Instructions [on how to cook] Steak like a Restaurant

eHow.com ^ | a few years ago | Anon

[Terry Mross]

Had a steak the other night at SaltGrass Steakhouse. Outstanding! I told my wife I’d bet they were done in an oven. I’m cooking steaks tonight and will be doing it the way you described. Thanks.

[SJSAMPLE]

I put the steak on a wood cutting board and cover it with foil for five minutes. This is called “tinting” and allows the steak to cool just a bit and to allow the juices to reabsorb into the meat. If you cut it right away, the juices are forced out of the meat and you get a dry, runny steak.

[SJSAMPLE]

Oh, schmeck!

[Alas Babylon!]

Absolutely agree!

After 2 minutes, it's ruined and no longer worthy of being called steak. It has transmuted to “leather”.

Well-done, it's the ruined what's for dinner.

[Batman11]

PFL

[JRandomFreeper]

That's the way I cook 'em, except for this part: Test the steak by inserting a meat thermometer.

After your first couple of thousand steaks, you can tell by touching without poking holes in the meat. I also let the steak rest for a bit before service.

/johnny

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Or - You can do what I do and just hack it into huge chunks about 1-1/2 to 2 inches thick.

That's what I do with London Broil. My Father in law has a butcher who will cut them into huge 4-5lb. behemoths for about $2.50/lb. I freeze them a bit to make them juts a bit stiffer for cutting then cut them across the grain into 1" thick medallions. Marinate them in something light for a few hours in a vac sealed pouch. Grill them at high temp for a VERY short time. They are so tender it is like a slice of heaven.

Other than that, blade steaks do it for me. So much flavor when done right.

[BlueLancer]

Bookmarked ... until I can get home and access a printer.

[Made In The USA]

Have to bump this for a bookmark - thanks!

[panaxanax]

There are so many jokes I could make about your “pot holder”.

LOL

[Pharmboy]

Oh geez...hadn’t thought of that; but I WILL say that it is the biggest one in the neighborhood.

[Pharmboy]

If I did not live in an apartment, I would agree; BUT, try this method sometime—esp. for a thicker steak.

[Stand Watch Listen]

you can get really good at checking doneness just by quickly poking it with your finger tip to check its resistance.

For the novice…to develop your ‘touch’

The Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat

Open the palm of your hand. Relax the hand. Take the index finger of your other hand and push on the fleshy area between the thumb and the base of the palm. Make sure your hand is relaxed. This is what raw meat feels like. (Check this out the next time you have a raw steak to cook.)

Press the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb. The fleshy area below the thumb should give quite a bit. This is what meat cooked to rare feels like. Open up your palm again and compare raw to rare.

Gently press the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb. This is medium rare.

Press the tip of your ring finger and your thumb together. The flesh beneath the thumb should give a little more. This is what meat cooked to a medium doneness feels like.

Press the tip of your ring finger and your thumb together. The flesh beneath the thumb should give a little more. This is what meat cooked to a medium doneness feels like.

Now gently press the tip of your pinky and your thumb together. Again feel the fleshy area below the thumb. It should feel quite firm. This is what well done meat feels like when you press on it. (Check this out the next time you overcook a piece of meat.)

[JoanVarga]

I simply cannot bear to pierce a steak with a thermometer. Most chefs never would as it allows juices to escape.

There’s a sure-fire way to tell: touch your thumb to your forefinger and feel the fleshy muscle of your thumb: that’s how rare feels on a steak. Thumb to middle finger is med-well. Ring finger is medium, pinky finger is officially only fit for the dog.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

***I bet that ruined your night life!***

Ruining your night life is when you are welding overhead from a sitting position and a large blog of slag and molten welding rod falls in your lap and burns it’s way through to...OUCH!

Bye bye night life for three or four weeks!

Voice of experience.

[longtermmemmory]

real cooks would not violate the sanitary nature of the food with direct contact.

a thermometer probe is fine.

[Sir_Ed]

It’s also nice to dry-age it a few days in the frig.

Ed

[JoeProBono]

[Daffynition]

I've switched almost exclusively to buying Angus beef these days...and I find it has so little fat...I need a few drops of EVOO in the fry pan.

Anyone notice the rind fat on Angus is not greasy/fatty like steaks of old?

[Daffynition]

Bleu cheese butter is good too...if you’re so inclined. :P