Rare Steak
Author
Discussion

Pferdestarke

Original Poster:

7,192 posts

215 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
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I have been through many phases to date, including some silly fashion faux pas, unsuitable woman and shooting rabbits.

One particular phase that I went through is eating rare steak. I blame my Dad. He's the sort of bloke who judges a steak on how thick it is and how raw the middle is. Every time he eats out he orders a steak. Rare.

Fillet: rare
Sirloin: rare
Rump: rare
Rib eye: rare

He is usually disappointed as they come out tough and sinewy which i think is a direct result of being undercooked.

But I've learnt over time that it's not always the best idea and that daring to cook your meat for a little longer and resting properly pays dividends on several fronts.

For me, fillet is the rare side of medium rare, sirloin and rump true medium rare and rib eye would be medium.

Cooking my meat in this way produces beautiful juicy results and I put it to you rare, raw beef lovers out there (albeit in a slightly tongue in cheek fashion) that my steak is better than yours!

Tin hat time I think!

paperbag

calibrax

4,788 posts

239 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
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To have beef truly rare, the quality must be top notch. I've found that if I have supermarket meat it is better when cooked to medium, but the steak I get from the farm shop is melt-in-the-mouth when done rare. The fillet in particular is so tender you could even eat it raw.

Rower

1,381 posts

294 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
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I always have mine 'bleu ' although have been asked to sign disclaimers that if anything happens to me I will not sue the chef !

Rower

21TonyK

13,232 posts

237 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
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Completely agree that all red meat should be cooked the rare side of medium. Not a fan of fillet steak but I'd like to try cooking a whole fillet at 45 degrees for 24 hours. Cut the steaks and finish in butter over a searing heat.

Personally, don't think you can beat a good rib-eye.

bazking69

8,620 posts

218 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
Medium is the safe bet, especially if you aren't 100% convinced or in the know about the quality of the meat.

The resting stage is also where the magic happens for me.

Mobile Chicane

21,974 posts

240 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
I think one of the reasons steak can disappoint is that people cook it straight from the fridge.

If by some chance I've forgotten to bring it to room temperature naturally, I seal the steak in a ziplock bag and give it a bath in lukewarm water for 10 minutes or so.

I've often wondered how restaurants get it to room temperature (clearly some don't bother). Anyone know?

Sheets Tabuer

21,346 posts

243 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
Steak should be rare, a quick flash in the pan and then the oven for a few minutes. Unlike pork and chicken etc bacteria only grows on the outside of red meat not through it so you only need to flash the outside.

Can't believe it took me 33 years to try steak hehe

As you said

32,880 posts

245 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
Three of us were in Nurnburg on business last year when we sat down to dinner in the hotel. We all had steaks. Two of us in sequence asked for the meat to be cooked very rare/bleu, and the third asked for 'well done'. At this point the German waiter went decidedly Basil Fawlty, pulled the most amusing face I've seen in a long time and gasped, "he may as vell order a schnitzel" before stomping off to the kitchen to annoy the chef. You had to be there, but it had us all in stitches.

Once a steak has gone beyond pink it just goes round and around my mouth until it sticks in my throat. I can't eat it.

Edited by As you said on Saturday 5th June 12:34

Plotloss

67,280 posts

298 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
Good beef is good beef irrespective of how its cooked. If he had had sinewy filler then its more than likely poor quality meat to start.

Kneetrembler

2,069 posts

230 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
Plotloss said:
Good beef is good beef irrespective of how its cooked. If he had had sinewy filler then its more than likely poor quality meat to start.
+1 & also I like a very spicey tartare which is obviously raw

spikeyhead

20,285 posts

225 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
I've just finished a lovely piece of Aberdeen Angus rump.

Hung for four weeks by the butcher
Allowed to warm to room temperature for a couple of hours
seared briefly either side
rest for ten minutes on a hot plate

Perfect, soft, juicy succulent goodness

surrey7er

3,948 posts

297 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
For me, fat content plays a big part. A fattier cut can be cooked longer, whilst staying juicy. I think this also holds for lamb, which is normally pretty fatty. Well done lamb is a winner, as it stays moist. Most well done beef ends up chewy as it dries out too much... All IMO of course, as food is VERY subjective!!

grumbledoak

32,541 posts

261 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
Properly hung.
Room temperature, probably three or four hours on a 'normal' day.
Cooked lower and slower than the US 'Black and Blue' (see Ducasse thread).
Properly left to rest.

Otherwise, blue to rare for fillet is best, though it prefers a sauce. The rest are far better medium rare.

Oh, and chips.

Pferdestarke

Original Poster:

7,192 posts

215 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
Chips. How could we forget?

i'm no superhero

301 posts

199 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
Sheets Tabuer said:
Unlike pork ... bacteria only grows on the outside of red meat
Erm...?

Care to reconsider your point? wink

i'm no superhero

301 posts

199 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
Mobile Chicane said:
I think one of the reasons steak can disappoint is that people cook it straight from the fridge.

If by some chance I've forgotten to bring it to room temperature naturally, I seal the steak in a ziplock bag and give it a bath in lukewarm water for 10 minutes or so.

I've often wondered how restaurants get it to room temperature (clearly some don't bother). Anyone know?
Out of the fridge, leave to warm up at room temperature.
Seal all steaks on a hot plate.
Kept on a metal tray during service.
When an order comes in, put pre-seared steaks in the oven.
Take out when cooked to customer's choice.
Rest for five minutes.

Sheets Tabuer

21,346 posts

243 months

Saturday 5th June 2010
quotequote all
i'm no superhero said:
Erm...?

Care to reconsider your point? wink
Not following you.

Mobile Chicane

21,974 posts

240 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
i'm no superhero said:
Mobile Chicane said:
I think one of the reasons steak can disappoint is that people cook it straight from the fridge.

If by some chance I've forgotten to bring it to room temperature naturally, I seal the steak in a ziplock bag and give it a bath in lukewarm water for 10 minutes or so.

I've often wondered how restaurants get it to room temperature (clearly some don't bother). Anyone know?
Out of the fridge, leave to warm up at room temperature.
Seal all steaks on a hot plate.
Kept on a metal tray during service.
When an order comes in, put pre-seared steaks in the oven.
Take out when cooked to customer's choice.
Rest for five minutes.
So what do restaurants do with room temperature steak that doesn't sell that day?

Bin it? Or 'reinvent'?

shirt

25,331 posts

229 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
As you said said:
Three of us were in Nurnburg on business last year when we sat down to dinner in the hotel. We all had steaks. Two of us in sequence asked for the meat to be cooked very rare/bleu, and the third asked for 'well done'. At this point the German waiter went decidedly Basil Fawlty, pulled the most amusing face I've seen in a long time and gasped, "he may as vell order a schnitzel" before stomping off to the kitchen to annoy the chef. You had to be there, but it had us all in stitches.

Once a steak has gone beyond pink it just goes round and around my mouth until it sticks in my throat. I can't eat it.

Edited by As you said on Saturday 5th June 12:34
when I was young I followed the eating habits of my parents. being northern, this meant 2 sugars in my coffee and well done steak. on a family holiday to france I asked for well done steak which was met with a gallic shrug and a meal came back decidedly blue.

medium rare for me these days though, whilst I've managed to get them sugar free, I still haven't managed to convert my parents.

davepoth

29,395 posts

227 months

Sunday 6th June 2010
quotequote all
I'll order it bleu in france usually, but my order does depend on the quality of the restaurant, more and more cooked the shoddier it looks.

One time I did forget to put steaks onto the barbecue until the very end. The heat had died right down and they took 20 minutes or so to go brown. Tasted awesome though.

Edited by davepoth on Sunday 6th June 01:20