/ck/ - Food & Cooking

[Anonymous No.5244602]

Help me cook a steak.
I'll be going to the grocery store in a few minutes. I have never cooked anything in my life other than eggs, hotdogs, etc.

What kind of meat should I buy?
How shitty are grocery store steaks vs butcher steaks?
How do I chose a steak?
What else should I buy? Pepper?

[Lord Meat Staff No.5244622]

>>5244602
My poor child... let me illuminate you.
Grocery steaks are subpar to Butcher shops almost 100% of the time but you can still get some good shit.
When choosing a steak look for the freshest available if it looks bright red and or watery don't get it because it has been Frozen and will dry out your steak.
I suggest a nice porterhouse to cook because it has both to sirloin and fillet mignon. Just get a piece that looks the darkest color wise.
To ccook I would suggest a BBQ but if that isn't possible a nice preheated pan will do the trick.
Let your meat rest out of the fridge about 5-15 it's up to you.
Season with salt and pepper. That's all you need, but I do suggest seasoning to your liking.
Next put a little olive oil or other lubricant in the heating pan then slap on the steak and reduce the hheat slightly.
Turn it 45 degrees every 7 minutes until some liquid starts to appear on top of the meat. Then flip and repeat the turning. Less time for a rare steak and more time for a well done. Remember if you get a porterhouse the bone will need more time to cook the meat around it. Finally take it off the pan let it sit for 3 minutes and enjoy heaven. I usually put a small sliver of butter on top while it sits after cooking. Shits cash. Good luck my child.

[Anonymous No.5244628]

Get a chuck eye steak.
Salt and peper.
High heat cast iron pan.
Cook rare to med rare.

[Anonymous No.5244631]

>>5244622
Jesus fuck you are telling him to overcook the fuckhole out of that steak.pa

[Anonymous No.5244632]

>>5244622
Is there a noticeable difference between grinding the pepper myself, and buying something pre-grinded?

[Anonymous No.5244638]

>>5244622

idk about your illumination faggot


if your butcher can find a fresh carcass then you have a butcher worth his name

[Anonymous No.5244642]

>>5244632

Yes, there is a difference. Freshly ground will be more flavorful.

[Anonymous No.5244651]

>>5244622
>Let your meat rest out of the fridge about 5-15
you mean hours, right ? 5-15 minutes does nothing
but 5 hours is actually fine for a decent sized steak

>Season with salt and pepper.
the pepper will burn in the pen. it's better to add the pepper after you've flipped the steak

>Next put a little olive oil or other lubricant in the heating pan then slap on the steak and reduce the hheat slightly.
olive oil isn't suited for that temperature. peanut oil would be fine or anything with high smoke point
and theres reducing the heat is bullshit. if the pan is too thin, it will cool down, if it's thick enough, it won't matter anyway
>Turn it 45 degrees every 7 minutes until some liquid starts to appear on top of the meat.
7 minutes ?
you flip the steak once it stopped sticking to the pan and thats it
put it in a preheated oven at ~70°C after that
for a 4-5 cm steak 5-7 minutes in the oven would be medium

> let it sit for 3 minutes
thats about the only thing you got right

[Anonymous No.5244653]

get something dry-aged and an inch thick

don't put it in the fridge, salt it half an hour before you cook it, thoroughly dry it with kitchen towels then rub with canola oil

do not use a non-stick pan

preferably use cast-iron and leave it over a flame for like 20 minutes

put the steak in the pan and flip every 30 seconds til it gets a really nice crust, then take the pan off the heat, quickly throw in some butter and crushed black pepper, let the butter brown for a few seconds then put the steak on a plate, pour the contents of the pan over it and wait 5-10 minutes before you eat it

[Anonymous No.5244658]

>>5244651
>olive oil isn't suited for that temperature.
I know what you mean, but just to be an autistic asshat:
a refined ('extra light') olive oil will have an as high or higher smoke point than peanut oil
of course extra virgine will smoke like a motherfucker

[Anonymous No.5244661]

>>5244658
now you got me interested. never had, or heard of refined olive oil. what does it taste like ? and does it keep it's taste at high temperatures ?

[Anonymous No.5244665]

a good steak is a great steak when you take the time to give it a vigorous dry rub on both sides. (I use salt+pepper) you really massage the meat with the tips of your fingers

[Anonymous No.5244669]

>>5244661

>what does it taste like

not much

[Anonymous No.5244676]

Take your steak out of the fridge 1 hour before cooking so its not so stone cold in the center.

Heavy bottom pan, or cast iron ideally to retain heat in the bottom of the pan, avoid nonstick otherwise you won't get a nice sear.

Generously salt and pepper both sides, most of its going to be cooked off hence be generous.

Use sunflower oil/groundnut oil/vegetable oil/canola oil if you have it because it has a high smoke point and can handle high heat better, however olive oil is still acceptable.

Leave your pan on your stoves biggest flame for a good give minutes or until your, if you used olive oil, begins to smoke.

Take your steak and lay it down into the hot oil, press down with a pair of tongs gently to make sure that the whole steak is in contact with the bottom of the pan.

Now, some people will say to flip a steak once, others will say 30 seconds, the argument is that frequent flipping will ensure even cooking and crust on both sides, and that flipping only once means that the steak has such a long contact time with the pans hot surface a heavy crust is always achieved.

Really, if your heat is high enough, you'll only need to flip about 4 times, totalling 2-3 minutes per side on a medium thickness steak, this will yeild a rare steak. But the best way to check the rareness of your steak is to touch it, if there is little resistence then your steak is still very rare inside, if its tough and resittant then its well done and overcooked. There is nothing wrong with lifting the steak up slightly to check how the crust is forming.

Place steak on a plate and cover with foil to let it rest for 2 minutes, any juices that are released during this time you pour over your steak when its plated.

[Anonymous No.5244716]

>>5244661
>what does it taste like
nothing
>and does it keep it's taste at high temperatures
nope

[Anonymous No.5244773]

bump

[Anonymous No.5244790]

look for sous vide

thank me l8er

[Anonymous No.5244796]

>>5244602
I made a thread about a week ago about making the perfect steak, some kind anon gave me just what I wanted, here's a screencap of the post, bless that anon.

[Anonymous No.5244797]

Buy a nice big ol porterhouse
Go home
Heat a big pot of water to appx 150°F
Put water in a beer cooler
Put steak in ziploc bag, put partway in water with bag open so air is squeezed out, but don't get water in bag
Close bag, close cooler, wait an hour or so
-then-
Heat a cast iron pan to fuckhot
Take steak out, coat it with a high smoke point oil like grapeseed, season with salt and pepper
Open a window and turn on a fan
sear the fuck out of both sides of the steak, if your kitchen isn't a scene from hell with all the smoke then your pan ain't hot enough

Then eat the fucker

[Anonymous No.5244804]

Medallion steaks are the easiest to cook

Just use a lot of butter in the pan and cook on each side for 4 or 5 minutes on high until you can't see any red anymore

Eat with some horseradish

[Anonymous No.5244805]

>>5244797
I've been thinking of trying out the sous vide method too, do you really need to get the machine? Last I checked the cheapest was $400

Should a vacuum sealer & thermometer suffice?

[Anonymous No.5244821]

>>5244805
the machine is nice, I've used it before, but a cooler works if you have a decent thermometer (ie not a shit analog)

vacuum sealer isn't required if you do as I posted with a ziploc bag.

keep in mind this only applies to things that cook to temp in a relatively short time, like steak. you'd need the machine for something like chicken. look up beer cooler sous vide for more info.

[Anonymous No.5244827]

>>5244805
His method just used a beer cooler. I've used both - you have more temperature stability with a machine but it's not really necessary. One point regarding this is how done you like your meat to be.

If you like the taste of a medium steak, where you have the melted intramuscular fats (a more 'buttery' taste) then having a proper sous vide setup with either a waterbath or a (cheaper and far more useful) thermal circulator is actually an advantage. If you want a rare steak (ie. getting it up to ~49°C, which is below the intramuscular fat melting point) a homebrew setup is fine.

In either case a vacuum sealer is best, although I suppose a ziploc bag would suffice in a pinch...

One point regarding sous vide steaks - next time you cook a steak consider how the gradient of flavour affects the taste. The outside is caramelised and crisp, then, you have a little bit of 'well done' steak, which does have a specific flavour, then a thin layer of the buttery steak where intramuscular flat has melted, and finally the main body the steak is rare (assuming you're cooking rare steak). This gradient of taste is diminished in a sous vide cooking method - which alters the character of the steak significantly.

[Anonymous No.5244848]

>>5244805

all you need for a first try is:
- pot
- thermometer
- freezebags
- clips to seal bag
- pan

get steak into bag, suck all air out, clip to hold it near vacuum. put water with temperature needed in pot. put steak in pot. leave in pot for desired time (you can find temps and times for beef you want via google ;) check temp every 10 mins and add hot water if needed. get it out, give it a good sear in all sides. enjoy.
takes some time but its worth a try. trust me.

[Anonymous No.5244854]

>>5244848
submerging the bag most of the way in the water is also a good way to remove air, water pressure forces it out and you zip it shut.

[Anonymous No.5244862]

>>5244797
also, if you're cooking for guests and want to look badass, use a blowtorch instead of a cast iron pan. you will totally get laid as long as you don't fuck up like lobster and cleats guy.

[Anonymous No.5244868]

>>5244862
Yeah, this not only produces a better result, but it's safe, the blowtorch reliably sears the entire surface, killing the bacteria (which, for farm meats, are on the exposed surfaces of a muscle).

[Anonymous No.5244880]

Using a sous vide for a fucking steak? This is 'Merica right?

Ive been a chef fo a few years and worked at a well known steakhouse chain for quite a bit before getting into a nicer resteraunt.

You can get a decent steak at the grocery store. Look for USDA prime. What kind of cut all depends on preference.

>NY strip is similar to a Ribeye, but not as marbled.
>A t-bone and porter are the same, but the bone in the middle can cause problems if you like your steak more towards the well done side (you don't) the only difference in between the two is the porter house is cut further up the loin, so the the loin meat is larger and a smaller filet. The catch 22 there is, theres a big ass bloodline that runs through a porter, a t-bone is smaller, but a liitle bit more fillet
>A tenderloin is the most tender and juicy, but lacks flavor because of no fat.
>A ribeye is my personal favorite. Lots of nice marbeling, not too thick, and a nice fat cap on it. Still tender and juicy. Unf.

Now we got our nice sexy steak, how are we going to cook it?

Let your meat get about room temp after letting it set out for about an hour.
Steal your grandmaws cast iron and eat all the cornbread she had in it.
Heat the skillet up hot!
Season your steak liberally with sea salt and fresh cracked pepper on both sides
Put some oil down in your skillet and let it get hot.
Put steak in skillet, there should be a sexy sizzle and aroma coming out.
Dont fucking touch that steak until it has a nice sear on it.
Flip steak and do the other side
When othat side is almost done throw in a slab of butter and spoon that shit over your steak.
Remove steak from skllet and let rest for at least 5 minutes
Serve it with carmelized onions, mushrooms, and a nice lager.

[Anonymous No.5244882]

>>5244880

>Using a sous vide for a fucking steak?

pretty good thing to use it for, considering people are so autistic about level of doneness

[Anonymous No.5244900]

>>5244882

If you're a decent chef you dont need it. I bonded enough with my grill it tells me when my steaks are done

[Anonymous No.5244901]

>>5244880
>Dont fucking touch that steak

You do realise that flipping the steak regularly provides a much more even cook with greater outer searing? Rather than overcooking from one side, then overcooking from the other, flip every 15-30 seconds. Each time the meat is flipped the last heated side cools rapidly, preventing a sub-surface overcooked layer, and as a consequence of being cooler each time it makes contact with the pan, significantly more heat is conducted, producing a better sear.

[Anonymous No.5244902]

>>5244900

depending on how you use it it can do stuff you can't necessarily do with hotter, faster methods. not that i particularly care either way.

[Anonymous No.5244921]

>>5244901

Do you realise the level of autism that entails? A sear is caramelization of natural sugars in the meat. How do you make caramel? Leave your sugar on the heat and pay attention to it. Go to the French Laundry or the fanciest place you can find, fuck me, even Noma. They cook their steak sear flip sear. Plus if im making steak, i got other shit on my burners

[Anonymous No.5244925]

>>5244900

Btw check out dem dubs.

[Anonymous No.5244926]

>>5244921

> A sear is caramelization of natural sugars in the meat.

no

>Go to the French Laundry or the fanciest place you can find, fuck me, even Noma. They cook their steak sear flip sear

a) who cares
b) citation needed

>Do you realise the level of autism that entails?

it results in faster, better cooking, i don't see how that's autistic.

[Anonymous No.5244931]

>>5244926
different poster here- to me it seems inefficient for an extremely small difference (feel free to try that one out yourself, i have). if i'm cooking a steak, i'd like to be working on my sides while it sears, not sitting over one pan the whole time to be sure i flip at exactly the right time. especially when the fucking meat will be fractionally better at best.

[Anonymous No.5244944]

>>5244926

Its the internet, everything on here has to be true. Citation not needed.

How is it faster if im constantly removing the meat from my skillet to flip it while furiously masturbating with my other hand?

[Anonymous No.5244952]

>>5244926

>No

Please read up on the maillard reaction. Amino acids and sugar cause that sexy brown color.

[Anonymous No.5244970]

>>5244952

the maillard reaction is not caramelisation.

>>5244931

and that's fine, but don't just poopoo the method and call it 'autistic'. it works.

>>5244944

it develops the crust faster.

[Anonymous No.5244973]

>>5244970
>don't just poopoo the method and call it 'autistic'. it works.
austistic methods often do, but they're also often inefficient and convoluted for small gains.

[Anonymous No.5244984]

>>5244973

oh just shut the fuck up dude, you put a spatula under a steak and twist your wrist like 10 times max and then it's done. you can do sides at the same time if you want. i personally do the sides while the steak is resting.

it pisses me off when people bandy the word autistic about like this.

[Anonymous No.5244992]

>>5244984
>oh just shut the fuck up dude
real mature way of getting your point across, kiddo.

disregarding the fact that you just told me to use a spatula to cook a steak, it's a lot easier to just "put my spatula under a steak and twist my wrist" one time for an almost identical outcome.

>it pisses me off when people bandy the word autistic about like this
oh i don't do it in real life, but you know as well as i do where we are.

[Anonymous No.5245001]

>>5244992

>disregarding the fact that you just told me to use a spatula to cook a steak

not sure what the problem is?

> it's a lot easier to just "put my spatula under a steak and twist my wrist" one time for an almost identical outcome.

it's an almost identical level of effort as well. can't we just live and let live?

[Anonymous No.5245006]

>>5245001
>can't we just live and let live?
that's precisely what i'm doing. you're the one attempting to convince ME to do it your way, not the other way around.

>it's an almost identical level of effort
considering it requires a lot more attention (every couple of seconds as opposed to every couple of minutes), i'd have to disagree here.

>not sure what the problem is?
i'm sure you don't.

[Anonymous No.5245018]

>>5245006

>you're the one attempting to convince ME to do it your way, not the other way around.

i'm not doing that. you acknowledge that it does a better job but then you say it's autistic, which i just think is rude as it implies that people who DO prefer it have some sort of behavioural deficiency.

>(every couple of seconds as opposed to every couple of minutes)

but you're already standing over the hob. there's a nice rhythm to it, it's a trivial amount of effort when you think about what you'd otherwise be doing.

>i'm sure you don't.

ok.

[Anonymous No.5245024]

>>5245018
>what you'd otherwise be doing.
you mean something more useful?

>it implies that people who DO prefer it have some sort of behavioural deficiency
ignoring the fact that i do believe people who get this upset over a word used by a complete stranger probably do have some sort of deficiency, that's not the implication at all. you probably get upset when people say "nigger" on this website too.

[Anonymous No.5245030]

>>5245024

>you probably get upset when people say "nigger" on this website too.

upset is a strong word, but yeah it annoys me. depending on the context.

>you mean something more useful?

potentially yes. as i said, if you want to keep your attention fully trained on your sides, that's fine by me, but the few minutes i spend cooking my steak aren't that precious to my a la minute schedule. prep and resting time take care of that stuff for me.

[Anonymous No.5245031]

fucktards stfu, please talk perfect steak

[Anonymous No.5245032]

>>5245030
>upset is a strong word, but yeah it annoys me. depending on the context.
you are most certainly on the wrong website, because that shit's never going to go away.

[Anonymous No.5245038]

>>5245031
>please talk perfect steak
battered and deep fried

you're welcome

[Anonymous No.5246668]

>>5244931
>eating sides with your steak
>not eating another steak with your steak

[Anonymous No.5246695]

>>5244651
put a steak in the oven? wtf

[Anonymous No.5246880]

Ex-roommates stole pans, only have baking tray.

How do I cook steak on it?