How to? A 'tasty' steak.
Author
Discussion

oilandwater

Original Poster:

1,427 posts

218 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
How can I make my steaks taste tasty. I have tried over the years, Rump, Sirloin, Rib eye, Fillet, and any others I've forgotten.
Grilled, fried, BBQ'ed.
Lightly salted, peppered, bashed about and generally buttered about, but I still can't reproduce the taste I get at a restaurant.
Any tips please.

Shaw Tarse

31,875 posts

231 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
Do you know what the chefs do to your steak?

Simpo Two

92,557 posts

293 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
I was surprised to see that Morrisons sell 'steak' flavour additive for steak... and the last time I had steak in a pub it defo tatsted steakier than steak IYSWIM.

GWC

4,432 posts

223 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
A liberal seasoning with sea salt.

dougc

8,241 posts

293 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
Everyone will come up with differnet hints and tips but for what its worth...

Well hung (phnaaaaaaaaar) ribeye - go see a butcher and ask him. Supermarket stuff can be good but something not wrapped in cellophane or kept at 1 degree C for 'elf and safety never helps

Always always always cook at room temperature.

Get the pan really fecking hot

Lightly oil the meat. Season to taste.

I sometimes toss in a little knob of butter while the steak cooks as I like the texture it imparts on the meat/

And last but not least, as tempting as it is, don't just get stuck in. Let the meat rest before you eat it.

Happy steaking!

oilandwater

Original Poster:

1,427 posts

218 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
Thank you for all the tips, I will let you know if I improve.

oilandwater

Original Poster:

1,427 posts

218 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
Shaw Tarse said:
Do you know what the chefs do to your steak?
I don't think I want to know!

redtwin

7,518 posts

210 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
oilandwater said:
I still can't reproduce the taste I get at a restaurant.
Unless it looks like this when you start, it won't have that taste when you finish.



I have personally never seen anything like that for sale (and not sure I would have the courage to buy it if I did) so I have given up.

Engineer1

10,486 posts

237 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
Buy a really good Steak and don't cook it with any strongly flavoured oils or cook it really slow,which should strengthen the flavour.

vladcjelli

3,369 posts

186 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
My Dad used to smear english mustard over the steak before frying it with a very little oil & buter in a very hot pan. Always seemed pretty good to me.
As an adult I can never seem to afford steak, so I have yet to perfect my own method.

mrmr96

13,736 posts

232 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
dougc said:
Everyone will come up with differnet hints and tips but for what its worth...

Well hung (phnaaaaaaaaar) ribeye - go see a butcher and ask him. Supermarket stuff can be good but something not wrapped in cellophane or kept at 1 degree C for 'elf and safety never helps

Always always always cook at room temperature.

Get the pan really fecking hot

Lightly oil the meat. Season to taste.

I sometimes toss in a little knob of butter while the steak cooks as I like the texture it imparts on the meat/

And last but not least, as tempting as it is, don't just get stuck in. Let the meat rest before you eat it.

Happy steaking!
- Agree with having the steak cut for you at the butcher, not wrapped in cellophane.
- Agree with cooking at room temp.
- Agree with smoking hot pan (I use a griddle pan)
- Agree with oil and season the meat: But to add: I rub in a generous amount of salt and pepper. I don't know whether it's sea or rock salt, but it's the granular kind not the big lumps kind. Smaller granules give better coverage.
- Agred with the butter: But to add: I use quite a lot of butter. Basically get the pan hot, then throw a knob of butter in there and let that melt so it's sizzling and use a brush to spread it round the pan. The carefully lay the steaks in there. Cook for 2 or 3 mins on that side, then turn ONCE ONLY to the other side and let it cook for another 2-3 mins. I add more butter to melt over the steaks while they are cooking the 2nd side. Finally check the firmness of the meat. Then use tongs to hodl the steak on it's edge (vertically) to cook the fat a bit more on the side. Finally put the steaks on a plate to rest for a couple of minutes before serving.

I did this method last week with a couple of butcher surloins, and I dare say it was even nicer than 80%-90% of the steaks I've had whilst eating out. To say I was pleased with them was an understatement.

So yeah, top tips
- Season with plenty of salt and pepper.
- Hot pan.
- Plenty of butter.
- Turn once only.
- Cook the fat.
- Rest.

Let us know how you get on. smile

B17NNS

18,506 posts

275 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
Agree with the above.

I use a griddle pan to give those nice lines smile

Meat at room temperature. Buy your cut from a 'real' butcher. Butchers are not just good at cutting meat, they are usually very knowledgable about cooking it too.

Season with salt and pepper and cover in butter (add a little garlic if that's your thing.

Red hot pan.

3 minutes one side, turn over, 3 minutes other side (depending on thickness and how you like it cooked.

Fillet is great for that melt in the mouth texture but a rib eye will have more flavour.

Mobile Chicane

21,973 posts

240 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
oilandwater said:
How can I make my steaks taste tasty. I have tried over the years, Rump, Sirloin, Rib eye, Fillet, and any others I've forgotten.
Grilled, fried, BBQ'ed.
Lightly salted, peppered, bashed about and generally buttered about, but I still can't reproduce the taste I get at a restaurant.
Any tips please.
Buy the best steak you can afford, and don't bugger about with it.

Avoid supermarket steak like bad AIDS - you won't find anything decent there. Waitrose are the best of a sorry bunch, however Waitrose sell underwhelming meat too.

A good steak should be dark red and dry-looking from gentle ageing. Ageing enables enzymes in the meat to tenderise it from within. Fat should be pearly-looking and creamy white / yellow, not slimy or grey.

Urban Sports

11,321 posts

231 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
I can never reproduce the restaurant taste no matter what. I have therefore taken the decision only to eat it in a good restaurant.

rolleyes

craigjm

21,270 posts

228 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
Agree with the above prep but mash down a top quality beef stock cube in the oil before you put it on the steak, really works!

Tanguero

4,535 posts

229 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
and a really generous sprinkle of monosodium glutamate...

craigjm

21,270 posts

228 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
Tanguero said:
and a really generous sprinkle of monosodium glutamate...
Yuk MSG is evil stuff

majordad

3,630 posts

225 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
My experience is the opposite to the above. I find it hard to get a good steak in the restaurant. I would need to stand ovr my steak personally as it cooks,, but not as per on a hot stone in another thread. My advice is, good butcher, he should cut the piece you want. Season it with pepper and a little salt. Cook. REST it. IMHO the most important part is the buying. I do not knock Supermarket Steak, just that it's impossible to predict how good/or not it will be. U mite be surprised though.

My personal favourite is T Bone, sometimes so big I cant/dont eat it all. left overs make a nice breakfast !

GWC

4,432 posts

223 months

Saturday 13th August 2011
quotequote all
Urban Sports said:
I can never reproduce the restaurant taste no matter what. I have therefore taken the decision only to eat it in a good restaurant.

rolleyes
It's salt.

sinizter

3,348 posts

214 months

Sunday 14th August 2011
quotequote all