when i grill steaks. i do it this way.

Yaj Yak

Gladys
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actually. not many pics of what i do at all. so fuck. ill describe it cuz i feel like it.

and as always, everyone has their own way of doing it, but. i like the results i get from this way and it's pretty mindless. :dunno:

I get two good looking steaks. last night, it was two boneless ribeyes from jewel. because they looked good.

ltExi1T.jpg


and then i salt them on both sides and leave them on a rack in the fridge until im ready to grill, for at least 40 minutes... why? cuz this.

Truth of the matter is that you should salt your meat about 40 minutes before it hits the grill. When the salt first hits a steak, it sits on the surface. Through the process of osmosis, it'll slowly draw liquid out of the mat, which you'll see pool up in little droplets. As those droplets grow, the salt will dissolve in the meat juice, forming a concentrated brine. At this stage in the game—about 25 to 30 minutes in—your steak is in the absolute worst shape possible for grilling. That moisture will evaporate right off, leaving you with a tough, stringy crust.


Give it a bit more time, and eventually that brine will begin to break down some of the muscle tissue in the meat, allowing the juices to be re-absorbed, and taking the salt right along with it.

What does this lead to? Meat that is both better seasoned and more tender and moist when you cook it.

Personally I season my steaks at least a few days in advance, to give the salt maximum time to work its way into the meat. Why steakhouses don't do this is a mystery to me.

Do use kosher salt, not regular table salt. The larger grains of kosher salt (which should more accurately be called "koshering salt," as salt itself is always kosher—kosher salt is coarse salt used in the koshering process) are easier to sprinkle evenly with your fingers, and will also draw more initial moisture out of the meat to dissolve than table salt. You can read more about the differences between table salt and kosher salt here.



then. i forgot to take pics because i was doin' lots of shit, along with grilling.

whoops

i reverse sear though... 90% of the time i do this all on my weber.

i put coals on one half of the grill, stacked, and then let the steaks cook on the "cool side" flipping very frequently (OH NO HE DIDN'T)

why do i do this? because science.

Q: How often should I flip my steak? [TOP]

People say you should only flip your steak once. People say many things, not all of them true.

The reality is that multiple flipping will not only get your steak to cook faster—up to 30% faster!—but will actually cause it to cook more evenly, as well. This is because—as food writer Harold McGee has explained—by flipping frequently, the meat on any given side will neither heat up nor cool down significantly with each turn. If you imagine that you can flip your steak infinitely fast,* then you can see that what ends up happening is that you approximate cooking the steak simultaneously from both sides, but at a gentler pace. Gentler cooking = more even cooking.

While it's true that it takes a bit longer over the hot side of the grill to build up the same level of crust in a multi-flipper steak, the fact that it cooks more evenly means that you can cook over the hot side a bit longer, without the risk of burning the outside before the center cooks. You can also avoid creating a harsh temperature gradient inside the meat, as you would if you were to cook it entirely over the hot side without flipping.

What's more, as Russ Parson's noted in the LA Times, you'll also minimize the curling and cupping problems that can occur when fat and connective tissue shrinks faster than meat as it cooks.

There are two possible advantages to the single-flip method. The first is that if you like pretty grill marks, you won't get them with multi-flipping. The second is that multi-flipping can be a pain in the butt if you have a ton of meat on the grill.

You don't have to flip your steaks multiple times, but if someone tells you that you're ruining your steak by flipping it over and over, you can assure them that science is on your side.

then. i pull them when an instant read thermometer (these are sweet, if you don't have one, get one) reads 118-120* or so. and then i get everything else ready to eat.... and then i sear on the now-stupid-hot part of the grill and serve immediately after.


why? cuz science.
However, Nathan Myhrvold of the James Beard 2012 Cookbook of the Year Modernist Cuisine (see here for some behind-the-scenes shot of their lab) says otherwise. His claim is that it's not so much about redistribution of moisture, but that it's about the relative viscosity of hot vs. cool liquids. The juices stay in place because they've managed to thicken up a bit as they cool.

In either case, the fact remains: resting your meat works. That said, if you are using the reverse-sear method, then resting is largely unnecessary: the steak cooked gently enough that there is not a large temperature gradient inside it anyway.

right before the final sear:

Er4D176.jpg


mzczVxh.jpg


nom.

a lil more medium than medium rare than i would have liked but. sofuckinggood.

r8bF598.jpg
 

protocall

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Nice work. Most high-end steakhouses would agree with the methods you used.

Letting the salt sit and penetrate the meat also increases browning and therefore flavor. Salt pulls protein-laden liquid to the surface of the meat, where the heat can then break down the compounds into tasty brown bits on the surface. This effectively a dry brine, and is the reason why competition BBQ like ribs and brisket are so damn good.

The reverse sear works especially well on a ribeye because of the additional time, the fat and connective tissue have more time to break down and get juicy.

Next time, try a little aging to up the game even more. Buy the steaks 48hrs ahead of cooking and let them sit in the fridge uncovered for those two days. Liquids will evaporate and flavor with be that much more concentrated, plus enzymes in the meat will begin to break down some of that tissue.

Drives me nuts when people argue about grilling steaks or burgers. Sure, to each their own, but the science of a world-class steak is readily available on the internet. Kind of like arguing over whether the earth is flat or round. We're past that.
 

Yaj Yak

Gladys
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Nice work. Most high-end steakhouses would agree with the methods you used.

Letting the salt sit and penetrate the meat also increases browning and therefore flavor. Salt pulls protein-laden liquid to the surface of the meat, where the heat can then break down the compounds into tasty brown bits on the surface. This effectively a dry brine, and is the reason why competition BBQ like ribs and brisket are so damn good.

The reverse sear works especially well on a ribeye because of the additional time, the fat and connective tissue have more time to break down and get juicy.

Next time, try a little aging to up the game even more. Buy the steaks 48hrs ahead of cooking and let them sit in the fridge uncovered for those two days. Liquids will evaporate and flavor with be that much more concentrated, plus enzymes in the meat will begin to break down some of that tissue.

Drives me nuts when people argue about grilling steaks or burgers. Sure, to each their own, but the science of a world-class steak is readily available on the internet. Kind of like arguing over whether the earth is flat or round. We're past that.

:bigthumb:

i typically like to get them aged a bit more as well, but my friend said he could make it for dinner a bit later in the day, so i had to work with what i had.
 

jason05gt

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I do it very similar, except I used fresh ground pepper and use garlic butter when flipping to keep the meat moist. On my Weber Genesis (NG), it's roughly 3 mins a side and I flip 4 times depending on the thickness of the cut.

I don't like Jewel's meat, at least the locations by me. I prefer Costco for steaks and if I want good meat I get it from Casey's in Naperville or in Wisconsin. Some of the best steaks I've had came from Lake Geneva Country Meats on 50. Sentry in Walworth County also has a great butch.
 

jason05gt

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Sure, to each their own, but the science of a world-class steak is readily available on the internet. Kind of like arguing over whether the earth is flat or round. We're past that.

The science is there, but the technique varies. The top rated Steak joints in America all have different methods/steps. It's not as simple as 1+1=2.
 

protocall

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The science is there, but the technique varies. The top rated Steak joints in America all have different methods/steps. It's not as simple as 1+1=2.
I agree in general, but I'm referring to the myths that people hold on to for generations. Sure there is a debate between reverse sear, sous vide then sear, salamander/broiler versus cast iron, but I'm still convincing the average backyard cook that salt isn't a matter of personal preference.
 

Dasfinc

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I feel like the actual char-sear and the visual effect of it is part of the experiance of having a good steak.

I understand that this whole process is basically "SCIENCE BITCH", but I wouldn't change how I cook mine based on that the method you shared may have a slightly more even cook?

HOWEVER, I didn't know 40 minutes was recommended for Steaks, I've always done 20-30 minutes. Also, I always let mine come down to room temperature just on a countertop before slamming it on the grill because that in itself would cause significant issues as far as cooking it evenly if its still cold when hitting the grill from what I always had been taught/read?

Just like a few others; I think everyone has their own way, I'd still love to try Sou Vie (SP) as well
 

Yaj Yak

Gladys
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I feel like the actual char-sear and the visual effect of it is part of the experiance of having a good steak.

I understand that this whole process is basically "SCIENCE BITCH", but I wouldn't change how I cook mine based on that the method you shared may have a slightly more even cook?

HOWEVER, I didn't know 40 minutes was recommended for Steaks, I've always done 20-30 minutes. Also, I always let mine come down to room temperature just on a countertop before slamming it on the grill because that in itself would cause significant issues as far as cooking it evenly if its still cold when hitting the grill from what I always had been taught/read?

Just like a few others; I think everyone has their own way, I'd still love to try Sou Vie (SP) as well

what do you mean by char sear?

letting it come to a rest doesn't matter either

and it's sous vide.

read through this [MENTION=126]Dasfinc[/MENTION]

The Food Lab's Definitive Guide to Grilled Steak | Serious Eats


Q: I've heard people tell me to pull my steaks out and let them come to room temperature before cooking them. Is there any merit in that? [TOP]

You want your meat to cook evenly from edge to center. Therefore, the closer it is to its final eating temperature, the more evenly it will cook. Letting it sit on the counter for 20 to 30 minutes will bring the steak up to room temperature. The warmer meat will brown better, the thinking goes, because you don't need to waste energy from the pan to take the chill off of its surface. This seems to make sense. Unfortunately, it doesn't hold up in testing.

I found that with a thick steak, even after two hours of sitting out at room temperature, the center of the steak had risen by a measly 19 degrees or so, not even 15% of the way to its final target temperature. Not only that, but when cooked side by side with a steak straight from the fridge, the end results were completely indistinguishable.

Here's the issue: Steak can't brown until most of the moisture has evaporated from the layers of meat closest to the surface, and it takes a hell of a lot of energy to evaporate moisture. To put it in perspective. It takes five times more energy to convert a single gram of water into steam than it does to raise the temperature of that water all the way from ice cold to boiling hot. So when searing a steak, the vast majority of energy that goes into it is used to evaporate moisture from its surface layers. Next to that energy requirement, a 20, 30, or even 40 degree difference in the temperature of the surface of the meat is a piddling affair.

The Takeaway: Don't bother letting your steaks rest at room temperature.
 

protocall

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I don't like Jewel's meat, at least the locations by me. I prefer Costco for steaks and if I want good meat I get it from Casey's in Naperville or in Wisconsin. Some of the best steaks I've had came from Lake Geneva Country Meats on 50. Sentry in Walworth County also has a great butch.

+1 for actual butcher shop.

Mariano's carries USDA Prime steaks, usually they have a good looking ribeye.

Paulina Market if you're near the city. Mitchell's in Joliet.

But I agree some of the best steaks come from the vacuum packs at Costco. Buy the oldest date stamp you can find in the bin...they've done the wet-aging for you already!
 

Yaj Yak

Gladys
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For starters, there is no oxidation of fat in wet aging, which means that there is no development of funky flavors. A minimal amount of flavor change will occur through enzymatic reactions, but they are, well, minimal. Additionally, wet aging prevents the drainage of excess serum and meat juices. Tasters often report wet-aged meat as tasting "sour" or "serum-y."

Wet aging can produce the same tenderizing and mositure-retention benefits as dry aging, but that's about it. In reality, wet-aging is a product of laziness and money-grubbing. It's easy to let that cryo-vacked bag of beef from the distributor sit around for a week before opening the bag, allowing you to call it "aged" and sell it for a higher price. I don't buy it. When you are being sold "aged" meat, be sure to ask whether it's been dry-aged or wet aged. If they don't know the answer or are unwilling to share, it's best to assume the worst.

The other drawback to wet-aging: it can't be carried out for as long as dry-aging. It seems counter-intuitive, considering a wet-aged hunk of meat is largely protected by the outside environment. But if even a smidge of harmful anaerobic bacteria makes its way into that bag, the meat will rot inside its cover giving no indication that it's done so until you open it up.

To anyone who was in the office the day I opened up that package of rotten wet-aged beef, my sincerest apologies. As Robyn described it, it smelled like "rotten excrement taking a poop."

Yeah, it was that bad.
.
 

protocall

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Apr 5, 2016
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Wet aging is certainly no replacement for dry aging. But I've found cryovac meats to be a bit more tender than the average grocery store butcher, presumably due to enzymes having a chance to break things down a bit. Never had smelly meat out of the package.

Then again, the most common cryo pack at Costco is a tenderloin, which probably doesn't benefit a whole lot from a additional tenderization.

I speak from experience in the deep south with pulled pork. Most BBQ chefs insist on cryovac pork shoulder packed 20 days ago. But I digress from steak and now we're getting back into tradition over science.
 

jason05gt

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Jan 17, 2007
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oh yeah, i used fresh ground pepper too.

i don't use butter because i personally just feel like it dilutes it with unnecessary other flavors and the meat stays plenty moist

jewel up here rocks out pretty well most of the time.

i love sentry walworth too and probably make a trip there once or twice a month.

Have you ever tried Lake Geneva Country Meats? Great steaks and brats.

Sentry has great burgers too.
 

Dasfinc

Ready for the EVlution
Sep 28, 2007
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Wheaton, IL
what do you mean by char sear?

letting it come to a rest doesn't matter either

and it's sous vide.

read through this [MENTION=126]Dasfinc[/MENTION]

The Food Lab's Definitive Guide to Grilled Steak | Serious Eats

Thanks for the article, never thought about it.

So second question, when you salt it and toss it back in the fridge, this is un-covered in your fridge??? I feel like bacteria and stuff.... I don't know.... Do stuff to uncovered food.
 
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