This might be beneficial for those of you really on a budget.
http://www.ltdcommodities.com/Freshlock-Vacuum-Sealer/cat_item_pg3.asp?G=863
cool thread.
It is always best to take your steak out and bring to room temperature first before cooking. I smoke a lot of meat and steak is done a little different but the key for an even cooking process is to bring it all to room temp first. Basically get the chill off. Also those vacuum bags are great for steaming in a pot of water just clip them to the pot bring to a boil and when the seal pops your set. You never over re-cook them this way.
If you want to get real good I can tell you all how to age your meat safely in the fridge using the vacuum bag for the most tender of all steaks. It is easy to. I even think it allows for the body to digest the food better as well being done this way.
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
This might be beneficial for those of you really on a budget.
http://www.ltdcommodities.com/Freshlock-Vacuum-Sealer/cat_item_pg3.asp?G=863[/quote]
I dont get it…are they going to mail me steak? WTF?
[quote]andrew_live wrote:
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
This might be beneficial for those of you really on a budget.
http://www.ltdcommodities.com/Freshlock-Vacuum-Sealer/cat_item_pg3.asp?G=863[/quote]
I dont get it…are they going to mail me steak? WTF?[/quote]
Doesn’t look like they even sell steaks! Not sure how that link is relevant unless he’s suggesting we buy our steak knives from there.
[quote]AndrewG909 wrote:
[quote]andrew_live wrote:
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
This might be beneficial for those of you really on a budget.
http://www.ltdcommodities.com/Freshlock-Vacuum-Sealer/cat_item_pg3.asp?G=863[/quote]
I dont get it…are they going to mail me steak? WTF?[/quote]
Doesn’t look like they even sell steaks! Not sure how that link is relevant unless he’s suggesting we buy our steak knives from there.[/quote]
LOL the link is not working. I’ll try again, but search for food sealer on the site if it doesn’t work again
[quote]Ripnlip wrote:
It is always best to take your steak out and bring to room temperature first before cooking. I smoke a lot of meat and steak is done a little different but the key for an even cooking process is to bring it all to room temp first. Basically get the chill off. Also those vacuum bags are great for steaming in a pot of water just clip them to the pot bring to a boil and when the seal pops your set. You never over re-cook them this way.
If you want to get real good I can tell you all how to age your meat safely in the fridge using the vacuum bag for the most tender of all steaks. It is easy to. I even think it allows for the body to digest the food better as well being done this way.
[/quote]
Are you talking about sous-vide?
[quote]Ripnlip wrote:
It is always best to take your steak out and bring to room temperature first before cooking. I smoke a lot of meat and steak is done a little different but the key for an even cooking process is to bring it all to room temp first. Basically get the chill off. Also those vacuum bags are great for steaming in a pot of water just clip them to the pot bring to a boil and when the seal pops your set. You never over re-cook them this way.
If you want to get real good I can tell you all how to age your meat safely in the fridge using the vacuum bag for the most tender of all steaks. It is easy to. I even think it allows for the body to digest the food better as well being done this way.
[/quote]
Speak or forever hold your peace.
[quote]Ripnlip wrote:
It is always best to take your steak out and bring to room temperature first before cooking. I smoke a lot of meat and steak is done a little different but the key for an even cooking process is to bring it all to room temp first. Basically get the chill off. Also those vacuum bags are great for steaming in a pot of water just clip them to the pot bring to a boil and when the seal pops your set. You never over re-cook them this way.
If you want to get real good I can tell you all how to age your meat safely in the fridge using the vacuum bag for the most tender of all steaks. It is easy to. I even think it allows for the body to digest the food better as well being done this way.
[/quote]
seriously steak or gtfo. f*king meat tease.
[quote]educote wrote:
Microwaving Steak: Longer and slower is the key. Drop the Power Level to 5 or 6 as opposed to the default of 10. I usually re-heat it in 45-60 seconds intervals at a lower power level, which prevent overcooking it.
Ed[/quote]
I second this advice. Not only do I drop the power level to 50%, I also pre-cut the steak (or other meat) into pieces and arrange them in a circle around the outside edge of the plate. I even know that for my particular microwave, I need about 10 seconds per ounce of chicken or steak to reheat from refrigerator temp. I ussually cook once a week and store in tupperware in the fridge. If I have frozen meat in a ziplock, I’ll NEVER defrost in the microwave, only in the fridge or a bowl of water.
[quote]Ripnlip wrote:
It is always best to take your steak out and bring to room temperature first before cooking. I smoke a lot of meat and steak is done a little different but the key for an even cooking process is to bring it all to room temp first. Basically get the chill off. Also those vacuum bags are great for steaming in a pot of water just clip them to the pot bring to a boil and when the seal pops your set. You never over re-cook them this way.
If you want to get real good I can tell you all how to age your meat safely in the fridge using the vacuum bag for the most tender of all steaks. It is easy to. I even think it allows for the body to digest the food better as well being done this way.
[/quote]
For larger cuts of meat, if you want a nice smoke ring it is best to put it on soon after exiting the fridge. Of course, this is for pure aesthetics. The smoke ring reaction usually occurs at about 130 degrees or so. If smoke is present throughout the cook though, you’ll have both. A couple of things I’ve learned from years of barbecuing:
When I make rubs, I don’t typically use salt in them. However, I put a thin layer of Kosher Salt on the meat first. The salt draws some moisture to the surface. The meat should look wet and tacky. Then I apply my rub. This prevents over-salting and allows the rub to penetrate deeper into the meat. This also creates a nice moist environment for your rub to stick to and leads to a nice, flavorful crust for your meat.
Also, if you’re going to use wood chips (I prefer chunks), but them in an aluminum foil pouch and poke holes through it. You can then put the pouch directly on the calls and will give you long lasting smoke time. Some people soak wood chips in water first and toss them directly on the coals, but it’s ineffective at best since the water will quickly evaporate and the chips will burn up in a hurry. If wood chips and chunks are harder to find, then use Hardwood Lump charcoal which is usually made from Maple or Oak wood anyway.
[quote]StephenD wrote:
[quote]on edge wrote:
[quote]StephenD wrote:
it is a myth about it sealing in the juices, [/quote]
Please elaborate.[/quote]
A prevalent myth in grilling steaks is that “Searing the outside of a steak seals in its juices.”
Fact: Searing the outside of a steak creates no â??sealâ?? or waterproof barrier to prevent juices from escaping from the inside.
Reason: Steaks do not have pores. Pores exist only in the skin (epidermis) of an animal. Searing the outside of a steak does not close any pores or create any seal or waterproof barrier. In fact, rather than sealing in the juices, searing the meat does almost the opposite: it dries out and removes the moisture near the meat’s surface, so searing causes a loss of moisture rather than protecting against it.
Note: In fact, there is a valid reason to sear the outside of a steak, but it is not to “seal in” the juices. Instead, the reason to sear the outside of the steak is to caramelize the surface (i.e. use the Maillard or browning reaction) to create an exterior crust. When steaks are grilled in the heat and smoke of a wood fire, the result produces wonderful contrasts: contrasts between the surface crunchiness and the soft, buttery interior; contrasts between the surface dryness and the juicy interior; and contrasts between the surfaceâ??s complex grilled flavors and the interiorâ??s beefy flavor. In short, searing intensifies the taste, tenderness and appearance of the exterior while keeping the interior rare and juicy.
[/quote]
However, steaks cooked on a properly hot grill will end up being juicier than on an under-heat grill simply because the steak cooks more quickly. One of the biggest tragedies in backyard grilling is to put the steaks on before that fucker is nuclear hot.
I’ve worked for years as a grill cook in steakhouses and I can tell you the major difference between their steaks and yours: Grill Temp!
Good thread.
This is how I’ve been preparing my food for the last 6 months or so (I’m young and aspiring for respectable size). Nice to know I’m on the right track and not a freak like my family and friends make me out to be.
Cooking/cleaning for an hour each evening after a long day at uni makes me endlessly sad. The only way to live is a 3-4 hour food prep session on a Sunday afternoon to set up for the week.
[quote]TheDudeAbides wrote:
I’ll probably get a good beat down for this, but I like ketchup on my steak. [runs and hides] I also like ketchup on my eggs, which most people seem to not like. Anyway, I like ketchup.[/quote]
im a big fan of this as well as ketchup on my rice, potato…well anything really 
[quote]Killa Cam wrote:
[quote]StephenD wrote:
[quote]on edge wrote:
[quote]StephenD wrote:
it is a myth about it sealing in the juices, [/quote]
Please elaborate.[/quote]
A prevalent myth in grilling steaks is that “Searing the outside of a steak seals in its juices.”
Fact: Searing the outside of a steak creates no �¢??seal�¢?? or waterproof barrier to prevent juices from escaping from the inside.
Reason: Steaks do not have pores. Pores exist only in the skin (epidermis) of an animal. Searing the outside of a steak does not close any pores or create any seal or waterproof barrier. In fact, rather than sealing in the juices, searing the meat does almost the opposite: it dries out and removes the moisture near the meat’s surface, so searing causes a loss of moisture rather than protecting against it.
Note: In fact, there is a valid reason to sear the outside of a steak, but it is not to “seal in” the juices. Instead, the reason to sear the outside of the steak is to caramelize the surface (i.e. use the Maillard or browning reaction) to create an exterior crust.
When steaks are grilled in the heat and smoke of a wood fire, the result produces wonderful contrasts: contrasts between the surface crunchiness and the soft, buttery interior; contrasts between the surface dryness and the juicy interior; and contrasts between the surface�¢??s complex grilled flavors and the interior�¢??s beefy flavor.
In short, searing intensifies the taste, tenderness and appearance of the exterior while keeping the interior rare and juicy.
[/quote]
However, steaks cooked on a properly hot grill will end up being juicier than on an under-heat grill simply because the steak cooks more quickly. One of the biggest tragedies in backyard grilling is to put the steaks on before that fucker is nuclear hot.
I’ve worked for years as a grill cook in steakhouses and I can tell you the major difference between their steaks and yours: Grill Temp!
[/quote]
true
This thread prompted me to go out and buy a load of ribeye and fire it all up.
I did an experiment, Stubbs next to salt and pepper.
Results: inconclusive, I oversalted.
Need to repeat 
This is probably going to be the longest running thread in T-Nation history, so I’m just going to add some bullshit only in an effort to a part of it. Case in point:
[quote]CapnYousef wrote:
This thread prompted me to go out and buy a load of ribeye and fire it all up.
I did an experiment, Stubbs next to salt and pepper.
Results: inconclusive, I oversalted.
Need to repeat ;)[/quote]
Just cooked a couple of rib-eyes for myself as well. It wasn’t pink enough, so next time I’m going to put it a tad bit hotter and take it off a couple minutes earlier.
All this talk about proper temp and cooking is nice and all but I want to hear some fucking dry rub recipes that’ll make you want to slap yo mama.
Let’s cut the bullshit and talk HOME MADE dry rubs, not store bought stuff, even though I know there are some legit store-bought rubs out there.
I will say, one of my favorite Italian dishes is Bisteca alla Fiorentina: light olive oil rub on a porterhouse (my favorite cut) and salt, pepper just before serving (I really think this is key; I think seasoning before grilling is bullshit).
Properly done, this is the most satisfying steak I can think of.
One steak marinade I’ve used a couple times and blown everyone’s mind with is this:
The key is to reduce the marinade to about 30% so it’s a nice, thick glaze used to dip the chunks of steak in when eating. It’s an awesome flavor marinade but be careful with the peppers: 1 habanero if you like it hot or 2 jalapenos…but 1 jalapeno if you don’t like it too hot.
I used a cast-iron 14", I wanted to be able to baste the Stubbs in the Stubbs and the salt/pepper in butter - both were AMAZING (3 .5 lbers for me, 2 of which were stubbs 1 was s&p). I find its incredibly hard to overcook when they’re being constantly basted like that, it also keeps the temperature hot enough to caramelize at the start but the liquid added near the end allows it to slow cook a bit.