Steak!

[squirrels]

Any steak guys here?

Where are you guys getting your beef from? How are you preparing it? What cuts do you prefer?

My friend and I recently took a trip to a farm about an hour away where they raise natural, grass-fed, grass-finished, dry-aged Angus beef. I can't say enough about it...the flavor in this beef is amazing. It takes a little getting used to, but only because most Americans are raised on watered-down beef that's grain-finished on feedlots to insure consistent, cost-effective product. You start getting the idea after eating some of this stuff that this is how beef "should taste".

I'm not doing anything special to prepare...a little olive oil to help sear and some sea salt with garlic powder and black peppercorn as a "rub". I don't get too much into marinades and such...I've always believed a GOOD steak should be able to stand almost on its own. 4 minutes or so on each side (depending on thickness) on the grill leaves 'em warm but nice and bloody inside. I've heard pan-seared and broiled also gives impressive results...have yet to try it.

I'll usually opt for a strip...gives the right balance between the tenderness of a filet and the flavor of something like a ribeye or sirloin.

What about you guys?

 

[Rogue]

I don't know anything about cooking and preparing a good steak, but I can answer your third question. I like a good New York strip but my favorite is the Tuscan Porterhouse, which combines both tenderloin and strip. I do agree with your opinion of Angus beef and agree a good steak needs to be able to stand on its own merits, although I personally find gorgonzola cheese to be a most heavenly delicious topping.

 

[KarmaSutra]

To hell with all of these fvcking pansy asses who spout that red meat is bad for you.

It's the one food that's sustained our species since before the Greys came and taught us how to build and manage society.

I eat red and green primarily. Bloody red meat accompanied by a green veggie.

Virtually any cut of beef can be succulent, if cooked appropriately for that particular cut.

This is why knowing, and consistently practicing, various cooking techniques is critical for any man who wants to keep himself properly fed.

 

[Bible_Belt]

There are about 40 cows in my backyard right now. They get grass in the summer, hay and a little corn in the winter. We don't use hormones or antibiotics. It's the best steak I've ever had. But unfortunately, we hardly ever eat any of the cows we raise. The cost to butcher and pack a cow is ridiculous. I think it was $1,500 the last time I checked. The meat comes out being more expensive than at the grocery store; you have to store it all; and you have to consume it before it spoils. I could sell it, but then I have to be USDA inspected and it's too much trouble and expense.

The highest quality of any food product you'll ever get is from the small farmer, but the rules of our food system are made by the lobbyists of a few giant companies. Ten or twelve people died a year or so ago from contaminated eggs that came from one giant operation. Rats pooped in the chicken feed, spreading e coli. The owner got no punishment at all. If I killed twelve people with the food I grow, they'd hang me from the nearest tree. All the small farmers have the same ridiculous government regulations placed upon them: inspections, permits, safety codes, municipal codes, intellectual property rights on plants and seed. It's nearly impossible to compete with the agro-industrial conglomerates, which is why your food's quality is low.

 

[f283000]

It's the one food that's sustained our species since before the Greys came and taught us how to build and manage society.

WTF are you talking about? Or better yet what weed are you smoking?

 

[KarmaSutra]

WTF

Only chicks use fvcking internet lingo.

Speak to a man as if you're a man, and I'll answer you.

 

[Quiksilver]

I have two scotch fillets sitting in the fridge right now, marinading.

One is for tonight, and one is for breakfast tomorrow.

I want to do them up on the grill but the gas line is blocked, so have to settle for a sizzle instead.

 

[f283000]

Only chicks use fvcking internet lingo.

Speak to a man as if you're a man, and I'll answer you.

If you're going to act like a spoiled chick about it then why bother answering? Keep it to yourself.

 

[KarmaSutra]

One of the best investments I've added to my culinary arsenal is a $15 cast iron grill pan. It's grooved to allow the fat or marinade to boil away.

Delmonico's seared on this thing taste better than Cindy Crawford's pvssy.

A couple of tips for you fellow carnivorous gents:

1. Leave the meat out to come to room temperature and have a super hot surface ready before you stick the meat to it. This ensures an immediate crust which seals in all of that bloody goodness.

2. I rarely use marinades for red meat. If I do, it's low-sodium Kikkoman, coarse ground black pepper, some red pepper flake, a dash of liquid smoke (applewood hickory is my favorite) and a little bit of Worcester sauce. The only time I use this marinade is for flank steak. Any thicker cut of meat and it's a rub of olive oil, kosher salt, course ground black pepper, and a little bit of granulated garlic.

Goddamn, now I'm thirsty for blood.

 

[KarmaSutra]

If you're going to act like a spoiled chick about it then why bother answering? Keep it to yourself.

You won't be typing like a b!tch from this point on.


You're welcome.

 

[Fuglydude]

There are about 40 cows in my backyard right now. They get grass in the summer, hay and a little corn in the winter. We don't use hormones or antibiotics. It's the best steak I've ever had. But unfortunately, we hardly ever eat any of the cows we raise. The cost to butcher and pack a cow is ridiculous. I think it was $1,500 the last time I checked. The meat comes out being more expensive than at the grocery store; you have to store it all; and you have to consume it before it spoils. I could sell it, but then I have to be USDA inspected and it's too much trouble and expense.

The highest quality of any food product you'll ever get is from the small farmer, but the rules of our food system are made by the lobbyists of a few giant companies. Ten or twelve people died a year or so ago from contaminated eggs that came from one giant operation. Rats pooped in the chicken feed, spreading e coli. The owner got no punishment at all. If I killed twelve people with the food I grow, they'd hang me from the nearest tree. All the small farmers have the same ridiculous government regulations placed upon them: inspections, permits, safety codes, municipal codes, intellectual property rights on plants and seed. It's nearly impossible to compete with the agro-industrial conglomerates, which is why your food's quality is low.

Aint' this the truth... Its really sad when government is essentially responsible for lowering the quality of something as essential and basic as food. I swear, big business is simply out to keep us unhealthy because so many people benefit financially when we're unhealthy. Everyone from the big agribusiness conglomerates to pharmaceutical companies and HMOs. Overall its just a sad state of affairs. I don't know what the situation is like up here in Canada, but I don't imagine it being that much better.

As far as the steak question goes, I enjoy a wide variety. When I'm out at a steakhouse, the prime rib is my steak of choice, rare to medium-rare. At home me and my fiance have a pretty steady diet of striploin. She's 5 weeks out and in a full ketogenic diet, I'm still coming off cycle, and I just love steak!

 

[squirrels]

One of the best investments I've added to my culinary arsenal is a $15 cast iron grill pan. It's grooved to allow the fat or marinade to boil away.

Delmonico's seared on this thing taste better than Cindy Crawford's pvssy.

A couple of tips for you fellow carnivorous gents:

1. Leave the meat out to come to room temperature and have a super hot surface ready before you stick the meat to it. This ensures an immediate crust which seals in all of that bloody goodness.

2. I rarely use marinades for red meat. If I do, it's low-sodium Kikkoman, coarse ground black pepper, some red pepper flake, a dash of liquid smoke (applewood hickory is my favorite) and a little bit of Worcester sauce. The only time I use this marinade is for flank steak. Any thicker cut of meat and it's a rub of olive oil, kosher salt, course ground black pepper, and a little bit of granulated garlic.

Goddamn, now I'm thirsty for blood.

When I bought my grill, I got a Char-Broil infrared. The grills get intensely hot on this thing, so I get a good sear. Now Char-Broils tend to rust, but mine's small enough that I keep it inside, out of the elements. A Solaire "Anywhere" grill might also be a good choice for an on-the-go bachelor.

The highest quality of any food product you'll ever get is from the small farmer, but the rules of our food system are made by the lobbyists of a few giant companies. Ten or twelve people died a year or so ago from contaminated eggs that came from one giant operation. Rats pooped in the chicken feed, spreading e coli. The owner got no punishment at all. If I killed twelve people with the food I grow, they'd hang me from the nearest tree. All the small farmers have the same ridiculous government regulations placed upon them: inspections, permits, safety codes, municipal codes, intellectual property rights on plants and seed. It's nearly impossible to compete with the agro-industrial conglomerates, which is why your food's quality is low.

Or you pay "out the arse" for the good stuff. Grassfed is not cheap. But "real" steak connoisseurs will pony up for it.

Most industrial ranchers finish on grain to insure a consistent product and thick marbling. The prevailing theory is that the more intramuscular fat, the more tender and juicy the steak. While a little fat helps carry the flavor at cooking time, more marbling isn't necessarily "better"...it depends on the breeding and care of the cattle. The other downside to the grain-finishing system, besides the inhumane conditions of feedlots, is that cattle are not naturally designed to digest grain. Thus farmers have to pump them full of antibiotics and steroids to keep them healthy, causing an increase in water weight. All this destroys the natural flavor of the beef. You can get some tender steaks, but the taste just isn't there.

Commercial farmers also wet-age their meat, because you lose less edible meat wet-aging than traditional dry-aging...this further reduces flavor. But it saves the consumer money because there's less waste.

Even Omaha steaks is grain-fed, wet-aged beef. Now it's aged for longer than typical supermarket meat, but then you can "age" a steak yourself if you really want to.

And why not?? Unless you're really "into" it, you won't be able to tell the difference between a "good" steak and a "great" steak, especially if you smother it in marinade or steak-sauce. You can get 85-90% of the quality of beef through the industrial system...and you're feeding more people.

That extra 10-15% is better for the cows (more humane), better for your body (more nutritious), and better for your taste-buds (more flavor), but it's much worse for your wallet. So you really have to appreciate it to pay for it.

 

[Bible_Belt]

85-90% of the quality

I might argue over that percentage. The only decent steak I've ever bought has been at least $25 a plate at a gourmet restaurant or higher-end steakhouse. I don't understand how anyone eats the crap that Applebee's or Chili's calls steak. I end up spitting most of it out because it's all gristle. Grocery store steak cooked myself is not any different. There's a guy who sells grass-fed beef at my local farmer's market. I paid $8 per uncooked steak, and it still sucks - dry, tough, and chewy.

I have been reading up on Kobe beef and 'Kobe-style' beef, but still have not tried it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_beef

 

[squirrels]

85-90% of the quality

I might argue over that percentage. The only decent steak I've ever bought has been at least $25 a plate at a gourmet restaurant or higher-end steakhouse. I don't understand how anyone eats the crap that Applebee's or Chili's calls steak. I end up spitting most of it out because it's all gristle. Grocery store steak cooked myself is not any different. There's a guy who sells grass-fed beef at my local farmer's market. I paid $8 per uncooked steak, and it still sucks - dry, tough, and chewy.

I have been reading up on Kobe beef and 'Kobe-style' beef, but still have not tried it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kobe_beef

Chain-restaurant steak is crap. You're largely dependent on the preparation, rather than the quality of the beef. Even alleged "steakhouses" like Outback are crap. Ruth's-Chris or high-dollar places in that vein are usually good.

Grass-fed is inconsistent...some cows come out better than others. At $8 a steak I'm wondering what you're REALLY getting, though. Many cows are grazed for a good portion of their lives, then "finished" in feedlots.

I bought a delmonico, strip, porterhouse, and some burgers and the total came to about $75-$80

Real "Kobe" (R) beef you can only get in Japan...but Wagyu cattle prepared in the Kobe-style is about the same thing.

The Japanese black Wagyu cattle are able to achieve incredible levels of intramuscular fat marbling, plus the fat generally melts at a lower temperature. The result is a very rich/buttery flavor...it's something I could not eat every time, but it's worth a taste just for the experience. When I threw that stuff on the grill it smelled like I had just dropped a dollop of butter on there.

You want to talk PRICEY, though...$50/lb at Wegmans. Not worth it unless you REALLY like the flavor. And that stuff CAN'T be good for you.

http://www.coolestgizmo.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/wagu.jpg

Look at that fat...the Japanese grade it at two levels ABOVE prime.

 

[5string]

squirrels.....Steaks from Costco are really good for the price. The butcher will cut them thick if you like (my preference).

Nothing beats a Weber charcoal bbq. Throw a little hickory on the coals for extra flavor.

Lots of times I'll take a packet of brown gravy mix, put whole peppercorns in the pot and a bit of white pepper and serve it hot on a steak. Easy. Something else I like is to marinate mine overnight in Italian salad dressing. Might sound weird, but I like it. I'm into the strips and filets.

 

[jtlancer]

Grassfed buffalo from northstar bison is awesome. If I had fracku money I'd be ordering tons of the jerky. It takes a while to get used to the game-y taste but once you've adapted you'll think regular beef is dreck.

 

[Rubirosa]

Try Montreal Steak Seasoning. When I first heard of it, I thought it was liquid, but it's actually a mixture of peppers and other things that really compliment beef. A company called McCormicks makes a good version.

 

[BigJimbo]

Only chicks use fvcking internet lingo.

Speak to a man as if you're a man, and I'll answer you.

And only emasculated American males cook. Find a young "chick" and have her prepare your steaks for you. Wait! You can't do that in your masculine America. Okay, buy your fancy cooking supplies and prepare something for a single mother.

 

[backbreaker]

Trying to talk my girl into cooking stake and potatoes tomorrow night so I can eat that while watching the NCAAT. Throw in a good bourbon... life doesn't get better my friend.

 

[cordoncordon]

One of the best investments I've added to my culinary arsenal is a $15 cast iron grill pan. It's grooved to allow the fat or marinade to boil away.

Is that because it goes well with your cast iron hoop earrings you wear and your cast iron studs you have in your titties?