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[Bongo Bill]

HOW TO STEAK

Step 1: Marinate that shit.
Step 2: Put it on a grill. Substitutions may be permitted under conditions of duress, if you apologize to the steak.
Step 3: Cook it until it's somewhat firmer than a raw beef. Avoid overcooking.

[Miss Cat Ears]

HOW TO STEAK

Step 1: Marinate that shit.
Step 2: Put it on a grill. Substitutions may be permitted under conditions of duress, if you apologize to the steak.
Step 3: Cook it until it's somewhat firmer than a raw beef. Avoid overcooking.

1. IN WHAT
2. What exactly do you mean by grill, I know this is a stupid question but do you really mean like an outdoors grill?  What are acceptable substitutes?
3. I can do that

[Mongrel]

#2 is a good quality BBQ.

To elaborate on the 2nd point: You have to sear both sides to seal the tasty juices in. Sear =/= burn. You're looking for very high heat, only a very short period of time. One side. Flip. Other side. Turn heat down, put down BBQ lid and let cook a little while longer. The last part (letting it cook on a lower heat) is where you deterine how rare the steak is. A very short period of time will give you a bleeding haunch. Too long and you'll have a charcoal briquette.

I have not specified exact times, because determining these takes practice and varies from grill to grill.

TA also brought up the skillet/oven version, which is a more complicated version for people who don't own grills. Essentially you use the skillet to do the searing and then rapidly transfer the steak to the oven. This is more difficult to do right than the grill version (assuming you know your grill already) and you lose the fire-licked goodness that comes with a grill, but it is an acceptable subsitute if done right.

As for marinades, that can vary. Teryaki is popular but can be overdone. There's a wide variety of dry meat rubs and steak marinades. See if you can get a good recipe off of someone else (said recipe should also include a marinating time).

[TA]

jesus christ do not marinate a steak what are you high?  the point of a steak is that it tastes like steak, not that it tastes like sauce.  If you want teriyaki beef then make a stir-fry or a kebab or something.

Look, here's how you make a fantastic steak.  You need a cast iron skillet, a brush, and some tongs.  You also need a decent steak, preferably about an inch thick.  I do this a lot with New York Strips and Ribeyes, because I got a large amount of them for very cheap and froze them.

Preheat oven to ~425 - exact temperature varies by how done you want the steak to be, i find 425 to produce a nice medium/medium-rare - and put the skillet over medium heat until it's smoking and water vaporizes when you splash a drop in to test.  Brush both sides of the steak liberally with some sort of oil that has a high smoke-point - i use extra light olive oil - and put generous salt and fresh-ground black pepper on both sides.  You want the steak to be basically drenched in oil, for lubrication for what we're about to do.

Toss the steak into the skillet.  There will probably be a lot of smoke, so this is a good time to unplug your smoke detector.  Let it sit there, without moving it, for two full minutes.  Then using your meat tongs, flip the steak, and let it sit again for two minutes.  This is part of why you're drenching the steak in oil, to lubricate it so it doesn't stick when you do this.  Searing the steak in this way gets a nice tasty crust on the outside of the steak without the char that a grill will produce, and the fact that we're searing on an evenly-heated cooking surface instead of on a grid over convection heat means the sear is actually worth a damn.

After the second 2-minute sear, put a pat of butter in the middle of the steak and put the whole skillet in the oven, uncovered.  The butter will melt and form a delightful glaze.  Leave it there for five minutes, then pull it out, move the steak to a plate, cover tightly with aluminum foil, and let it rest for another 5.  Then serve.

The resulting steak is uncomplicated and easy, involves maybe 20 minutes total including the resting, and will be tender, moist, and delicious without needing or wanting any further seasoning.

[Miss Cat Ears]

I don't think a grill will be an option this time since I'll be going there instead of him visiting here  


TA, that actually sounds like something I can accomplish.   

[TA]

I'd suggest practicing first just to make sure, but it's really incredibly easy.  Follow the instructions and don't get spooked by smoke, and you're fine.

[Miss Cat Ears]

I usually stir fry with peanut oil because it has a high smoking temp, would that be bad on a steak?  It has a strong flavor.

[TA]

Honestly, I don't know.  I haven't tried with peanut oil, because I like the way the olive oil flavors the steak - which is not much but is nonzero.  That's why I say to practice.  You might like the way peanut oil tastes on it.  I'd suggest giving it a shot and seeing if the result is worthwhile.

Oh also you can use pretty much any salt but i usually use kosher salt.  I like how it tastes better than when I've done it with table salt or sea salt.

[Niku]

jesus christ do not marinate a steak what are you high?  the point of a steak is that it tastes like steak, not that it tastes like sauce.  If you want teriyaki beef then make a stir-fry or a kebab or something.

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[Miss Cat Ears]

Well then.  How do I go about buying steak?  Seriously break it down for me, I don't usually eat beef.

[TA]

You want marbling - which is little streaks of fat through the beef - and you'll want some fat on the side too.  You also want it to be probably about an inch thick.  Like I said, I do this generally with New York Strips or Ribeyes, which admittedly are kind of higher-end steaks.  Don't get a flank steak or something like that.

If there's an actual butcher nearby, try to get it there.  If not, supermarket is really your best bet.

[Bongo Bill]

As for marinades, there are a lot to choose from. You can get some ready-made. As mentioned earlier, however, apply it gently (more like a rub than a marinade, I suppose) unless you really like the marinade. Insufficient seasoning is the reason some persons drown steaks in the likes of steak sauce, which is a worse sin by far. I'm personally inclined to prefer more flavors over fewer, but, as always, there is a risk of drowning out the most important one - that of the meat.

Still, TA and Niku are right, in that it's better to at least start a purist. Whether you remain one is entirely a function of your tastes and creativity. Oftentimes, no marinade is the best marinade of them all. (definitely want to make sure you've got some kind of seasoning though I mean you're not a savage)

The USDA grades beef, representing (among other things) how marbled it is. The grades are, from best to worst, prime, choice, select, standard, commercial, utility, cutter, and canner. Select or better are acceptable for eating without significant preparation; go with choice or better if you're less than confident in your ability to cook it so it doesn't end up tasting like an old boot.

There are many cuts of beef suitable for grilling. Generally speaking, the more expensive it is, the more tender it will be. The very tenderest part of the tenderloin is what's used to make filet mignon, which is decadent and notoriously pricey. If you're confused, I'm told groceries have clerks these days as well.

[Mongrel]

Yeah, I'd like to also agree that marinande is definitely not obligatory (typically, the unskilled will use a marinade to cover a poor cut of meat) and that if you do choose to use it, it should be used very lightly - as an accent to the steak-y flavour, not a replacement or "sauce".

[Mongrel]

Come to think of it, it's getting quite warm here and the BBQ is lurking on my balcony after sitting idle most of the winter.

HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMAHHMMMMMMMMMMM....

[Fortinbras]

TA is running this steak shit.  I endorse his mode.

Season meat that's going to cooked to medium rare or lower a day ahead of time.  When I say season I mean salt.  It makes a huge difference.  Bring it out of the fridge an hour before you cook it and pat the surface dry with a paper towel.

If you wanna marinade, buy a bottle of wine.  BOIL THE ALCOHOL OUT OF IT, alcohol doesn't do meat any favors.  Cool it down.  That's your marinade.  It's not for a "poor" cut of meat, it's for meat with a strong flavor that can stand up to the flavor of the marinade but could use a bit of tenderizing, like a flank steak.

[Büge]

Let me share with you a trick to tell if your steak is done by touch. I learned it working at a restaurant.

Start by making an "ok" sign with your index finger. Now poke the pudgy part of your palm that your thumb is connected to. That's rare. Now do it with your middle finger, that's medium. Ring finger is medium well, pinky is well done.

[TA]

Oh and one other thing.

do you own a cast-iron skillet?  because if not then you can't.  not properly, anyway.

He doesn't own any good kitchen stuff, but that's okay because I get to go "Give me your wallet, I'm going to the KITCHEN STORE"

The kitchen stores I've been at didn't seem to have good cast iron selections.  The skillet I have, I got at a restaurant supply place, and it has been beautiful.

[Classic]

I'm doing it wrong. I can't tell the difference.

[Büge]

See where I'm pointing? Poke that.

[Miss Cat Ears]

OH. I was doing it wrong too, and I wasn't understanding what you were saying - I was using the different fingers of my other hand, poking myself and thinking it felt just the same.

Classic, make the OK sign using your thumb and different fingers.