I found this on some website, tried it a couple of times, it works really well.
This works best with steaks an inch to an inch and a half or so thick, maybe two tops. Thinner than that, you ruin the steak, thicker than that, you don't get the full benefit.
Using sea salt (or kosher, but sea salt works the best) coat each side of the steak. And I mean coat it. I use a tablespoon or so on each side. No need to rub it in, just layer it on there. Cover and let rest at room temp for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the thickness of the steak. What this does is pull excess moisture out of the steak and in doing so it breaks down the proteins in the steak, tenderizing it. Any longer than an hour and the salt starts seeping into the steak. Some will, but not as much as you would think. After 45 minutes to an hour, rinse the steak off thoroughly and I mean thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels or whatever. The steak will probably feel like it is falling apart by this point but fear not. Rub some crushed garlic and rosemary on the dried steak, along with some olive oil. Grill or broil as you normally do. You probably will not need to season with anything at all, maybe a little black pepper.
This makes sirloin are tender as ribeye, ribeye as tender as filet mignon.
Me want!
Here is the site where I found the tip (http://steamykitchen.com/163-how-to-turn-cheap-choice-steaks-into-gucci-prime-steaks.html/comment-page-12#comments)
The comments are pretty split, some hating it, some loving it. I've tried it twice and loved it. The boss tried it last night on a ribeye and he said it was the best steak he'd ever had. My advice would be to go easy on the salt the first time you try it and see how that goes.
I definitely want to give this a whirl. Thanks, Tink.
The boss said he left the salt on for 15 minutes, rinsed thoroughly, patted dry with paper towels, threw it on the grill for three minutes each side and dug in. He said the texture was definitely different, more tender.
I guess the time you leave the salt on is a big YMMV. The time I tried it, I used big cuts and Ann and split the steaks.
I've been told we might be having steak this weekend.
We tried this ~ and it turned out pretty good. I ate the whole steak.
Quote from: Pearl@32 on June 18, 2009, 07:15:46 AM
We tried this ~ and it turned out pretty good. I ate the whole steak.
But what about your dog ?
Quote from: AdmiralDigby on June 18, 2009, 07:35:49 AM
Quote from: Pearl@32 on June 18, 2009, 07:15:46 AM
We tried this ~ and it turned out pretty good. I ate the whole steak.
But what about your dog ?
The dog was stringy.
(http://www.rumela.com/jokes/image/fortunecookie.jpg)
Pearl bought me a new propane grill because I was like a 2-year-old moping about the house about not having one. We're going to break it in with two giant ribeyes -- the thickest steaks I've probably ever cooked at 1.5 inches each.
I just patted them dry and put on a bunch of coarse sea salt. I'll let them sit like that for about thirty minutes in the fridge, then take them out to warm up for 45-60 minutes. I want to try the "reverse sear (http://www.amazingribs.com/recipes/beef/steakhouse_steaks.html)" method which goes counter to everything I've grown up to believe -- and could be a life changing event. In fact, if it's very good, it may cause me to question my whole life.
Low-n-slow until they get to temperature, then onto the hot side they go.
He's so very proud...
Pearl you just created a monster. :laugh:
I'm not expecting much. I got distracted with work and trying to find a thermometer piece that I threw the $30 pair of steaks on there without washing off the salt. I tried brushing it off just now, thus getting that nice stuff all over the grill.
At this point, I'm ready to go back to hotdogs in the microwave. :p
Some days I just want to blame a sitting president for all my missteps.
Quote from: TinkTanker on June 18, 2009, 07:57:57 AM
Quote from: AdmiralDigby on June 18, 2009, 07:35:49 AM
Quote from: Pearl@32 on June 18, 2009, 07:15:46 AM
We tried this ~ and it turned out pretty good. I ate the whole steak.
But what about your dog ?
The dog was stringy.
(http://www.rumela.com/jokes/image/fortunecookie.jpg)
Wow, did I ever miss this .
:doh:
So ....
:haha:
One less dog around the neighborhood; two more medium steaks.
Steaks were a bit salty, but not by much -- hopefully with a good wash-down before the grilling it'll be about right. The reverse-sear was interesting and made for a very tender piece cooked medium(we split one, and will have another for another meal). Tomorrow I get to tear down the grill and get that yucky sodium chloride off my metalstuffs.
Pearl said, "We could totally host all our friends." Hmm... a week of grilling, smoking and general drinking. Not sure I could handle that. ;)
(btw, I could never give up grilling )
Dude, I am so happy you can do this, the grilling and smoking and all. Yeah, washing the salt off and patting them dry is a key step. But we learn from our misteaks. :loloeo:
I went from grilling or smoking weekly to not at all for a whole decade.
There is this point where the meat is almost done smoking--perhaps an hour from being taken off -- that just a whiff from the top vent sends me into this moment of Zen-like calmness just before hitting me with endorphins. I probably literally am addicted to it (http://www.kaychristopher.com/articles/brainchemistry/index.html).
I share because I hope you guys might learn something new as I do, but even more so because I wish we could literally share both food and the experience of friends gathering around the grill. Sometimes I wonder if I'm being obtuse; that it comes across badly. Tonight's thick ribeyes were a splurge, not the norm; and even then we'll get another meal or so out of it.
At any rate, this makes me want to go out and fire up the smoker. I could use another hit.
I understand completely. It is something that you are passionate about and I for one enjoy reading about that passion. Literally, the first thing that Ann asked when I told her that you guys bought a home was does this mean you would be able to smoke and grill. She wanted to know if you would have a deck or patio where you could grill. Just as with Spooky's MMA, we are glad you have something that brings you so much obvious joy. And as I say, shared joy is doubled, shared sorrow halved.
Thankfully, my documentor was around with her camera (she cooked the sides dishes):
(http://i447.photobucket.com/albums/qq191/maikelito/HomerDrool.png)
I'm pretty happy with the grill so far. The convenience of propane is, as you folks promised, very nice.
- Heavy cast iron grates coated thickly in porcelain
- Cast aluminum lid (not prone to rust)
- Heats up to the 600°F range or better (hotter the better for searing)
- Does "2-zone" heating nicely. Turned off two burners and left one going. The cool side stayed at 225-250; the hot side in the searing range.
- American made (http://bbq.about.com/od/gasgrillreviews/gr/Huntington-Grills-Classic-Model-666664.htm), owned by a Canadian company (http://www.omcbbq.com/).
- $150 cheaper than Weber's entry-level and Chinese-made E-Spirit 210
Sold only at Lowes (http://www.lowes.com/pd_221884-65173-666664_0__?storeId=10151&Ntt=huntington&UserSearch=huntington&productId=3305646&N=0&catalogId=10051&langId=-1#).
Passions aside, I think it'll be very handy to have during the Summer months when the A/C is struggling to keep the house cool.
That other steak fed us two more meals. Eric had noshed on some earlier in the week and I made a steak salad for him last night. I had a leftover salad that had chicken, craisins, walnuts, apples, carrots and edamame ~ just added more greens and few pieces of steak (served cold). It was super tender. We also had corn on the cob, two cobs each. It's corn season again. I am learning that with just a little planning, dinner isn't really that hard to make.
Maryland has the best corn. We would always go to the farmers markets and pick up good corn.
Yeah, we should probably hit the farmer's markets more often. There are at least two within a decent distance.
We do have a Mars grocery store just up the street. Their policy is to buy locally-grown fresh veggies if at all possible.
Quote from: Eric on May 06, 2011, 12:44:43 PM
Yeah, we should probably hit the farmer's markets more often. There are at least two within a decent distance.
We do have a Mars grocery store just up the street. Their policy is to buy locally-grown fresh veggies if at all possible.
My Aunt and Grandmother were big farmer's market shoppers. I used to go with them when I could.
Lot's of good produce in them down there. I remember summers with big beefsteak tomatoes, silver
queen corn on the cob and steamed crabs or crabcakes. Yum!! :)
Quote from: TinkTanker on June 11, 2009, 05:21:33 PM
I found this on some website, tried it a couple of times, it works really well.
This works best with steaks an inch to an inch and a half or so thick, maybe two tops. Thinner than that, you ruin the steak, thicker than that, you don't get the full benefit.
Using sea salt (or kosher, but sea salt works the best) coat each side of the steak. And I mean coat it. I use a tablespoon or so on each side. No need to rub it in, just layer it on there. Cover and let rest at room temp for 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the thickness of the steak. What this does is pull excess moisture out of the steak and in doing so it breaks down the proteins in the steak, tenderizing it. Any longer than an hour and the salt starts seeping into the steak. Some will, but not as much as you would think. After 45 minutes to an hour, rinse the steak off thoroughly and I mean thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels or whatever. The steak will probably feel like it is falling apart by this point but fear not. Rub some crushed garlic and rosemary on the dried steak, along with some olive oil. Grill or broil as you normally do. You probably will not need to season with anything at all, maybe a little black pepper.
This makes sirloin are tender as ribeye, ribeye as tender as filet mignon.
We don't cook steaks as often as we once did, but we tried this again and they came out fantastic.
Also tried something new -- the grill grates only have one height-setting, so I turned one of them and laid them right on the flavor bars; just above the flames. It did the best job of searing that grill's yet done.
It's not charcoal-hot, but I'll take it.