What a Steak Dinner Should Look Like

[MM 6,562]

***** WARNING SLIPSLAPSLOP -- DON'T LOOK AT THIS IF YOU'RE SQUEAMISH ABOUT UNCOOKED MEAT******

I frequently buy my steaks at a butcher's and cook at home using the method BeerBelly described.

I just cooked one tonight..125F internal temp (rare med rare), allowed to rest 15 minutes, and then seared 1 minute per side in a very hot cast iron pan.

 

The steaks are Aussie Angus ribeye, each cut to 1 1/2" thickness, and weighing 16oz apiece. Cost was about 750 baht for each steak, but we get two dishes out of each.

 

The steaks...

 

 

The doneness..

 

The fixings...

 

[brotherbuzz 3,206]

How do you do that?

OK, poor wording on my part. Rather than thaw the meat just toss it in the pan or on the grill and cook it. I thought it would be under-cooked and/or cold in the middle but it wasn't.

[brotherbuzz 3,206]

Sauteed mushrooms........ a beautiful thing.

[atlas2 4,329]

A good vet could bring that back to life MM!

 

 

That's all my Steak jokes well done.

 

 

I actually hardly ever eat beef……….

 

I was however, taken by 'The Boss' and her family last year to a special beef restaurant in Sakon Nakon that they were very proud of. Trays of very thin kobe-like beef... of various cuts were brought out and cooked at the table on a BBQ with knobs of butter………I have to say it was excellent.

 

The only other 'steak moments' that come to mind was my first skewer at Momentoes……. and once I helped get stuck into a whole fillet. It came to the table looking like a loaf of bread……. my host carved slices of it the in the same way you'd cut a crusty farmhouse ……..Must have been roasted.

[Gary 4,119]

There are a lot of different theories as to what makes the best beef. Finished on grain seems to me, gives the best flavor but there are those who insist that grass fed is the best. Those who think that those fed on grass are great should really like Thai beef. Thai beef doesn't even make edible hamburgers without mixing some fatty pork sausage with it and even then it doesn't have much flavor. I was born and raised in Ohio. A farmer who lived near me always insisted that sunshine made the beef tough. His steers never left the barn and were finished out with corn. He had excellent beef. I doubt that the sun had anything to do with it and the fact that his beef was excellent had to do with them getting very little exercise.

 

I bought some steaks in Pattaya that were supposedly raised by Aussies. I must say that they were quite good. The Pattaya butcher told me that the cattle were fed pineapple scraps from a nearby canning factory. I don't know if that is true or not. Maybe the Aussies didn't want to give any secrets away. Pigs are happy to eat pineapple scraps but I don't know about cattle.

 

I do know that if a raw steak isn't marbled with some streaks of fat, it will have very little flavor and will likely be tough. As far as I am concerned, beef loin is a poorest cut of beef that there is. Even chuck steaks have much better flavor. Chuck steaks are the cheapest and come from beef front quarters. The best beef is aged for tenderness.

[graymatter 153]

A good vet could bring that back to life MM!

 

 

That's all my Steak jokes well done.

 

 

I actually hardly ever eat beef……….

 

I was however, taken by 'The Boss' and her family last year to a special beef restaurant in Sakon Nakon that they were very proud of. Trays of very thin kobe-like beef... of various cuts were brought out and cooked at the table on a BBQ with knobs of butter………I have to say it was excellent.

 

The only other 'steak moments' that come to mind was my first skewer at Momentoes……. and once I helped get stuck into a whole fillet. It came to the table looking like a loaf of bread……. my host carved slices of it the in the same way you'd cut a crusty farmhouse ……..Must have been roasted.

 

My local pub nails a couple of T bones to the ceiling above the bar. The idea is that anyone who can stand on the bar and eat the T Bones gets to drink for free. I dropped in last week and the Publican said "go on have a go at it". I gave it one look and said.."sorry but the steaks are too high!"

[atlas2 4,329]

The best beef is aged for tenderness.

 

Just like us!!

[nkped 1,208]

In Ohio and much of the rest of the US, grass feeding beef cattle wouldn't really be practical due to lack of real estate. I wonder if we may have developed the taste for grain fed beef because that was what was available. It may also make economic sense if you grow your own grain.

[nus01 305]

MM thats a good looking steak

 

I wont cook steak myself because i can't cook (or buy) a good one, the stuff you buy at the supermarket isnt comparable to a proper aged grain fed steak and i cant at least prepare a supermarket steak to taste anything like a steak from a top class restaurant

 

A top notch steak is best prepared medium rare , not undercooked, but seared properly

 

The cheaper steak needs to be cooked closer to well done and becomes to dry

[graymatter 153]

In Ohio and much of the rest of the US, grass feeding beef cattle wouldn't really be practical due to lack of real estate. I wonder if we may have developed the taste for grain fed beef because that was what was available. It may also make economic sense if you grow your own grain.

 

Makes even more sense when the government pays farmers to grow the grain that feeds the cattle.

[Evil Penevil 7,628]

[img=http://www.pattayatalk.com/forums/public

2015-04-30 00.04.00.jpg

 

The fixings...

2015-04-30 00.04.35.jpg

Now that's also what a steak dinner should look like!

 

Evil

[Hub 203]

We have an Irish butcher here in my town that has the best aged steak I've ever bought. The cuts are in the $30 - $36/pound range. I usually go for a 2" cut.

 

I agree with MM, a good cast iron grill pan is essential if not cooking on the BBQ.

 

My understanding is that you really can't get anything similar in Thailand, at least per a discerning friend that lives in Thailand and isn't afraid to spend. The problem is that now that's he has had one, I have to pack several in my luggage now when I travel and see him!

 

Here is a NY strip from last week:

[Fatboyfat 361]

The names of these steaks can be quite confusing. For example Hub's NY Strip (UK sirloin) looks to be exactly the same as MM's Rib Eye. I do like Rib eye, but in UK there is generally a large"ish" circle of fat in it (I always assumed that to be the eye) which nicely bastes the steak during cooking.

As for taste, I always find that the length of time that it has been hung dictates much more than feed etc.; although I am led to believe that the cattle must be grain fed in order to facillitate long aging processes. EU regulations somewhat decimated the good beef taste in UK many years ago, but there is a "fad" now starting up extolling the taste virtues of some extreme "hanging times" -- up to 1 year and 3 months! I have tried a 100 day steak at a well known restaurant in Ambleside, the taste was exquisite and very different to a shop/supermarket bought effort.

[Gary 4,119]

In Kalida, Ohio there was a steak house called the Black Angus. He aged the steaks himself. You wouldn't want to walk into the aging room. They had to scrape mold off the beef before they cut it. That said, his steaks were excellent, as good as I have ever had. That resturant had been there for many years before the national chain came along and called the chain Black Angus. The chain actually sued the guy for using the name he had been using for many years. The owner of the original told the judge the story and he was allowed to keep the name as long as it stayed in the original location. Lawyers suck.

[graymatter 153]

The names of these steaks can be quite confusing. For example Hub's NY Strip (UK sirloin) looks to be exactly the same as MM's Rib Eye. I do like Rib eye, but in UK there is generally a large"ish" circle of fat in it (I always assumed that to be the eye) which nicely bastes the steak during cooking.

As for taste, I always find that the length of time that it has been hung dictates much more than feed etc.; although I am led to believe that the cattle must be grain fed in order to facillitate long aging processes. EU regulations somewhat decimated the good beef taste in UK many years ago, but there is a "fad" now starting up extolling the taste virtues of some extreme "hanging times" -- up to 1 year and 3 months! I have tried a 100 day steak at a well known restaurant in Ambleside, the taste was exquisite and very different to a shop/supermarket bought effort.

 

Since the beginning of this thread I have learned a lot more about steaks. The process of dry aging reduces the weight of the steal and increases the price conciderably. Since the introduction of cryovac packaging I believe that very few restaurants in Australia sell dry aged beef and I can honestly say that I have not bought dry aged beef. The beef sellers don't market the meat and the economics would suggest that this might be difficult with the price being at least double the normal price.

 

I have decided to try some well aged steaks and was surprised that my local drinking hole was listed as one of the few places that sells dry age steak in Perth. Fibber Mcgees is more your pub meal type of place and I usually get their steak and stout pie. Who knew that their steaks were international standard.

 

"The Beef at Fibber McGee's comes from the best local W.A. producers. We 'Dry Age' all our beef on-site. We char-grill all our steaks and serve with organic vegetables when possible.

 

Dry Aged Rump Steak $38 300 grams

Dry Aged Rib-Eye Steak $48 500 grams

Dry Aged Sirloin Steak $39 300 grams

Dry Aged Fillet Steak $45 250 grams

 

All steaks served with hand cut chips, onion rings, mushrooms, greens and your choice of: Peppercorn sauce, red wine jus, mushroom sauce or blue cheese butter."

 

Apparently the dry aging concentrates the flavours so it is much different. I'll try it first but I might need to re visit some of my comments.

I have attached a link to explain the various cuts of meat because it seems we all have different names for the same cuts.

 

http://www.seriouseats.com/2011/03/the-four-high-end-steaks-you-should-know-ribeye-strip-tenderloin-t-bone.html

 

This was interesting to me because I wasn't sure about a "new York Strip" and there have been different comments about sirloin steaks. In Perth restaraunts the number one choice is fillet but it appears that the New York strip is the steak of choice in the USA. Turns out that I'm a fan of the T-bone which gives me the best of both worlds.

 

Having made these comments, I eat red meat twice a week but over the past 5 to 10 years I have rarely invested in a steak. I prefer to cook my meat in a slow cooked method and by far my favourite is to take some Chuck steak which I marinate with a curry paste for a few hours before cooking for a couple of hours in coconut milk. I have a local "indian" shop who makes their own curry paste and all I add is a sprig of curry leaves. I'm not sure which component is the killer one but the result is a curry with meat that melts in your mouth. Every one comes back for seconds. It costs me $5 per serve against the $45 for a good steak so its a no brainer for me.

[nkped 1,208]

According to this writer, a little aging is needed but more is not better. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2010/07/is-aged-beef-overrated/60577/

[graymatter 153]

For any of you who actually like Australian Beef, I have some bad news. The forward orders in the USA together with a serious drought in the North of Australia have caused shortage of supply and huge price increases.

 

I accused my local butcher of supplying a family pet when I looked at the prices last week.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-27/cattle-projections-beef-production-down-prices-up/6049130

 

I might need to try some USA grain fed beef in the future. It will be the cheaper option.

 

Looks like the chooks are endangered for a while.

[MM 6,562]

For any of you who actually like Australian Beef, I have some bad news. The forward orders in the USA together with a serious drought in the North of Australia have caused shortage of supply and huge price increases.

 

I accused my local butcher of supplying a family pet when I looked at the prices last week.

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-01-27/cattle-projections-beef-production-down-prices-up/6049130

 

I might need to try some USA grain fed beef in the future. It will be the cheaper option.

 

Looks like the chooks are endangered for a while.

 

This is potentially very bad news for those of us who buy Australian beef exclusively.

 

I haven't seen any major price shifts yet.

[graymatter 153]

 

This is potentially very bad news for those of us who buy Australian beef exclusively.

 

I haven't seen any major price shifts yet.

 

 

Last year I was getting rump steak for $12 per kilo. This year the same steak is costing $25 per kilo. Even if we allow for the effect of the seasons and of course the lower price for AUD then the prices have definitely gone up for the locals.

 

Of course the Aussie farmers are eternal pessimists as demonstrated in this bush poem

 

Said Hanrahan

PJ Hartigan © by John O'Brien

 

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan in accents most forlorn,

Outside the church, ere Mass began one frosty Sunday morn.

The congregation stood about coat-collars to the ears,

And talked of stock, and crops, and drought as it had done for years.

"It's looking crook," said Daniel Croke; "Bedad, it's cruke, me lad,

For never since the banks went broke has seasons been so bad."

 

"It's dry, all right," said young O'Neil, with which astute remark

He squatted down upon his heel and chewed a piece of bark.

And so around the chorus ran, "It's keepin' dry, no doubt."

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan, "Before the year is out."

"The crops are done; ye'll have your work to save one bag of grain;

From here way out to Back-o'-Bourke they're singin' out for rain

 

"They're singin' out for rain," he said, "And all the tanks are dry."

The congregation scratched its head, and gazed around the sky.

"There won't be grass, in any case, enough to feed an ass;

There's not a blade on Casey's place as I came down to Mass."

"If rain don't come this month," said Dan, and cleared his throat to speak -

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan, "If rain don't come this week."

 

A heavy silence seemed to steal on all at this remark;

And each man squatted on his heel, and chewed a piece of bark.

"We want an inch of rain, we do, "O'Neil observed at last;

But Croke "maintained" we wanted two, to put the danger past.

"If we don't get three inches, man, or four to break this drought,

We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan, "Before the year is out."

 

In God's good time down came the rain; and all the afternoon

On iron roof and window-pane it drummed a homely tune.

And through the night it pattered still, and lightsome, gladsome elves

On dripping spout and window-sill kept talking to themselves.

It pelted, pelted all day long, a-singing at its work,

Till every heart took up the song way out to Back-o'-Bourke.

 

And every creek a banker ran, and dams filled overtop;

"We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan, "If this rain doesn't stop."

And stop it did, in God's good time; and spring came in to fold

A mantle o'er the hills sublime of green and pink and gold.

And days went by on dancing feet, with harvest-hopes immense,

And laughing eyes beheld the wheat nid-nodding o'er the fence.

 

And, oh, the smiles on every face, as happy lad and lass

Through grass knee-deep on Casey's place went riding down to Mass.

While round the church in clothes genteel discoursed the men of mark,

And each man squatted on his heel, and chewed his piece of bark.

"There'll be bush-fires for sure, me man, there will, without a doubt;

We'll all be rooned," said Hanrahan, "Before the year is out."

[Fatboyfat 361]

It doesn't always hold out that high prices in the land of production lead to a rise in export prices. A while back I used to trade Argentina & Uruguay; The exported beef was among the cheapest available for quality beef, however was an extortionate price in the restaurants and shops of both BA and Montivideo, if it was available at all.