Any little tricks to make a steak really shine?

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
I am really getting into the better weather. I was wondering if anyone had any favorite ideas / tricks to make that steak on the grill, just a little more super than it already is?

Our own Buzzard767 posted this one a while back.

http://netcookingtalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1513&highlight=brined

I have yet to try the full dry brined effect. I spring boarded the reverse sear to some thick cut pork chops and they were the best that I have ever had. I have tended to stay away from the thicker steaks and chops due to the inconsistent cooking (Rare in the middle and well done on the outside). The reverse sear technique seems to solve all of that. The trick is to get the right internal temp for what you are cooking.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Andy, you probably know these things already, but here's what I do:

- Take the meat out of the fridge for an hour or so before you grill
- Pat it dry
- Lightly wipe olive oil on the meat with a paper towel, then season

I have not tried reverse searing.

Lee
 

lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
After cooking to the perfect doneness give it a splash of Maggi Seasoning.

100810_farm_2.jpg
 
Can't help out w/ the grilling aspect, as I usually do it on the stovetop or on my huge indoor grill.

As Q mentioned, leave the steak out 30-60 minutes prior to cooking. Season w/ S&P, if desired. Get the pan (a cast iron skillet is good) really hot (if cooking indoors watch that the smoke detector doesn't go off). Give 'em a quick sear on both sides. I like mine a little more well done, so I finish them off in the oven.

A little side note. Recently I watched celebrity apprentice where Meatloaf was cooking Kansas city steaks (forget the brand) for a promotion. As I recall, he said he didn't cook, but he seared the sides of the steaks in the skillet in a demo, & the execs loved his method.

Here's a litle steak grilling humor:

To the women: Take note !!!!

BBQ RULES
We are about to enter the BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity.

When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine...

(1) The woman buys the food.

(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.

(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer
in hand.

(4) The woman remains outside the compulsory three meter exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other important manly bonding activities, (such as the pulling of fingers, followed by farting, followed by laughing), can take place without the interference of the woman.

Here comes the important part:

(5) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL, POKES IT & TURNS THE MEAT WITH A IMPLEMENT CONSTANTLY

More routine...

(6) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.

(7) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he flips the meat.

Important again:

(8) THE MAN TAKES THE OVERCOOKED MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN. THE WOMAN MUST NOW HAND THE MAN ANOTHER BEER IN APPRECIATION OF HIS GREAT EFFORTS.

More routine...

(9) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.

(10) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all:

(11) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.

(12) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off." Upon seeing her annoyed reaction he concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.......... slower members of the male gene pool are often “culled” art this point if they are foolish enough to ask “how about you get me another beer while you’re up?”,

Especially if the woman wasn’t!

http://agoddessinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2007/09/perfectly-cooked-steak.html
 
K

Kimchee

Guest
Compound butter smeared on each side before grilling. Helps give a nice light char,
adds good flavor.
I like to mix garlic powder, seasoning salt, smoked paprika, pepper and a dash of salt
in, slather it on, let it sit then grill!
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
Use lump coal instead of briquettes. They burn a lot hotter (and faster) than briquettes and have much more natural wood flavor. The sear you can get with lump is incredible. It would take twice the amount of briquettes to get the same sear. And again, lump has more flavor.

Like Lee says, bring the steak to room temperature before grilling. I follow a simple, and exactly timed (I use a stopwatch), 4 minutes per side rule - then tent and let it rest 4-5 minutes. That gets me to medium rare on a 3/4" to 1" steak every time with a nice charred sear.
 

luvs

'lil Chef
Gold Site Supporter
Can't help out w/ the grilling aspect, as I usually do it on the stovetop or on my huge indoor grill.

As Q mentioned, leave the steak out 30-60 minutes prior to cooking. Season w/ S&P, if desired. Get the pan (a cast iron skillet is good) really hot (if cooking indoors watch that the smoke detector doesn't go off). Give 'em a quick sear on both sides. I like mine a little more well done, so I finish them off in the oven.

A little side note. Recently I watched celebrity apprentice where Meatloaf was cooking Kansas city steaks (forget the brand) for a promotion. As I recall, he said he didn't cook, but he seared the sides of the steaks in the skillet in a demo, & the execs loved his method.

Here's a litle steak grilling humor:

To the women: Take note !!!!

BBQ RULES
We are about to enter the BBQ season. Therefore it is important to refresh your memory on the etiquette of this sublime outdoor cooking activity.

When a man volunteers to do the BBQ the following chain of events are put into motion:

Routine...

(1) The woman buys the food.

(2) The woman makes the salad, prepares the vegetables, and makes dessert.

(3) The woman prepares the meat for cooking, places it on a tray along with the necessary cooking utensils and sauces, and takes it to the man who is lounging beside the grill - beer
in hand.

(4) The woman remains outside the compulsory three meter exclusion zone where the exuberance of testosterone and other important manly bonding activities, (such as the pulling of fingers, followed by farting, followed by laughing), can take place without the interference of the woman.

Here comes the important part:

(5) THE MAN PLACES THE MEAT ON THE GRILL, POKES IT & TURNS THE MEAT WITH A IMPLEMENT CONSTANTLY

More routine...

(6) The woman goes inside to organize the plates and cutlery.

(7) The woman comes out to tell the man that the meat is looking great. He thanks her and asks if she will bring another beer while he flips the meat.

Important again:

(8) THE MAN TAKES THE OVERCOOKED MEAT OFF THE GRILL AND HANDS IT TO THE WOMAN. THE WOMAN MUST NOW HAND THE MAN ANOTHER BEER IN APPRECIATION OF HIS GREAT EFFORTS.

More routine...

(9) The woman prepares the plates, salad, bread, utensils, napkins, sauces, and brings them to the table.

(10) After eating, the woman clears the table and does the dishes.

And most important of all:

(11) Everyone PRAISES the MAN and THANKS HIM for his cooking efforts.

(12) The man asks the woman how she enjoyed "her night off." Upon seeing her annoyed reaction he concludes that there's just no pleasing some women.......... slower members of the male gene pool are often “culled” art this point if they are foolish enough to ask “how about you get me another beer while you’re up?”,

Especially if the woman wasn’t!

http://agoddessinthekitchen.blogspot.com/2007/09/perfectly-cooked-steak.html


ohhhhhh, am i OFFENDED!!:twak: the audacity..... 'kay, i'm full of chit. i got a good laugh from your post, thx, CC.
hehe
 

buckytom

Grill Master
for tougher but more flavourful cuts, jaccard the crap out of it to tenderize.

for relatively boring cuts like london broil, i like to make a sauce out of baby bok choy, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, soy sauce, and stock. after sauteeing the bok choy in the other ingredients, remove and reduce the remaining liquid into a sauce to go on the steak. serve the baby bok choy on the side.

there's also a butter, red wine and mushroom sauce i make for tenderloin. saute the shrooms in butter, add red wine, beef jus, and maggi, reduce into a sauce.
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
Bucky, you devil you, I had to Google Jaccard, love it! Now I have a strange hankering for a 7 bone chuck steak. All I have to figure out how to do is get a jaccard.
 

buckytom

Grill Master
a good, sturdy fork will work just as well as an actual jaccard tool, andy.

just go to town on it when you take the steak out of the fridge, then let it rest to come to room temp before cooking.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Bucky, you devil you, I had to Google Jaccard, love it! Now I have a strange hankering for a 7 bone chuck steak. All I have to figure out how to do is get a jaccard.

Oh, Andy, I have just the place for you! The kitchen store in Chelsea Market! I was a kid in a candy store.

I loved it so much that I wanted to move in.

Lee
 

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buckytom

Grill Master
hey buzz, do magnetic knife holders affect the edge of the knife at or around the place it sticks to the magnet?

just curious.
 

Keltin

New member
Gold Site Supporter
hey buzz, do magnetic knife holders affect the edge of the knife at or around the place it sticks to the magnet?

just curious.


I haven’t seen them affect the edge, but they can damage the surface (sides) of the blade and give it a scratched up and marred appearance. This happens with the cheaper magnetic strips with exposed metal strips or magnets.

I see they make high end strips with a wood outer shell to protect your blade.

But those industrial ones like in the pic, I have one, and it will scratch the crap out of your knife.

Here is a cheap Sabier Santoku I got at BB&B fairly cheap. I just wanted to see what a Santoku could do (not much beyond my Chef knife IMO), and it doesn’t fit in the block. So I got a magnetic holder for it. After about 2 years, it’s scratched up pretty good.

The pic doesn’t show it as much, but it is really marred.
 

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buckytom

Grill Master
thanks, k. i thought that might happen. i'll have to look for one of those covered magnetic strips.

but i still wonder if the magnet affects the edge. not that i'm a sharp knife nut (most of my knives are as dull as butter knives) but i'm just curious.

knife sharpening guys get down to microscopic levels.

ok, back to steak.

the little steak place in my town i frequent puts a fresh thyme, garlic, and salt compound butter on some of his steaks just as they're done cooking that is delicious.
 

PieSusan

Tortes Are Us
Super Site Supporter
Brush with melted sweet butter before serving. It is an old steakhouse trick still used today
 

Adillo303

*****
Gold Site Supporter
Lee - That place is incredible. Is that the Chelsea market in NYC or up by you?

Thank you for that post. I wouldn't mind living there either.
 

GotGarlic

New member
Cook's Illustrated had an article last year on dry-aging steak at home. Wrap steaks in cheesecloth, put on a rack inside a baking dish, and put them in the back of the fridge for 4 days. Bring to room temp before cooking. Dry-aging reduces the moisture in the meat somewhat, intensifying the flavor, but it's still juicy when cooked. We tried it and it was great.
 

QSis

Grill Master
Staff member
Gold Site Supporter
Andy, it's the Chelsea Market in NYC. I was there to go to the Emeril Live show, which was fun, but I LOVED the marketplace!

Great idea, GG, I'm going to try dry-aging a steak! I've done the Cook's Illustrated technique with roast beef and it's wonderful!

Lee
 

Love2"Q"

New member
i cook my steaks to just past rare .. put in a pan and top with a mixture of softened butter and crushed garlic .. cover with foil for 5 mins and its makes a great sauce of its own juices and the butter .. and cooks it a bit more ..
 

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lilbopeep

🌹🐰 Still trying to get it right.
Site Supporter
i cook my steaks to just past rare .. put in a pan and top with a mixture of softened butter and crushed garlic .. cover with foil for 5 mins and its makes a great sauce of its own juices and the butter .. and cooks it a bit more ..
GIMME!! I want that. :applause:
 

GotGarlic

New member
i cook my steaks to just past rare .. put in a pan and top with a mixture of softened butter and crushed garlic .. cover with foil for 5 mins and its makes a great sauce of its own juices and the butter .. and cooks it a bit more ..

Q, looks great! And it's great to see you posting! Hope all is well.
 
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