Steaks: Educate me

[EFHeath]

Seems if you're going to drop the money on a good steak dinner that you'd go for the best cut, which I have always presumed to be the filet.
Also, how about bison steaks?

Don't know how common this really is but... <http://boingboing.net/2012/05/01/meat-glue.html> . Something to consider.

As far as bison steaks, I'm sure they could be great if done right by a good chef, but all the bison I've had has been tough and dry, compared to beef. Maybe something to experiment with at home.

[Chance Legstrong]

Sorry i didn't see this earlier.

***disclaimer***
Family was in the grocery business for 50yrs. I trained as a meat cutter apprentice for 2 years.

Sirloins- only if you want to marinate them in red wine and olive oil for a cheap eat on the weekends. Sirloins are the cuts that all of the "microwave" resertaunts serve because they can hide lack of flavor in a sub-choice grade (select) by dunking them in a bath for days on end. Think, Chilli's Applebee's Outback etc.. Even "higher" end joints will "bathe" their Sirloins.
Ribeyes- fat, fat and more fat. you will not be able to enjoy the flavor (esp grass fed Choice or Prime grade) with all the fat chunks.
Filiets- are cute, but if i am plunking down $ at a Steak house and you don't want your man card revoked don't waste the $ on a 4 bite cut.
New York / KC strips- now we are getting somewhere. the big brother cut to the filet off the Loin. 2" cut, bonus if the bone is left on- some call it a club steak. (bone on)
T-bone- DO NOT call it a Porterhouse. IF ordering a T-bone ask for the 4th or 5th cut off the loin. If the server has to ask what you mean, you are in the wrong place.
Porterhouse- this is where we get real. The PH is the first 3 cuts off the loin. I always ask for the 3rd cut. this will ensure you get the largest, filet and strip.

this is elementary but always look for the USDA Choice (minimum) and or Prime.
do not confuse fat for marbling.
you can also ask to see the cut prior to grilling.
all that should be done to them is salt/pepper
steak butter again hides what's underneath. ask for it on the side.
<edit> Preparation- At home, I will prepare more on the rare side since i am the one handling the cuts, but out at my favorite chop house i will as for a Med-Rare. Again, you can always send it back. They should serve you and wait while you cut into the steak to verify the doneness. Akin to tasting a wine. If they do not, or ask that you, thats poor service.

Bison- you can eff these up REAL fast. a very lean meat. Do not bother.

it's good to be top of the food chain

[Too Tall]

Make that two. That's great intel Chance.

[robin3mj]

I have a good story about steaks. I was in Switzerland a while ago staying at a friend's house, so I said I would cook them dinner. They told me they had a great butcher in the next town over, so off I went with his wife to see him. My Swiss-German is non existent, so there I was pantomiming where on a cow the cut of beef (hanger steak) was that I wanted. Finally after an awkward couple minutes he takes me out back to point out where the steak comes from on the cow. There were about 10 freshly slaughtered cows hanging in the walk in, so I pointed out where the cut is located. We walk back out front, and he tells the lady I am with that he has already ground that up. In the end, I get no where and settle on a t-bone. With the t-bone, he also threw in a skirt steak for free (which in Switzerland saved me about 40.00$). A week later I get an email from them, the guy I stayed with is a well known cyclist in the area and they know of his family. His mother went to the butcher where the butcher asked how the meal was. Apparently he gave me the steak for free because he thought it was funny that anyone would eat that cut. He said he only uses it for cat and dog food. So I am now known as the weird American that eats cat food.

As far as what you should do with steak, try some of the cat food cuts, they are mighty tasty. If you ever see a hanger steak (onglet in French) order it, rare to mid rare and enjoy. Just be careful when you are in Switzerland.

It's crazy how different the cuts of meat are in various countries. My mother in law is a pretty great cook, and they split their time between UK and France. It's on my list to somehow get/create a couple of butcher chart posters of the cuts in each country. It'd be really cool to have a transparency so you can overlay one versus the other.

Back on topic. Ribeye or NY Strip for me. Or go to the butchers and ask them what cuts are not popular but give a nice flavor. Hanger steak used to be a butchers cut (meaning no one would buy them and they'd take that cut home to their family) but I think it's secret is out.

[bking]

Can't believe it took to the second page for a steak guy to speak up. Chance here mentions what sperates steaks: grade, not so much cuts.
You take prime sirloin (in choice, I won't touch it expect for soup), Cap ends -- they call them at Costco: about two inches square and 4 to 6 inches long. Heat cast iron skillet to 450 to 500 degrees, add peanut oil and clarifed butter. Crush sea salt and fresh cracked pepper, and don't be bashful, three times what you think you would want, top and bottom. Throw them on, 3 to 4 minutes a side. Don't be afraid of putting a seared crust on them...that's just locked in flavor. Pull them off, let them rest 3 to 5 minutes...bite down.
Repeat this for any cut, prime is always best...

If you do choice, which can be good, you have to look for as much marbling of fat as possilbe, not to confused with gristle. Marbling is not the large fat caps that surround meat, but thin flecks and streaks of fat in the meat itself.

And don't ever cook good meat on gas, please. Go buy some good mesquite or other good lump charcoal. And the best meats really deserve only minimal seasoning: salt and pepper. I like bernaise as much as most anyone...but i just couldn't bring myself to putting in on a really good steak. Bernaise perhaps on a choice tenderloin would be perfect.

my 2 cents

[billrick]

Great stuff, Chance.

My best steak ever was in Italy - bistec alla florentine (forgive my hack italian). Basically a porterhouse cut from a local breed, rubbed with garlic, grilled over an extremely hot fire, and salted after the turn. Sometimes with a light drizzle of olive oil on the plate. Simple, but I've never seen it duplicated outside of Italy.

[Shinomaster]

I have a good story about steaks. I was in Switzerland a while ago staying at a friend's house, so I said I would cook them dinner. They told me they had a great butcher in the next town over, so off I went with his wife to see him. My Swiss-German is non existent, so there I was pantomiming where on a cow the cut of beef (hanger steak) was that I wanted. Finally after an awkward couple minutes he takes me out back to point out where the steak comes from on the cow. There were about 10 freshly slaughtered cows hanging in the walk in, so I pointed out where the cut is located. We walk back out front, and he tells the lady I am with that he has already ground that up. In the end, I get no where and settle on a t-bone. With the t-bone, he also threw in a skirt steak for free (which in Switzerland saved me about 40.00$). A week later I get an email from them, the guy I stayed with is a well known cyclist in the area and they know of his family. His mother went to the butcher where the butcher asked how the meal was. Apparently he gave me the steak for free because he thought it was funny that anyone would eat that cut. He said he only uses it for cat and dog food. So I am now known as the weird American that eats cat food.

As far as what you should do with steak, try some of the cat food cuts, they are mighty tasty. If you ever see a hanger steak (onglet in French) order it, rare to mid rare and enjoy. Just be careful when you are in Switzerland.

Funny, in France that's often called the "butchers" cut.

[Too Tall]

Great stuff, Chance.

My best steak ever was in Italy - bistec alla florentine (forgive my hack italian). Basically a porterhouse cut from a local breed, rubbed with garlic, grilled over an extremely hot fire, and salted after the turn. Sometimes with a light drizzle of olive oil on the plate. Simple, but I've never seen it duplicated outside of Italy.

Come to my house. That's exactly how I cook steak for myself when I'm cooking for myself. The alternate to that is the same but using a cast iron pan, all the windows open.

[Eddie]

Always the Porterhouse, always ordered "extra, extra rare." Sometimes I'll add "cook it as little as possible, please." Our server at Don Shula's told me that in five years he'd never before had a customer request a steak to be prepared so little. At Smith and Wollensky I was served a steak that was pink on the outside, and it was amazing. In retrospect, I wonder if it was prepared sous-vide.

Interesting both of these events occurred in Miami. I'll be in Miami Thurs-Mon. I think I'll be having a Porterhouse.

[caleb]

***disclaimer***
Family was in the grocery business for 50yrs. I trained as a meat cutter apprentice for 2 years.

Interesting what parts of our training become useful later in life. I think FFA meat judging team was the most useful part of my high school education.

[Shinomaster]

I ate the whole thing.. Chance, not sure that sirloins are only suited to strip-mall restaurants, but they may be a bit on the chewy side (especially grass-fed), albeit flavorful. I think a rib steak is best done over a charcoal bbq as it helps caramelize the fat. It's one steak you can slightly over cook and have it still be tasty. Good luck finding a prime steak in most places and if you do it may cost a small fortune. The majority of prime cuts are reserved for restaurants, or if you can find them, boutique grocers.

[AJPM44]

If you are going to splurge on a nice cut, always go for something aged. A 20 or 30+ day dry aged cut will be amazing compared to a typical wet aged steak from a high end butcher.

[Ben]

Always the Porterhouse, always ordered "extra, extra rare." Sometimes I'll add "cook it as little as possible, please." Our server at Don Shula's told me that in five years he'd never before had a customer request a steak to be prepared so little. At Smith and Wollensky I was served a steak that was pink on the outside, and it was amazing. In retrospect, I wonder if it was prepared sous-vide.

Interesting both of these events occurred in Miami. I'll be in Miami Thurs-Mon. I think I'll be having a Porterhouse.

A family friend always said, "knock off its horns, wipe its ass, and send it out."

[zetroc]

One thing I haven't seen mentioned: when you're cooking a steak at home, make sure it's nice and room temp before you throw it in the pan or on the grill. A cold steak right out of the fridge will be hard to cook evenly. High heat and short cooking time are your friends.

[echelon_john]

You can also dry age beef yourself; start with a larger cut, like an entire rib roast. Use a wire rack in the coldest part of your fridge, and leave it there for 7+ days. Cut yourself off a nice steak, cut off any gamy parts around the outside, salt, pepper, and let 'er rip on a hot fire or cast iron.

There's a lot of fear-mongering about home dry aging but as long as you don't leave the fridge door open by mistake you won't have any problem. It's the best way to turn a decent steak into a great steak, and it's essentially free.

[Shinomaster]

So, how does the flavor and texture of an aged_steak differ? Can't say I ever remember having tried one.

[echelon_john]

It's the flavor more that the texture in my experience. It just tastes stronger, more 'steakey.' My buddy referred to it as making corn fed steak taste more like grass fed; I agree, but it also just concentrates the 'beefiness' IMO.

Costco sells choice rib roasts that aren't expensive that make a good candidate for experimenting with dry aging.

[Chance Legstrong]

A family friend always said, "knock off its horns, wipe its ass, and send it out."

YOu knew my dad??

[Chance Legstrong]

As Zetroc mentioned, bringing your meat to room temp prior to cooking is a must. (grind for burgers too)
JUST as important is allowing your meat to rest prior to serving. (burgers too- depress the center of your patties prior to putting on grill)
This ain't no Ruth Chris- it doesn't have to be 400 degrees at the table (dont buy the sizzle)
Dry aging in your fridge is not possible in most cases. way too much humidity.
I am not going to advocate dry aging to the home butcher because you either know how or you don't.
a top shelf meat counter can dry age for you.
it's not rocket science, but a nasty gut can ensue.

[Jonathan]

you guys need pictures, is it no wonder I'm missing 13" of colon? 2.4lbs of Bone in Ribeye.





Eddie, ask for black and blue or Pittsburg. That is the rareness you want.