Bliz Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Kaos, why'd you stop at medium? I like 'em damn near rare, and I've never gotten sick. Hell, I've hardly ever seen anyone I know go beyond medium rare (except for my family, who all enjoy following the Jim Zorn tradition of staying medium), and I've never had anybody tell me that they've gotten sick from a steak. There's just more flavor with more pink. (There's my contribution to the out of context thread for the day.) A rare steak will not make you sick. Rare burgers, on the other hand... The difference is exposure of the meat to bacteria, which really only impacts the surface area. For a burger (ground beef) the whole thing has been exposed. Besides, it doesn't need to be rare. Easy to make a good juicy burger that's medium or medium-well. Steaks, as long as the outermost 1/4" is cooked, it's safe and at that point you're just going to preferred levels of flavor/texture. I like medium, personally. medium rare, while flavorful, is often more chewy than medium in my experience. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ross3909 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 First buy a quality grill that you can rely on to maintain a temperature. Second buy a detailed grilling book that will give you step by step directions on how to grill many different dishes, and follow it to the letter. I purchased "Weber's Way to Grill" and I have been very pleased with the results. You will find a key to cooking on a grill in many situations is slow cooking over indirect heat. Once you get the hang of what you learn from the book, branch out to other recipes you learn through friends or online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyDave Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I nominate this thread for Sticky Status ---------- Post added January-12th-2011 at 11:08 AM ---------- Anyone uses Yoshida sauce with their Grilled Fillet Mignon? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
USS Redskins Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I have an Infra red Grill from Charbroil - the RED. It has been awesome. They get super hot for the sear (around 700) and use 1/2 the propane od regular grills. I do miss the flames (there are no open flames - the heat passes through a trough)... My wife hates grilled food but ever since I have been using the Red, she cant get enough of my meat (ha ha). We have been going with Strip cuts about 2" thick - they cook super fast and taste great! I usually use EVOO and allot od Chicago Steak Seasoning from Weber. I sear the cuts for aoubt 3 minutes per side, lower the heat doe another 2-3 minutes and let them sit for about 10 minutes. The cuts are so important. Kroger has recently opened a large marketplace store near my home and they actually have awesome meats. I also learned allot from Steve Raihchlen. He has a show on PBS called primal grill and I have a few of his books which are awesome. his website is barbequebible.com One of his techniques was grilling a T-Bone directly on the coals.... you use a natural coal and it cooks right in the fire. It comes off with a black crust... I would love to try it but dont know about risking the $40 in meat... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfitzo53 Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 A rare steak will not make you sick. Rare burgers, on the other hand...The difference is exposure of the meat to bacteria, which really only impacts the surface area. For a burger (ground beef) the whole thing has been exposed. Besides, it doesn't need to be rare. Easy to make a good juicy burger that's medium or medium-well. Steaks, as long as the outermost 1/4" is cooked, it's safe and at that point you're just going to preferred levels of flavor/texture. I like medium, personally. medium rare, while flavorful, is often more chewy than medium in my experience. It's actually more a question of what the meat has come in contact with. By your logic, it's never safe to eat steak without cooking the outer surface, which is not true. Ground beef has been passed through a grinder, which on any given day may not have been washed, may have handled pork or poultry, etc. That's where your greatest risk of infection comes from, not from any bacteria that normally inhabits beef. First buy a quality grill that you can rely on to maintain a temperature. Second buy a detailed grilling book that will give you step by step directions on how to grill many different dishes, and follow it to the letter. I purchased "Weber's Way to Grill" and I have been very pleased with the results. You will find a key to cooking on a grill in many situations is slow cooking over indirect heat. Once you get the hang of what you learn from the book, branch out to other recipes you learn through friends or online. Following recipes step by step is an ok starting place, but I would argue that learning techniques is much more important. When you understand how to do basic things like create a sear, braise, make a pan sauce, stuff and roll a cut of meat, etc. the recipes become more a source of inspiration than strict procedures. It also makes it much easier to fix cooking mistakes or rescue troubled dishes (or rewrite bad recipes) when you have an understanding of how heat, food, and flavors interact. ---------- Post added January-12th-2011 at 12:47 PM ---------- One of his techniques was grilling a T-Bone directly on the coals.... you use a natural coal and it cooks right in the fire. It comes off with a black crust... I would love to try it but dont know about risking the $40 in meat... Yeah in one of his books he advocates doing the same thing with a flank steak. Get the coals roaring hot and slap (he makes a point of saying to literally slap it down) on the coals and cook it for a minute on each side. I'm looking forward to trying it but I can't have a grill right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bliz Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 A rare steak will not make you sick. Rare burgers, on the other hand...The difference is exposure of the meat to bacteria, which really only impacts the surface area. For a burger (ground beef) the whole thing has been exposed. Besides, it doesn't need to be rare. Easy to make a good juicy burger that's medium or medium-well. Steaks, as long as the outermost 1/4" is cooked, it's safe and at that point you're just going to preferred levels of flavor/texture. I like medium, personally. medium rare, while flavorful, is often more chewy than medium in my experience. It's actually more a question of what the meat has come in contact with. By your logic, it's never safe to eat steak without cooking the outer surface, which is not true.Ground beef has been passed through a grinder, which on any given day may not have been washed, may have handled pork or poultry, etc. That's where your greatest risk of infection comes from, not from any bacteria that normally inhabits beef. I wasn't being very specific, but you're right. Bacteria the meat is exposed to through outside factors, principally the grinder for ground beef, and whatever surfaces or handling the steaks are subjected to. I don't grind my own beef or cut my own steaks, hence I don't trust it to be free from bacteria. If a butcher cut it fresh for you from the middle of a slab, you could eat a raw ribeye and be fine. But I don't think I would want to. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I'm with the other person who said they can't get past the texture of rare or blue rare meat. I do not like my food to have the texture of cartilage. Same reason I avoid certain types of sushi. I go with medium or medium rare. You still get the great flavor but you get past the texture issue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Forgot to ask this earlier: Since I've been having those issues with smoke points, does butter smoke significantly or just burn? And if if does smoke, does the temperature vary significantly depending on what kind of butter you use? (Actually, if it burns, I should probably know the temperature for that, too.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zoony Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Forgot to ask this earlier: Since I've been having those issues with smoke points, does butter smoke significantly or just burn? And if if does smoke, does the temperature vary significantly depending on what kind of butter you use? (Actually, if it burns, I should probably know the temperature for that, too.) butter burns at very low temperatures. Sometimes this is a good thing, depending on what you are doing. For steak, the best thing to do is put a pad of butter on top of the steak while it is resting (after it is cooked) and let it melt over top of the steak. Wow, now I'm hungry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kosher Ham Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yes, butter is for the top of the steak. Try a cajun butter. I don't have the recipe handy but damn it is tasty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted January 12, 2011 Author Share Posted January 12, 2011 Yes, butter is for the top of the steak. Try a cajun butter. I don't have the recipe handy but damn it is tasty. Are there any good store-bought brands, or is it pretty much something you have to make yourself? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Enzo Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Step 1: Make Fire or light a grill Step 2: Put meat on fire & cook until done to like doneness Step 3: Eat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bpoch Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Are there any good store-bought brands, or is it pretty much something you have to make yourself? I like to mix a little bit of minced garlic and parsley flakes into my butter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 I like to mix a little bit of minced garlic and parsley flakes into my butter. a little cayanne and sea salt does me right Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
China Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Bleu cheese butter on top. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dr. Do Itch Big Posted January 12, 2011 Share Posted January 12, 2011 Kinda off topic but how do I find a good butcher shop? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 Kinda off topic but how do I find a good butcher shop? I was wondering that as well. I've just been using the grocery store. Any good DC-area recommendations? Also, another question about oils and smoke points: Someone posted this smoke points chart earlier. It repeatedly describes oils as unrefined, semi-refined, refined, and "Good Eats", which I assume is a brand association with the show. I looked at several bottles of oil in our pantry - I believe canola, olive, and sunflower were all there - and I couldn't find anything on any bottle about whether or not the oil in question was refined at all, let alone the extent. Is there some other word I should be looking for? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipwhich Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 I was wondering that as well. I've just been using the grocery store. Any good DC-area recommendations?Also, another question about oils and smoke points: Someone posted this smoke points chart earlier. It repeatedly describes oils as unrefined, semi-refined, refined, and "Good Eats", which I assume is a brand association with the show. I looked at several bottles of oil in our pantry - I believe canola, olive, and sunflower were all there - and I couldn't find anything on any bottle about whether or not the oil in question was refined at all, let alone the extent. Is there some other word I should be looking for? Unrefined would say it on the label if it were so. With the exception of extra virgin olive oil...extra virgin...being close to it's unrefined state. I would venture that you wont find much unrefined oil at the Safeway or Giant. It's all refined and has higher smoke points then it's unrefined counterpart. ---------- Post added January-12th-2011 at 08:06 PM ---------- Kinda off topic but how do I find a good butcher shop? Most Butcher Shops don't stay in business in the area because their meat is more expensive than the grocer, and Sam's club, and Americans want quantity over quality... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hubbs Posted January 13, 2011 Author Share Posted January 13, 2011 Unrefined would say it on the label if it were so. With the exception of extra virgin olive oil...extra virgin...being close to it's unrefined state. I would venture that you wont find much unrefined oil at the Safeway or Giant. It's all refined and has higher smoke points then it's unrefined counterpart. So on most bottles there isn't anything I could look for? Not even a distinction between semi-refined and refined? (And would unrefined oil say "100% natural" or something? Can it still be all-natural if it's refined, or would that involve additives?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chipwhich Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 So on most bottles there isn't anything I could look for? Not even a distinction between semi-refined and refined? (And would unrefined oil say "100% natural" or something? Can it still be all-natural if it's refined, or would that involve additives?) I wouldn't think it would say refined anywhere. Unrefined oil is basically from the native food, i.e. peanut oil without any modification. You wont find that easily on the shelf. I think you can assume its all refined unless you went to a specialty food store that sold the unrefined versions. Olive oil is your closest commercial oil with extra virgin, or virgin being "partially" refined. I wouldn't think any oil on the grocers shelf is all natural refined unless it says so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maximus71 Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Something I have been playing around with... I have been grilling for over 18 years, even in high school I used to be the cook at BBQ events! When grilling steaks, I flip them exactly one minute on each side until it's near med rare, think of your self as human rotisserie. Results are glistening bright red against the black of the coating, edge to edge, with no gray stratum near the outside! Picture perfect and delicious steak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bliz Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Most Butcher Shops don't stay in business in the area because their meat is more expensive than the grocer, and Sam's club, and Americans want quantity over quality... Can't speak to Sam's, but Costco actually has pretty good meat. I've been particularly impressed with the quality of their ribs. BUT avoid the boston butts. They de-bone them, which is stupid. The pulled pork doesn't come out as well. The bone adds good flavor, and cutting the meat adds surface area and makes the butt less like a hunk of meat and more like a big strip, so it gets a little more dry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SnyderShrugged Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Can't speak to Sam's, but Costco actually has pretty good meat. I've been particularly impressed with the quality of their ribs. BUT avoid the boston butts. They de-bone them, which makes them more difficult to cook as well (if you're making pulled pork), and the bone adds good flavor. every few months Harris Teeter grocery store has a great sale on tenderloin. buy one get one free. We have them cut it into steaks and then we freeze them. This has worked out very well for us. We have great and tender steaks for a few months right on hand. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Busch1724 Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 Hubbs, talk to some hunters or farmers you may know. They'll know where the good butchers are in your area. One thing with where I live at, there's a great butcher shop 15 minutes down the road. Don't get grocery store meat, it's just not the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tone_dubbz Posted January 13, 2011 Share Posted January 13, 2011 For steak, SS nailed it. If you are cooking indoors, try this. Take a ribeye or NY strip, rub it with fresh garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper. Get a cast iron pan or a stainless steel pan very hot with some olive oil and butter in the bottom of the pan. The key is to get the pan HOT, with a tiny little bit of smoke coming off the oil. Steak should be close to room temperature at this point, also. Place the steak in the pan, carefully, laying it away from you so you don't get splattered. Let it sear for 2-3 minutes then flip it and repeat. Once both sides have a nice, brown color, take the pan off the burner and place it in a 325 preheated oven. If you want an incredibly moist juicy steak, leave the oven door ever so slightly ajar and let it cook for 15 minutes or so.Best damn steak you can cook anywhere. I don't know where you live, but if you bespoil that work of art with any form of steak sauce, I will hunt you down and kill you myself. ^ This!!!! I bought a couple of ribeyes yesterday for me and the wifey and tried this technique. I got the pan nice and hot, threw some butter down and seared both sides for about 3 minutes each. I had the oven broiling at 400 (lowest it can go), and threw the steaks in for about 7 minutes. I like medium rare, wife likes her medium well (cooked hers for an additional 3 min). This was by far the juiciest steak I've ever made. I have one more steak left, so best believe I will be doing this again tonight!!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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