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mph1977
5,027 posts
38 months
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BubbleHash said: When i tried to order a blue steak in my local pub. They told me it can't be done and its illgeal for them to cook it that way here. Crock of s  t. Needless to say i never went back. I think you may find that blue steak is 'illegal' in that it doesn't reach the temperatures required for 'hot food' or that the time required at a lower internal temperature would be too long - ( hence the reason Heston et al get away with sous vide ) but equally has been heated outside the requirements for cold food. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/cshrtempcon...
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LukeSi
5,093 posts
31 months
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Red meat not a chance in hell. Well done all the way, I don't like my steak still being alive.
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Flibble
1,090 posts
51 months
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LukeSi said: Red meat not a chance in hell. Well done all the way, I don't like my steak still being alive. Why not just order some old boot leather, it'll be much the same and cheaper.
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zygalski
1,085 posts
15 months
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mph1977 said: I think you may find that blue steak is 'illegal' in that it doesn't reach the temperatures required for 'hot food' or that the time required at a lower internal temperature would be too long - ( hence the reason Heston et al get away with sous vide ) but equally has been heated outside the requirements for cold food. http://www.food.gov.uk/multimedia/pdfs/cshrtempcon...I wouldn't order blue for a couple of reasons. The muppet in the beefeater or wherever will probably cook the steak straight from the fridge. An 8oz steak should take around 30 minutes to come up to temperature. The result is that you get a lightly seared outside & very cold middle. Not my idea of fun. Secondly, and this is purely personal preference, but I think a slightly charred exterior improves the flavour of a steak. Most of the blue ones I've had have been pretty bland, tbh. Lots of people order it on the grounds that they think it's dead sophisticated. A nicely cooked medium rare will always beat a blue hands down in terms of flavour. Also, give me rump over fillet any day of the week. 
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mattdaniels
5,145 posts
152 months
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I eat at a local Beefeater quite a bit (once a week or so) and they cook the steak really well. If I ask for rare - it comes rare. If I ask for medium - it comes medium.
I could probably tell you the shift pattern of the decent chefs there by the odd occasion if the steak isn't cooked to my liking (it will be overdone) but I never send it back it's not worth it and I'm usually in a hurry.
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Merlin28
653 posts
18 months
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I hate the way restaurants are filled with people who think they are professional food critics and only deserve the best for their pennies. There is always one self important t t who thinks they know everything about wine and how to pronounce all the food in the correct accent. They often say it loud enough for the rest of the restaurant to hear because they think they are impressing other people well they are not. I don't usually order steak when I am out as I think it is overpriced and quite boring, I always look for something I haven't tried or can't cook myself.
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jmorgan
17,271 posts
154 months
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Given up eating steaks at the cheaper places. I cannot see how they can turn 6 or 10 quid a head into a decent offering from what they get in to meet that price and experience has shown me they cannot.
So my attitude is, have the chicken, or gammon. Then watch the other diners look at what appears to be a fantastic steak (cos the restaurant has nice pictures proving so) and have trouble cutting and eating but continue to laud the merits of the old boot leather they are masticating as if it was the last one on earth.
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russy01
2,116 posts
51 months
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jmorgan said: Given up eating steaks at the cheaper places. I cannot see how they can turn 6 or 10 quid a head into a decent offering from what they get in to meet that price and experience has shown me they cannot.
So my attitude is, have the chicken, or gammon. Then watch the other diners look at what appears to be a fantastic steak (cos the restaurant has nice pictures proving so) and have trouble cutting and eating but continue to laud the merits of the old boot leather they are masticating as if it was the last one on earth. Spot on. I only have steak in 2 pubs, it's not worth the disappointment elsewhere - plus one of the pubs will only serve steak if the right chef is there. Only way I have a steak in a chain is if I am having their mixed grill - then usually its a 10mm thick bit of rump which is overcooked as its so thin.
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Gizmoish
15,887 posts
79 months
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mattdaniels said: I eat at a local Beefeater quite a bit (once a week or so) and they cook the steak really well. If I ask for rare - it comes rare. If I ask for medium - it comes medium.
I could probably tell you the shift pattern of the decent chefs there by the odd occasion if the steak isn't cooked to my liking (it will be overdone) but I never send it back it's not worth it and I'm usually in a hurry. Must be a good Beefeater then. My OH ordered a medium rump steak a couple of weeks ago and it arrived very rare, borderline blue. As someone said above: looked like it had been cooked for three minutes on the griddle straight from the fridge. (Perhaps the instructions on the wall said a specific cooking time but didn't mention "...and let it warm up first"?) Like many others I don't bother ordering steak in cheaper restaurants - but also I've stopped buying it in supermarkets. Invariably there's a skein of sinew through it rendering it inedible.  That reminds me... must go to Hawksmoor.
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Miguel Alvarez
3,355 posts
40 months
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LukeSi said: Red meat not a chance in hell. Well done all the way, I don't like my steak still being alive. Back in my meat eating days I used to think like that then when I was out in Portugal I was served a rare steak and the taste was out of this world.
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illmonkey
6,286 posts
68 months
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Miguel Alvarez said: LukeSi said: Red meat not a chance in hell. Well done all the way, I don't like my steak still being alive. Back in my meat eating days I used to think like that then when I was out in Portugal I was served a rare steak and the taste was out of this world. That's how I came to love it (basically) raw. In France, "medium, silver plate (S'il vous plait)". Came out after touching the pan for a few seconds either side, I was transformed.
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Gizmoish
15,887 posts
79 months
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illmonkey said: That's how I came to love it (basically) raw. In France, "medium, silver plate (S'il vous plait)". Came out after touching the pan for a few seconds either side, I was transformed. Time to try Tartare then.
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illmonkey
6,286 posts
68 months
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Gizmoish said: illmonkey said: That's how I came to love it (basically) raw. In France, "medium, silver plate (S'il vous plait)". Came out after touching the pan for a few seconds either side, I was transformed. Time to try Tartare then. I have and love it!
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Bullett
3,652 posts
54 months
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jmorgan said: Then watch the other diners look at what appears to be a fantastic steak (cos the restaurant has nice pictures proving so) If a menu has pictures I consider that a warning not to have the steak!
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hairyben
2,455 posts
53 months
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OH often has one of the "better" cuts of steak when there's a choice as being gluten-intolerant it's a safe choice when having a grab'n'dash meal in a weatherspoons or simular type chain-gastro pub. The done-ness can be a bit off either way, but not out of range of expectable or forgiveable for english budget eating, and never way off, or like leather etc.
If I'm in the mood to critique the steak I'd go somewhere like the rotisserie to start with. People who eat at a weatherspoon then think they're heston blumenthal need a slap.
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Marf
22,907 posts
111 months
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If I decide on steak at a cheaper restaurant I just ask for it rare, usually comes out at least pink. I agree with other posters you cannot expect great steak for cheap money, but that said cooking a steak properly should be a basic skill of any chef.
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Flibble
1,090 posts
51 months
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Last time I ordered steak in a weatherspoons I asked for rare and it came out well done. That said it cost £3 so can't really complain too much.
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Blown2CV
6,788 posts
73 months
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i'd imagine those people are ordering it on the rarer side and then realising that you can't cook a cheap bit of meat rare and have it turn out nice. Or, it won't be rested properly
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jmorgan
17,271 posts
154 months
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Bullett said: jmorgan said: Then watch the other diners look at what appears to be a fantastic steak (cos the restaurant has nice pictures proving so) If a menu has pictures I consider that a warning not to have the steak! And laminated.
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Blown2CV
6,788 posts
73 months
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Flibble said: Last time I ordered steak in a weatherspoons I asked for rare and it came out well done. That said it cost £3 so can't really complain too much. asking for a £3 steak rare is like getting pissed off at someone for nosing a kraft cheese slice
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