/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.4603342]

So, /ck/,
Later in the week I'm cooking a big romantic meal for the gf, and I'm doing steaks. What I'm wondering is if any of you have any ideas for what to do /with/ the steaks. I want something elegant, but still simple and filling.
Enlighten me.

[Anonymous No.4603361]

bump

[Anonymous No.4603365]

>>4603342
steak and bj night

[Anonymous No.4603367]

>>4603365
I meant to eat with them. Plus I'm not a massive bj fan...

[Anonymous No.4603371]

Potatoes. Or a salad.
Kinda of a vague question.

[Anonymous No.4603372]

>>4603342
>ideas for what to do /with/ the steaks
Cook and eat them? You don't normally stuff or do wacky crap to steaks, you jackass. Though if you're asking /ck/ about something this 101 you're going to fuck things up no matter what.

[Anonymous No.4603373]

>>4603372
he's looking for a side dish

[Anonymous No.4603378]

>>4603372
>>4603373
This. I probably should have phrased it as "cook with them," sorry, my bad.
I'm fairly proficient, food wise, I'm just drawing a blank on how to make the meal special...

[Anonymous No.4603386]

>>4603371
>potatoes
That might be romantic in Iowa. Elsewhere you'll want lighter stuff with steaks in a romantic setting. Asparagus with butter and garlic; stuffed mushrooms; sauteed mushrooms; braised brussels sprouts; flash steamed lemon kale. A simple mixed greens salad with a balsamic dressing is always a go too, too, so I'd definately be on board with that.

[Anonymous No.4603390]

What kind of steaks?
If they are really good, I'd grill them with only coarse salt, grill some asparagus covered in olive oil with garlic (cover them in a bag) and served with hollandaise sauce, plus some small potatoes cooked in the grill inside aluminum foil with butter and served with cream on them and some grilled onions or chives, if you're into spicy try 1 or 2 chiles toreados too.

[Anonymous No.4603396]

>>4603386
don't do brussel sprouts unless you guys think farting is romantic

[Anonymous No.4603400]

>>4603390
>>4603386
The asparagus sounds good, and the hollandaise sauce. She doesn't like mushrooms, so they're out unfortunately, but I definitely like the idea of something like asparagus, topped with a poached egg, drizzled with the hollandaise.

[Anonymous No.4603401]

>>4603396
>confirmed for subhuman-tier digestive tract

[Anonymous No.4603403]

pico de gallo and sauteed mushrooms
or
grilled veggies

w/e you do keep it light

>>4603390
why would you ruin asparagus with hollandaise sauce

[Anonymous No.4603404]

Creamed spinach is a classic and quite impressive if done properly.
Plus, bitches love spinach.

[Anonymous No.4603408]

>>4603404
>Bitches love spinach
>Popeye loves spinach

You calling Popeye a bitch?

[Anonymous No.4603409]

>>4603400
>doesn't like mushrooms
Break up with her before it's too late, son.

[Anonymous No.4603411]

>>4603409
It could be worse, she could not like steak...

[Anonymous No.4603417]

>>4603400
Agree with >>4603403 , hollandaise is a bad idea for asparagus, and with the egg your getting a little breakfast-y. If you're determined to fancy them up you could grill small bundles wrapped in prosciutto and brushed with lemon olive oil or something.

[Anonymous No.4603418]

>>4603411
If somebody doesn't like steak you don't get to the cooking dinner for them stage. Not if you have two brain cells to rub together at least.

[Anonymous No.4603420]

>>4603417
>Implying Brinner isn't the best thing ever

>>4603418
I would not even get to the asking them out stage...

[Anonymous No.4603425]

In addition to some of the stuff mentioned there's always green beans, and spaghetti squash is often overlooked. Or eggplant stacks. Eggplant stacks made with grilled eggplant, grilled tomato, and sauteed spinach and feta cheese are fucking delicious.

[Anonymous No.4603432]

What would your views be on mini-rostis?

[Anonymous No.4603435]

>>4603342
What kind of steak? I haven't seen this posted yet. I recommend you wrap some filet in bacon and make a blue cheese sauce to serve on top.

[Anonymous No.4603439]

>>4603342
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7JHMuIgZ-N8

this is classy , enjoy !

[Anonymous No.4603438]

>>4603435
It's not been bought yet. Whatever I can get that is good, and affordable.

[Anonymous No.4603446]

>>4603439
I will watch it after Star Wars is done, thanks

[Anonymous No.4603448]

>>4603408
No, but Olive was all over him like a rash.
Bitches.
Love.
Spinach.

[Anonymous No.4603451]

>>4603435
>buy least flavorful, most expensive cut
>wrap it in bacon
>smother in blue cheese
He should make sure he cooks it to well, too.

[Anonymous No.4603456]

>>4603448
Spinach may well be used, then... The latest aphrodisiac? Wouldn't be surprised.

>>4603451
Yeh, nothing goes on my steak but salt, and occassionally pepper. I ignored the blue cheese comment for his safety...

[Anonymous No.4603457]

>>4603403
>why would you ruin asparagus with hollandaise sauce

Try it and tell me that again

[Anonymous No.4603469]

>>4603451
Did I say cover in blue cheese? No, just some sauce. Shit. Also everyone knows you don't buy filet for flavor, you buy them for awesome texture. That's the point, you modify it with other flavors.

>implying the whole point of cooking isn't developing flavor.
>implying everything should be eaten plain or with onlye a pinch of salt.

[Anonymous No.4603477]

>>4603451
Also, the bacon is there to help prevent dry meat. Filet is lean and a little extra fat really helps. It's like you know nothing about meat.

[Anonymous No.4603486]

>>4603469
>>4603477
>buy flavorless meat
>wrap it in shit to add flavor
>cook it long enough to dry it out
Why don't you just wrap a sponge in bacon and cover it in blue cheese, since that's what you seem to be there for in the first place? If you want a steak, buy a steak, not FM. And if you want FM for the magical texture, cook it rare seasoned with salt and pepper and served with a little burnt butter like at a proper steakhouse. Fucking says "I need to wrap it in bacon so I can cook it longer than I should" and I'm the one who doesn't know meat...

[Anonymous No.4603489]

>>4603477
>>4603486
While we're on cuts, what should I do with casserole steak if I want to eat it like normal steak?

[Anonymous No.4603494]

>>4603486

I just don't understand the mentality that you can't combine flavors just because a cut is expensive. You can still cook it rare with bacon, just makes it even better. You act like the meats feelings will be hurt if I add other ingredients.

[Anonymous No.4603497]

>>4603489
>casserole steak
Do you mean a cheap, lean cut like flank or hanger? Usually for something I'm putting in a casserole I'd use a cheap fatty cut, but they don't usually get labelled steaks. Though you could be dealing with flat iron steak.

Anyhow, the "trickier" is the former, since it's lean and tough. So. Marinate in something acidic (soy based works, as does balsamic, wine, and lemon) for at least eight hours for a slab of flank/hangar (to overnight, as long as your marinade isn't too salty), cook to med-well or thereabouts, and thin slice it across the grain.

[Anonymous No.4603503]

>>4603494
Sure, but cooking to rare won't cook the bacon long enough to release its fat into the meat and so you won't significantly color the steak's flavor or add moisture. The point of bacon wrapping a fillet is to allow it to be cooked to medium or higher without turning it into a hockey puck and has its basis in having to find a solution to rich/status women 50+ years ago who wanted their fancy steak but were put off by blood.

[Anonymous No.4603512]

>>4603497
Actually they're quite thick, around an inch, and look quite nice. I think they're designed to be cubed and used in things like pies/puddings.
I was thinking a marinade, but everywhere suggest lemon juice, and I didn't really want citrus on my steak. I might try marinading in wine, though, and maybe tenderise with a mallet.

[Anonymous No.4603519]

>>4603503
Lol it will if your grill or pan is hot enough. You should be able to sear it quickly and then let it finish at a lower temperature to finish the bacon without cooking the filet too much more. That may be the origin but it's not how it has to be now.

[Anonymous No.4603531]

>>4603512
Any steak worth eating's going to be at least an inch thick, but going off your info I really have no idea what kind of cut you're working with. Stewing beef is usually taken from the chuck or round but is never referred to as steak by a butcher.

If it's a decent size slab (like the size of 2-4 decent sized steaks laid side by side) and heavily marbled it's flat iron from some place that hasn't realised how good a cut flat iron is. If it's got no marbling it's flank or hangar (which is often used in stews/casseroles but also is sold as steak). If it doesn't fit either description I really have no idea what you're working with.

[Anonymous No.4603533]

>>4603512
>everywhere suggest lemon juice, and I didn't really want citrus on my steak. I might try marinading in wine, though

Marinades generally contain an acidic component to tenderize the meat. If you don't want to use lemon juice then you can use vinegar or wine.

[Anonymous No.4603539]

>>4603531
Looks to me to be most likely chuck steak.

[Anonymous No.4603551]

>>4603539
If it is chuck then your only solution is braising. Tough + fat means cooking until that fat has at least mostly broken down to make it decent for consumption, which means getting the whole steak into the 170F+ range for 20+ minutes while minimizing moisture loss. Hence braising.

Without knowing exactly what you're working with I'd guess sear it in cast iron 3 minutes a side over medium high with just a bit of oil, add some wine for moisture and to deglaze the pan, drop in a nub of butter, seal immediately, and place into a 400F over for 30 minutes.

[Anonymous No.4603567]

>>4603551
Thank you kindly sir.