does anyone know of a great steak recipe!! like the first pic above?
Hi Linda,
sorry i did not see this question earlier.
please read along with me here, as I try to describe to you what a good steak is.
beef steaks are my best eats! right up there with good hamburgers and pho!
a good steak can be a very touchy subject and if you ask 5 different people, u will get 5 diff answers...same with if u ask 20 people, u will get 20 diff answers also.
ok...first off...u have to pick a part of the cow that you like most...most people like the rib eye, as it has some fat, giving the meat that fatty taste. some people will argue that the best beef comes from the tenderloin area...some will say the best is the sirloin...some just like the hard and tough brisket.
beef cuts on a cow:
the Chuck is near the shoulders
the brisket cut is in the front, upper front leg, thighs
shanks are the meat around the leg bones
the Rib cut, is top middle of the cows back
the sirloins are more back, but still the top of the cows back
the round cuts, are near the tail
and the flank cuts are the belly
I like the rib and sirloins.
a good piece of steak should be sweet. what is a good recipe?? honestly! simple. salt! and maybe pepper. THATS IT! you should not need to add anything else. yes, really!. the taste of a good beef steak comes from the taste of the beef itself. its sweet and moist, and still has the beef taste.
steak sauce like A-1 is a no-no
.... u will take away the sweetness of the beef if u add steak sauce....
why is there even steak sauce?? franchise food restaurants uses steak sauce to disguise the fact that they are serving 'mature' beef. mature meaning, the cow is old and is near its end of time. usually old cows are cheaper and the meat is tougher and harder and it is not as sweet in flavor.
the reason why people eat beef rare or medium rare? simply put, to keep the flavor inside the meat. if a steak is well done, it becomes hard and the beef flavor is lost, the juices has been cooked away or gone. if you cook beef steak rare or medium rare, the juices are still flowing and it will recirculate back into the meat. that is why chefs let steak rest for 5 to 10 mins after cooking it, to allow juice flow. why do some people eat well done steak?? i dont know...kinda defeats the purpose, if u ask me!...but one exception, i can understand those who have health issues, that may chose a well done steak...
a popular steak method, is aging...yes, some chefs will age their beef. in a well designed aging room, with good air flow and free of bacteria, they hang the steaks and let it age. some chefs let their steaks age for days, some for weeks...some even for months....thes
e steaks are truly delicious! aging of steaks breaks down the tissues and some of the weight is lost during this process, in return the flavor intensifies.
there are two main methods, dry aging and wet/vacuum aging...but thats a different thread....
japan has some of the best beef cows in the world. its is called Kobe Beef. the cattle (cow) is treated like a lady going in for a makeover at a beauty salon. the cows get a smooth petting and rub down daily. like us getting an expensive massage. their hair is combed and styled. the cows eat the finest quality feed.
america has their angus beef, which is nothing in comparison to japans kobe beef.
so here is the universal recipe, that even professional chefs use:
1 piece of beef steak, any size
add salt
add black pepper (optional)
just! on one side, a squeeze of lemon or lime, if no lemon or lime use vinegar (optional)
flavor the meat, let it sit and marinate for at least 15mins. cook the meat at least 5 mins on each side, this depends on how big and heavy your piece is. and how rare you want your meat. cook longer for well done.
and there u have it!....basically u just need salt. the real flavor is the beef itself....
shhhh! dont let the secret out!