A darn good steak - Maggie's Farm
A darn good steak
I know it's grilling season, but I took a tip from The Prof and tried his blackened steak recipe - minus the salad part. (I have nothing against a salad course, but I am morally, spiritually, and philosophically�opposed to serving salad with meat as they do in restaurants these days, like that�revolting but ubiquitous Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. They give you crappy bland slices of chicken, an out-of-the-can Caesar dressing, and expect you to like it because it is supposedly low-cal.)�
I had a 1" supermarket sirloin, coated the sides generously with a�mixture of ground black pepper, salt, cayenne, thyme, garlic powder, and paprika and let it sit a little bit. Then I dipped both sides in melted butter and threw it on a maximum heat�pre-heated�ungreased iron frying pan on my gas stove. About 3 minutes per side made it perfectly rare and failed to set off the smoke alarm. Black and crunchy on the surface, but still trying to walk back to Kansas�on the inside. As good a steak as I have ever had, and much tastier than steak on ye olde charcoal grill.
From now on, steaks get cooked in the pan, and the grill will be for butterflied lamb, chops, London Broil (a tasty but un-chewable cut), chicken, burgers, hot dogs, sausage, bluefish, tuna, etc. After all, aren't grilled steaks always�slightly disappointing unless they are from a premium butcher and extremely full of fat? They smell good, though.
Posted by Bird Dog in Food and Drink, Our Essays at 07:34 | Comments (9) | Trackbacks (2)
With the interest in cast iron cookware on our piece on A Darn Good Steak,�(in which I learned that lots of folks prefer fried to grilled steak), here's a little cast iron cookware�info.Lodge is a good source, and you can buy directly from them. I like th
Tracked: Jun 25, 19:04
Tracked: Aug 25, 07:37
Yep - fried steak is the best. For the grill, I usually do kabobs and marinate them a long time.
#1 NJSoldier on 2007-06-24 14:51 (Reply)
I will try that recipe tonight. I grill steaks 12 months/year outdoors, even in the snow. If this is better, it is a fine discovery.
#2 The B. on 2007-06-24 15:17 (Reply)
"morally, spiritually, and philosophically opposed to serving salad with meat" -must be a man thing;)
I wonder if the high heat of the pan-fry gave you more of what you wanted? Your spice mix sounds like my kind of tasty !
#3 ilona (Link) on 2007-06-24 19:15 (Reply)
I recently relearned to cook this way too. I heat the big old cast iron pan on the stove on high until smoking hot. Add oil and then throw in the meat (which is rubbed with dry spices). Pork works too as pork is so lean now it is good served a bit rare.
h/t, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse, Syracuse, New York.
http://www.amazon.com/Dinosaur-Bar-B-Que-Roadhouse-John-Stage/dp/1580082653
#4 Patina on 2007-06-25 01:07 (Reply)
Love that black-iron cookery. Old tip: never wash the pans with soap--just wipe with a paper towel, or scour under water if necessary. detergent unseasons them, and you have to go to the trouble of a re-season. As far as germs, the heat kills 'em, no?
#5 buddy larsen on 2007-06-25 06:37 (Reply)
Quite right, never wash the cast iron pan or grill with soap or detergent. However, I always put the pan back on the fire until it completely drys out. This prevents rusting and though the next time you use the pan the heat will kill any germs it can ,while in storage, contaminate other cookware if grease or any organic material is left.
#5.1 John on 2007-06-25 08:48 (Reply)
#5.1.1 buddy larsen on 2007-06-25 09:45 (Reply)
That is pretty close to how they cook steaks at Ruth Chris'.
#6 NJSoldier on 2007-06-25 08:55 (Reply)
RE: salads...
I oven roast or steam a lot of new potatoes, peppers, carrots, mushrooms,green beans, cauliflower, etc. then refrigerate the leftovers with a small amount of a marinade of olive oil, vinegar and garlic, salt and pepper. They can be eaten with cold sliced meat or fish, or hard boiled eggs, capers, pickled beets, cheese and fruit, like an antipasto platter. Or salad eaters can use red lettuce and/or greens, add some onions and blue cheese and toss all together. It is sure a lot easier to keep some control of calories and sugar when I feel full from eating vegetables.
#7 Patina on 2007-06-25 10:55 (Reply)
In reply to [ Top level ]#1: NJSoldier on 2007-06-24 14:51 #2: The B. on 2007-06-24 15:17 #3: ilona on 2007-06-24 19:15 #4: Patina on 2007-06-25 01:07 #5: buddy larsen on 2007-06-25 06:37 #5.1: John on 2007-06-25 08:48 #5.1.1: buddy larsen on 2007-06-25 09:45 #6: NJSoldier on 2007-06-25 08:55 #7: Patina on 2007-06-25 10:55
A darn good steak - Maggie's Farm
A darn good steak
I know it's grilling season, but I took a tip from The Prof and tried his blackened steak recipe - minus the salad part. (I have nothing against a salad course, but I am morally, spiritually, and philosophically�opposed to serving salad with meat as they do in restaurants these days, like that�revolting but ubiquitous Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad. They give you crappy bland slices of chicken, an out-of-the-can Caesar dressing, and expect you to like it because it is supposedly low-cal.)�
I had a 1" supermarket sirloin, coated the sides generously with a�mixture of ground black pepper, salt, cayenne, thyme, garlic powder, and paprika and let it sit a little bit. Then I dipped both sides in melted butter and threw it on a maximum heat�pre-heated�ungreased iron frying pan on my gas stove. About 3 minutes per side made it perfectly rare and failed to set off the smoke alarm. Black and crunchy on the surface, but still trying to walk back to Kansas�on the inside. As good a steak as I have ever had, and much tastier than steak on ye olde charcoal grill.
From now on, steaks get cooked in the pan, and the grill will be for butterflied lamb, chops, London Broil (a tasty but un-chewable cut), chicken, burgers, hot dogs, sausage, bluefish, tuna, etc. After all, aren't grilled steaks always�slightly disappointing unless they are from a premium butcher and extremely full of fat? They smell good, though.
Posted by Bird Dog in Food and Drink, Our Essays at 07:34 | Comments (9) | Trackbacks (2)
With the interest in cast iron cookware on our piece on A Darn Good Steak,�(in which I learned that lots of folks prefer fried to grilled steak), here's a little cast iron cookware�info.Lodge is a good source, and you can buy directly from them. I like th
Tracked: Jun 25, 19:04
Tracked: Aug 25, 07:37
Yep - fried steak is the best. For the grill, I usually do kabobs and marinate them a long time.
#1 NJSoldier on 2007-06-24 14:51 (Reply)
I will try that recipe tonight. I grill steaks 12 months/year outdoors, even in the snow. If this is better, it is a fine discovery.
#2 The B. on 2007-06-24 15:17 (Reply)
"morally, spiritually, and philosophically opposed to serving salad with meat" -must be a man thing;)
I wonder if the high heat of the pan-fry gave you mo
re of what you wanted? Your spice mix sounds like my kind of tasty !
#3 ilona (Link) on 2007-06-24 19:15 (Reply)
I recently relearned to cook this way too. I heat the big old cast iron pan on the stove on high until smoking hot. Add oil and then throw in the meat (which is rubbed with dry spices). Pork works too as pork is so lean now it is good served a bit rare.
h/t, Dinosaur Bar-B-Que: An American Roadhouse, Syracuse, New York.
http://www.amazon.com/Dinosaur-Bar-B-Que-Roadhouse-John-Stage/dp/1580082653
#4 Patina on 2007-06-25 01:07 (Reply)
Love that black-iron cookery. Old tip: never wash the pans with soap--just wipe with a paper towel, or scour under water if necessary. detergent unseasons them, and you have to go to the trouble of a re-season. As far as germs, the heat kills 'em, no?
#5 buddy larsen on 2007-06-25 06:37 (Reply)
Quite right, never wash the cast iron pan or grill with soap or detergent. However, I always put the pan back on the fire until it completely drys out. This prevents rusting and though the next time you use the pan the heat will kill any germs it can ,while in storage, contaminate other cookware if grease or any organic material is left.
#5.1 John on 2007-06-25 08:48 (Reply)
#5.1.1 buddy larsen on 2007-06-25 09:45 (Reply)
That is pretty close to how they cook steaks at Ruth Chris'.
#6 NJSoldier on 2007-06-25 08:55 (Reply)
RE: salads...
I oven roast or steam a lot of new potatoes, peppers, carrots, mushrooms,green beans, cauliflower, etc. then refrigerate the leftovers with a small amount of a marinade of olive oil, vinegar and garlic, salt and pepper. They can be eaten with cold sliced meat or fish, or hard boiled eggs, capers, pickled beets, cheese and fruit, like an antipasto platter. Or salad eaters can use red lettuce and/or greens, add some onions and blue cheese and toss all together. It is sure a lot easier to keep some control of calories and sugar when I feel full from eating vegetables.
#7 Patina on 2007-06-25 10:55 (Reply)
In reply to [ Top level ]#1: NJSoldier on 2007-06-24 14:51 #2: The B. on 2007-06-24 15:17 #3: ilona on 2007-06-24 19:15 #4: Patina on 2007-06-25 01:07 #5: buddy larsen on 2007-06-25 06:37 #5.1: John on 2007-06-25 08:48 #5.1.1: buddy larsen on 2007-06-25 09:45 #6: NJSoldier on 2007-06-25 08:55 #7: Patina on 2007-06-25 10:55