cooking steak the right way

[Ernie_Edwards]

alsayyed,

When a month of sundays have come and gone, giving you enough time to try all these recipies, you will have to let us know which one your kids liked the best.

Sure am enjoying this thread.

Ernie Edwards

[isassi]

Hey Tom; A Flat iron steak is a cut from a different part of the cow, as I understand it, but when cut correctly, is just like a New York or Kansas City strip cut. Seems like it comes from chuck roast? Anyway, when we had a calf processed before Christmas, I asked the cutter about it and he said he didn't cut for it, and would charge extra if I wanted it. If any of you guys ever get the chance, the way to get great beef is buy from a farmer direct, then the slaughter house direct, then to your freezer...and what a difference in your grocery bill..besides having great meat avaialble instead of beef from God knows where. I paid 1.30 a pound, hanging weight, and the processing was 240 bucks or so. Bottom line is I have $2 a pound invested in a freezer full of beef, pot roast for Sunday dinner, steak on saturday night (big, thick ones), great hamburger that doesn't fry out a skillet full of grease...and on and  on....you guys should try it. Oh yeah...one last thing...I know the beef I am eating has no hormones or other unknowns in it.

[Norm]

Flat iron steak is cut from the upper front quarter of beef, it is a new cut that would have been ground into hamburger before. It is very good if you like rare steak cut into thin strips for sandwhiches, I don't care for it as a full cut in place of reqular steak.

Last night I took a flank steak that I marinated in a dry rub for a day and slapped it on a very hot fire. Turn once and then cover with foil and put it in a 300 degree oven for 10 minutes. Cut into very thin strips and put on grilled buns with grilled onions and my secret dressing. Umm ummm, makes standing out in the cold grilling worth it.

I will say every time I see Toms picture I drool all over my keyboard, that's what steaks for grilling should look like.

[Bro. Noble]

Joasis is right about the source of your beef.  You gotta start out with good meat to begin with.  In addition to his comments,  I would like to add that it is better to get a processor that will come to your animal to kill and dress it.  You have better meat if the animal isn't stressed by loading and hauling.  Get an animal that has enough fat cover that it can be aged at least a couple of weeks before being cut and wrapped.  Avoid processors that do deer (during deer season)  because they won't have the time or space to let yours age.

[SPIKER]

aagggghhhaaa:  droolin g now,  I jsut had bacon, sausage links & egs for din din...

good le steak sounds nice to me!

I like how a few have put it, a GOOD HOT fire, seere on one side and flip once, aftrer2~4 min, cook for next 3~4 min on 2nd side, take off and cover for a few min while you load up on the side fixens on the plate.  take & toss on the steak & eat...   it should still be finishing cooking by the time it hits bottom

depending on cut & thickness I do use different spices & marinade, never the same thing, usually just from taste & what I find in the spice rack of the day...   also cut is major play in it.  good cut usually can have nothing more than a bit of pepper & olive oil rub. for a lesser cut or when the woman is eating it with me I do something like the following.

I like a red wine mix with (aldolphs) tenderizer kosure salt/pickling salt, black pepper, a bit of margoram & or basil if I have some fresh.   this with a GOOD olive oil rub & l let it soak for a good 3 hrs or so and then like other said let warm up to room temp prior to cooking. (I usually get the steak out when I start a dry wood fire. by the time it cooks down to cooking state they are warm.   if partaking in any of the liquid refreshment you may also be warmed up good too ) "a little wine for me a little for the steaks a little more for me  pretty soon you don't really care if they are raw or even cooked    "  anyhow a good olive oil for cooking is extra virgin "a light color, not the darker stuf" also COLD PRESS for cooking.


I love a good cast iron & gas/propane cook top.  really can make a great steak that way, coating the cast first with a good seasoning oil, canola works better than olive oil for this but good ole LARD is best... 
use of the electric stove is teriable for cooking/grilling meat  plane & simple.  last week I made up some bacon of which on my propane stove this week same bacon bought same day same store looked same cooked on her stove (electric)  tasted terriable but the first one was cooked on MY cast iron skillet this one on her cast one...   also I ahve about 6~10 different cast cook wares only about 4 of them are really worth having.  I keep trying to get the others to take a seasoning or what but they simply don't cook well or taste nearly as good...   wonder why.?

anyhow got to get me a big ole steak now for saterday & grill em up.

ok one question what kinds of wood do you all prefer for open cooking outside?
I been using sweet/wild cherry mostly, but this last time I used a bunch of beech which worked VERY well.   just burgers but they were exccellent made wiht the cheapest ground beef available.  lots of fat into the fire and had some flameing up problems but they were like 1~1.5" thick and as big as a big bun!  good 1/2 lbers after cooking     

a few friend like apple but I have been told it contains high amounts of arsnic in the woods and that can get into the foods...   oak works in a pinch but seems much harder to get quick coals.  anyhow any other wood I should be looking at for BBQing?

mark

[Tom]

Mark,

The best, old standby is hickory or pecan.

I prefer one of the Red Oaks.  Usually it's water oak or Laurel Oak around here.  It is smokey flavorful but can have a bit of a bite.  I use Cherry, hickory, bay, and those types of sweet woods for flavor rather than heat and usually just add a sliver, now and again as I cook.  It helps to take the bite out. 

Oak makes the best coals. 

[SwampDonkey]

And avoid spruce and fir, the taste of burnt pitch just doesn't do it for me.   

I do like sugar maple smoke, but I think Tom's recommendations are hard to go wrong with. As I said earlier I'm not a big steak fan of late, used to eat alot when younger and it was good meat to. So tender and juicy ya didn't have to chew it, you could cut it with a fork. I dunno what this stuff is they sell in supermarkets. 

[IMERC]

show it a warm room for 30 seconds to a side....

[Luckyfarmer]

I fatten my own steer, usually to 1100 lbs.  We have a great locker here that will hang them for 14 days and if not busy 21 days .  the long hang will grow whiskers on it but scrapes off.  That is what makes your meat tender.  I kill one a year but give the kids lots.  There is no comparsion against grocery store meat

[Buzz-sawyer]

THat sounds good...........
If a fella tries to raise his own steer here in Illinois, and then butcher it........you instanly become a criminal.....gotta pay another fella to do it for ya.....
  

[Patty]

Buzz, is that a real law or just the local yocals giving you a hard time?

Around here no one seems to care what we do, as long as we don't ask them to help! 

[wiam]

We just butchered 2 a couple weeks ago.  One for us and one for a friend.  Took them to a local custom cutting shop where they hung for two weeks.  Ours is yummy.

Will

[Max sawdust]

THat sounds good...........
If a fella tries to raise his own steer here in Illinois, and then butcher it........you instanly become a criminal.....gotta pay another fella to do it for ya.....
  

No Really,
I can not belive that.    Ya know we got a name for those Chicago City type that make the laws for the rest of you normal folk in IL..  This is a family forum so I can not repeat it.

I can not belive their is a law that prevents you from killing and butchering your own meat to feed your family.  I could see if you were selling it or something or the udder.

I say butcher your own stuff and see if they throw ya in Jail.
Max