How Do You Like Your Steak?

How "Done" Do You Like Your Steak?


When folks refer to it as a "sin", they are definitely putting on airs.
And this isn't just about the one "well done" state. Please do not oversimplify the issue.



Human teeth and digestive system, aren't made for raw meat either. Cooking is pre-digestion, and as a species we rely on it for nutrition and calories.



Really.
You're actually going to try to give an aesthetic position legitimacy by calling it "science"?
Putting. On. Airs.
Not sure where this aggressive response is coming from to be honest. I made some pretty straightforward, objective and factual points. If you want to take that as me 'putting on airs', there's nothing I can do about that. I can think this is odd behaviour on your part, not think any less of you despite that and move on. Which is what I'm doing.
 

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If it's lean cut (like a tenderloin), then definitely rare. When there is more fat/marbling, then med-rare. If there is some muscle tissue (like entrecôte), then I need to go up to medium. With regard to seasoning, I usually go with just pepper and salt, but have been known to enjoy some peppercorn sauce from time to time.
 

Regarding steak cuts not prepared as steaks:

There was a place in Austin called McKlesky’s (sp?), and they made the best steak sandwiches I’ve ever had. They used whole, thin-cut ribeyes, and marinated them overnight in red wine. That place became our game group’s go-to as soon as we discovered it.

Because of the cut’s thinness, you couldn’t reliably get them cooked less than medium. But by virtue of the combination of cut, marinade and seasoning, it didn’t freaking matter. Your sandwich was going to be tender, juicy & flavorful.

Alas, it didn’t last. The owner sold the restaurant, but the new owners didn’t buy the recipes. The difference was an immediate and noticeable drop in quality. We gave up on them after 2 visits.
 


Regarding steak cuts not prepared as steaks:

There was a place in Austin called McKlesky’s (sp?), and they made the best steak sandwiches I’ve ever had. They used whole, thin-cut ribeyes, and marinated them overnight in red wine. That place became our game group’s go-to as soon as we discovered it.

Because of the cut’s thinness, you couldn’t reliably get them cooked less than medium. But by virtue of the combination of cut, marinade and seasoning, it didn’t freaking matter. Your sandwich was going to be tender, juicy & flavorful.

Alas, it didn’t last. The owner sold the restaurant, but the new owners didn’t buy the recipes. The difference was an immediate and noticeable drop in quality. We gave up on them after 2 visits.
We had a hunting themed smoke/BBQ joint before that style it took off. They had excellent courses of ribs, duck, pheasant stews, etc.. Loved going to that place. They sold it some folks who took all the hunting decor down, painted it purple and hung a bunch of generic blues themed items on the walls. Food was clearly downgraded and we stopped going. It lasted 3 months after that.
 


The real question is, why isn't there an option on the poll for "chicken fried"
bad luck omg GIF by Looney Tunes
 

Oh definitely. Another lesser- known secret about steaks is that fattier, marbled cuts of meat need more heat to melt that fat and get all juicy and tender.

If it's lean cut (like a tenderloin), then definitely rare. When there is more fat/marbling, then med-rare. If there is some muscle tissue (like entrecôte), then I need to go up to medium. With regard to seasoning, I usually go with just pepper and salt, but have been known to enjoy some peppercorn sauce from time to time.
Yup.

I grew up in a household which mostly cooked the steaks to Well, and I thought I liked it that way, though they were always tough.

Growing up I discovered how much I loved Rare, or even Bleu, but it has to be the right (leaner) cut. Like filet mignon or Chateaubriand. When I make a steak at home I usually go for a NY Strip cooked to medium well to render down the fat better. I went with Rare in the poll because when it's the right steak it's just amazing.

And of course if we're talking about steak tips or fajitas or something it's a totally different story.

Sauces I usually don't bother with, though if I'm splurging on a steak out, at a nice steak house, I'm happy with just a little bit of bearnaise or hollandaise, or occasionally a chimichurri.

I had a friend who’d say, “cut off the horns, wipe its butt and put it on my plate”
"Bleu", or as I like to jokingly put it, "The meat passed through the kitchen on the way to my plate." :)
My mother has a story from her college days, of going to a place which had a steak special, on a first date. The waitress asked them each how they'd like theirs. My mother said "Cook it until you think it's done, and then cook it another ten minutes." Her date said "Put in your pocket and walk past the grill".

The waitress joked "I foresee no hope for this relationship." :LOL:
 

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