, we went for my sister's rehearsal dinner. I told her if she asked for steak sauce, I was going to get up and leave her there. Since I forced her to try it without, now she likes that. She came from a house where steak and potatoes was regular, but it was well done and A-1 was necessary to get through it. lol.

Normally I would have been ticked off but it was my mother-in-law who is a very sweet lady, always great to me, and always compliments me on my cooking so she meant no harm.
Where do you buy your prime steaks?

[mstng86]

I'd seriously take that as an insult and tell them not to bother coming back. The first time my wife had ever really been to a nice steakhouse, we went for my sister's rehearsal dinner. I told her if she asked for steak sauce, I was going to get up and leave her there. Since I forced her to try it without, now she likes that. She came from a house where steak and potatoes was regular, but it was well done and A-1 was necessary to get through it. lol.

My wife insists on her steaks being marinated (italian dressing). I am not really a picky person about it so I just go along with it. But I have just marinated her steak in the past. Just depends on the mood I am in I guess.