How do you like your steak? The Poll
Poll: How do you like your steak? The Poll
Total Members Polled: 324
Discussion
About 4 years ago I asked for my steak Blue and was asked to sign the waiters order pad confirming that I understood what I had ordered !!
At the time I could not believe what i was asked and it took about 2 trips to the kitchen for the order to be actually accepted There were no current beef problems at the time I just assumed that a previous customer asking for Blue had not got what he/she expected. It was a fairly decent pub/restaurent just outside Henley-on-Thames.
Guy
At the time I could not believe what i was asked and it took about 2 trips to the kitchen for the order to be actually accepted There were no current beef problems at the time I just assumed that a previous customer asking for Blue had not got what he/she expected. It was a fairly decent pub/restaurent just outside Henley-on-Thames.
Guy
In my experience, people who eat their steak well done tend not to particularly like steak. And who can blame them - if I have to eat it well done, I'll take lamb, pork or chicken over beef.
Last time I bought duck breasts from a supermarket, I noticed that the cooking instructions urged cooking all the way through (I ignored them). I expect there are similar instructions on racks of lamb. Bloody food nannies.
Last time I bought duck breasts from a supermarket, I noticed that the cooking instructions urged cooking all the way through (I ignored them). I expect there are similar instructions on racks of lamb. Bloody food nannies.
It's almost impossible for us to resist the word "carpaccio" on a menu. Beef Carpaccio is great, fish carpaccio is even better. I'm sure I had potato carpaccio once time, but maybe that's my imagination.
Anyway, I wouldn't consider beef carpaccio to be what people think of as steak. If I'm eating a filet of steak, I like it seared on the outside, and raw in middle. It's a thread that's been posted many times before, and my suspicions are that people claim to eat raw steak more as a macho thing, or as some idea that they are rebelling against some conception of a "food nanny state", as opposed to it being a decision based on taste.
If you claim to eat raw steak, what's your opinion of raw pork or raw lamb ?
Anyway, I wouldn't consider beef carpaccio to be what people think of as steak. If I'm eating a filet of steak, I like it seared on the outside, and raw in middle. It's a thread that's been posted many times before, and my suspicions are that people claim to eat raw steak more as a macho thing, or as some idea that they are rebelling against some conception of a "food nanny state", as opposed to it being a decision based on taste.
If you claim to eat raw steak, what's your opinion of raw pork or raw lamb ?
otolith said:
In my experience, people who eat their steak well done tend not to particularly like steak. And who can blame them - if I have to eat it well done, I'll take lamb, pork or chicken over beef.
Me too. I do know a good few people, like my wife, who doesn't mind pink meat at all. She just can't stand what she calls "blood". This can be fixed a number of ways, though. Well hung meat isn't bloody to start with. Well rested meat will have the JUICES soaked back into the meat, instead of running out and causing consternation to those bothered by it. Finally one could do Heston Blumental's business of slow cooking the steak at 55C to set it all the way through, very, very gently and then just sear the outside (he uses a BLOWTORCH! How fun is that!). I'm going to try that in due course.
Me? I like my steak just "set" on the inside and seared a lovely brown on the outside. Don't care how it's achieved - I'll try anything. But that's the result I'm after. I find Blue too chewy, often, and would prefer to go completely raw (Carpaccio) in preference. So I voted "Rare".
otolith said:
Last time I bought duck breasts from a supermarket, I noticed that the cooking instructions urged cooking all the way through (I ignored them). I expect there are similar instructions on racks of lamb. Bloody food nannies.
Yes. The slightest possibility of one contracting any slight stomach upset would seem to have Elth'n'Safeteh twitching. With beef and lamb I'm happy to ignore them. With pork and chicken I'll be ensuring the centre of the meat gets above 85C for a minute or two...You can't cook pork rare but, my word, it is still soooo much better when it is just, JUST, done. We had a rack of pork from Laverstoke Farm recently and I managed to catch it just right. Meltingly tender but cooked through.
mechsympathy said:
IainT said:
There's some meduim ground between bad and average though. Something like a t-bone/ribeye can stand to be medium without being shoe-leather as long as it's cooked very very hot for a short time.
True. But if I can do it better at home I'll have something else, like gammon, egg and chips
BOR said:
Anyway, I wouldn't consider beef carpaccio to be what people think of as steak. If I'm eating a filet of steak, I like it seared on the outside, and raw in middle.
When I make carpaccio at home, I sometimes use fillet which I have very quickly seared on the outside before chilling down in the freezer and slicing. Just oiled and peppered and rolled around a very hot pand for a few seconds. You only get a millimetre or so of cooked meat round the edge of each slice, but it adds a little to the flavour and assuages any doubters of the bacteriological safety of the dish.BOR said:
If you claim to eat raw steak, what's your opinion of raw pork or raw lamb ?
Raw pork is dangerous. Raw lamb is tasty. You wouldn't cook rack of lamb well done, surely?BOR said:
and my suspicions are that people claim to eat raw steak more as a macho thing, or as some idea that they are rebelling against some conception of a "food nanny state", as opposed to it being a decision based on taste.
I'd agree with that. Much like the whole 'f
kyeah if it's not vindaloo it's for pussys' type comment.thegavster said:
Don said:
You can't cook pork rare but, my word, it is still soooo much better when it is just, JUST, done. We had a rack of pork from Laverstoke Farm recently and I managed to catch it just right. Meltingly tender but cooked through.
Now I could swear I have seen a Saturday kitchen where they reccomended serving the pork with the centre still slightly pink, assuming it was good, fresh meat.
Don said:
I do know a good few people, like my wife, who doesn't mind pink meat at all. She just can't stand what she calls "blood". This can be fixed a number of ways, though. Well hung meat isn't bloody to start with. Well rested meat will have the JUICES soaked back into the meat, instead of running out and causing consternation to those bothered by it. Finally one could do Heston Blumental's business of slow cooking the steak at 55C to set it all the way through, very, very gently and then just sear the outside (he uses a BLOWTORCH! How fun is that!). I'm going to try that in due course.
Common for people to be put off by bloody juices but to accept the meat pink. I haven't tried the recipe from the Blumenthal book, but I have tried poaching fillets in the slow cooker (wrapped in foil, and not quite covered) and then just searing the outside and serving. It works well, but it's too much hassle, mostly because even on low the slow cooker eventually gets too hot, so I have to monitor the temperature with a thermometer. If I had a thermostatic water bath, that would be perfect. I've also tried a Jamie Oliver recipe of just poaching them in wine and herbs, but I wasn't so keen on that. Prefer them parcelled up and cooked in their juices.
Don said:
You can't cook pork rare but, my word, it is still soooo much better when it is just, JUST, done. We had a rack of pork from Laverstoke Farm recently and I managed to catch it just right. Meltingly tender but cooked through.
A meat thermometer is essential to having confidence not to overcook meat, IMO. The cooking times quoted on packaging are almost always hopelessly excessive. In my oven, a 2kg chicken will cook to 85C in the leg in about 25 minutes of full blast and 35 minutes of gas mark 4. At that point, the legs will be just done and very juicy, and the breast will be well done but not overcooked. It will still cook a little more while it rests. Another half an hour in the oven (as often recommended) would ruin the breast meat.
escargot said:
BOR said:
and my suspicions are that people claim to eat raw steak more as a macho thing, or as some idea that they are rebelling against some conception of a "food nanny state", as opposed to it being a decision based on taste.
I'd agree with that. Much like the whole 'fkyeah if it's not vindaloo it's for pussys' type comment.Carpaccio and Tartare aren't just hacking a bit off a cow and saying - there you go. The stuff is prepared to be good - without "cooking" - you get onions and capers and pepper and lemon juice and olive oil and other good stuff!
I'll bet there are loads of "raw" meats you eat without thinking? Serrano ham? Parma ham? Cured but uncooked. Lovely.
Sushi? Yes the fish is uncooked but properly fresh with the pickles, wasabi and rice? Yum. Supermarkets are selling little trays of the stuff these days so there's plenty of demand for it. I can't believe the girls I see buying the stuff are doing it to be "macho". It's because it tastes nice!
thegavster said:
Don said:
You can't cook pork rare but, my word, it is still soooo much better when it is just, JUST, done. We had a rack of pork from Laverstoke Farm recently and I managed to catch it just right. Meltingly tender but cooked through.
Now I could swear I have seen a Saturday kitchen where they reccomended serving the pork with the centre still slightly pink, assuming it was good, fresh meat.Medium-well at the very most.
Don said:
escargot said:
BOR said:
and my suspicions are that people claim to eat raw steak more as a macho thing, or as some idea that they are rebelling against some conception of a "food nanny state", as opposed to it being a decision based on taste.
I'd agree with that. Much like the whole 'fkyeah if it's not vindaloo it's for pussys' type comment.Carpaccio and Tartare aren't just hacking a bit off a cow and saying - there you go. The stuff is prepared to be good - without "cooking" - you get onions and capers and pepper and lemon juice and olive oil and other good stuff!
I'll bet there are loads of "raw" meats you eat without thinking? Serrano ham? Parma ham? Cured but uncooked. Lovely.
Sushi? Yes the fish is uncooked but properly fresh with the pickles, wasabi and rice? Yum. Supermarkets are selling little trays of the stuff these days so there's plenty of demand for it. I can't believe the girls I see buying the stuff are doing it to be "macho". It's because it tastes nice!
Vote honestly, people! Your vote is anonymous! 
I like spicy food, but a vindaloo is stupidly hot, some madras can be nice but are borderline for me, I normally go slightly less spicy than your average madras....therefore, me eating my steak 'blue' isn't because i'm trying to be macho.
However, I won't eat my steak blue at any old restaurant, it has to be a decent gaff, otherwise I just don't bother ordering it.
However, I won't eat my steak blue at any old restaurant, it has to be a decent gaff, otherwise I just don't bother ordering it.
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