Real men can cook (recipes) (Page 4) Corwin: I am also the chef in my household. As we have previously heard mention earlier in this thread of a horrible injustice performed to a perfectly good steak, I will post a recipe and cooking method to correct that. (people who soak steak in ketchup should be slapped silly... people who kill a steak to well-done should be charged with the crime of steak-murder) Now, a fine steak can be done in the oven, if done correctly. (1) The choice of cut - Prime Rib is usually the best... Rib Eye especially... but any thick cut of beef that is nicely marbled will do the trick if you are on a budget. Also, look for meat that is dark in colour, not bright red. Beef is supposed to be aged for a few months before being butchered... the dark colour means this has been properly done. (2) A marinade or rub? A rub can be nice, but only attempt this on the tenderest cuts like Rib Eye, or else the steak may be tough... even if cooked rare. A good marinade with the correct tenderizing ingredients can loosen even the cheaper cuts of meat. In a pinch, booze does a great job... but of course booze solves many problems in life. lol Here is a marinade which is a family recipe of mine and tenderizes like nothing else--- - 2 grated onions - 1 cup Soya Sauce - 1 cup fresh brewed coffee (allowed to cool) - 2 tbspn ground pepper - 2 tbspn suger This is enough to do several steaks... for just a few, cut the recipe in half. Soak the steaks for at least a few hours, or overnight if possible. This concoction not only tastes amazing and complements the beef flavour, but it loosens the meat fibres. The meat just soaks this stuff up, and the steaks increase in size by 50%. (3) Cooking. This is a 2 step procedure. Step #1 - Heat an oiled pan very hot... until the oil just begins to smoke (grapeseed oil is the best). Sear the steaks on each side for about 30 seconds... no more... just to slightly caramelize the outside. Then place them on a baking sheet ready to place in the oven. This searing step is just to seal the outside of the meat to lock-in the moisture. Step #2 - Baking - Have your oven pre-heated to 400f and place your sheet on the center rack. At this stage you WILL need a meat thermometer. A remote thermometer with a temperature alarm is the easiest to use. Cooking time is merely minutes, and varies with the thickness of the steak, so if you don't have the remote, test the temperature frequently. Insert the probe horizontally from the side of the steak to insure you are reading from the very middle. You are looking for 140f for rare, 145f for medium-rare. The second this temperature is reached, immediately remove from the oven!!! (4) Resting the meat. As soon as the steaks are removed from the oven, you want to cover them with aluminum foil (shiny side down) and let them rest for 10 minutes before serving. This is necessary for the meat fibers to relax completely before before serving... it insures that the steaks will be tender, and that the juices will remain inside the steak, and not running all over the plate. And THAT is how you cook a steak in the oven. Any questions? (Edited by Corwin) Corwin: It's a really superb steak marinade. Just make sure that if you see your guests reaching for the ketchup bottle before they've tasted it... have a gun ready to threaten them with. To dump ketchup on such a fine gourmet steak would be a crying shame. LOL  Azathoth: That's more or less similar to my method. Though, I didn't go into such detail. Thanks, Corvin. And I agree about getting good darker cuts. I have a store that carries local beef nearby. It's dry aged in a salt-curing room. I'm not a big fan of ribeye as it's a bit TOO fatty...at least where I shop. Our "flatiron" cuts are rippled with fat and work great in the oven. As I said before, I use "Dale's" sauce (a combination of Worcestershire and Soy sauces along with a pepper blend and onion and garlic powders). Also, I use booze...mostly a decent red wine. I haven't used coffee, though it sounds like it would work. I've actually used soda instead...for caramelization purposes. On the side: I've used Dr. Pepper to baste baked ham. Sounds weird, but in combination with other ingredients, it works. Corwin: Oh yeah... I've done the same with Gingerale. The Rib Eyes here in Ontario are fairly lean... sometimes a bit too lean. But like you said, any cut with good marbling is usually just fine. Here it's the Cap-on Rib Grilling steaks that are usually too fatty. Damn tasty, but half fat and bone. Azathoth: Oh, yeah, I know the Cap-ons. You're right, too much fat and bone. But WOW, do they ever taste great!  It's all in the cuts, we agree. Too much marinate or seasoning can ruin the nice beefy tastes of good aged steak cuts. If one is gonna eat steak...it's gotta contain that extra bit of TLC in the preparation. (Edited by Azathoth) Azathoth: OCD, I've done chops of lamb a lot...with a good light marinade that has mint. Lamb is wonderful on the grill.  Corwin: I'm actually not familiar with how to cook lamb. We're mostly beef/ pork/ poultry types in my part of the world. Corwin: Yup.... great thread, David. The cooking forums are dead here on Wire... nice to breathe some life into the topic.   OCD_OCD: I will try to remember tomorrow, but we have to go to the aunt and uncle's house tonight because she made apple pie for us. She makes the most amazing apple pie I have ever had in my life! Azathoth: Thanks, Corvin. And it's obvious you know your way around the kitchen. Your input, here, is VERY welcomed...everyone's input is. Corwin: I made a Spaghetti sauce for dinner made with all fresh ingredients... fresh Roma tomatoes... none of that canned stuff. And I'm just in the process of making the egg noodles from scratch too... the pasta dough is resting as we speak. mmmmmmmm Azathoth: Homemade noodles are incredible. Thank goodness, we have Romas at the ready this time of year. You're so right, Corvin, fresh is everything. | Off Topic Chat Room Similar Conversations |
Wotevah! I'm a damned Yankee. 
Back to recipes! 
i'll have to go! 