Steaks---what is the best way to cook them?

[Ottakee]

We might be able to grill outside tonight, maybe not. What though is the BEST way to make a steak that tastes really good (we like them well done)?

 

Have you ever made them in the oven? Broiler? Marinade or not?

 

Seriously, I am quite a good cook but steaks are one thing I have never mastered. We have 2 T bones, a Delmonico and a Sirloin to cook up for supper tonight and I need help.

 

The cut of meat is good as it is from our 1/2 cow we bought.....this is just a problem with the cook.

[Meriwether]

Thoroughly. Sorry. I'm aware that I am about the only person alive who cannot stand any red in my meat. We always grill steaks. I will use leftovers in fajitas.

 

ETA: I read your post after I posted. So I'm not the only one who likes them weeelll done.

[KS_]

We like ours best marinated with soy sauce and garlic and grilled - rare :) But even if you don't like them rare, I think grilling on a hot grill is the way to go.

[Mrs Mungo]

First, buy decent steaks; we prefer ribeyes. Second, make sure that you bring them up to room temperature before you do anything else. I rub mine with a little olive oil and Montreal Steak Seasoning and DH cooks them on our charcoal grill. He likes his medium rare, I like mine medium well. He cooks them perfectly. I think it's mostly a matter of practice.

 

BTW, even if you like them with no pink you need to take them off the grill before they are cooked through or they will get dry. Cook them most of the way and then let them rest, the residual heat will cook them the rest of the way.

[Brigitte]

If we can't grill, we use the broiler. The timing for broiling is about the same as grilling. I would tell you the number of minutes per side, but we like ours medium rare. We like the Montreal Steak seasoning - put it on 15 minutes or so before cooking, then grill/broil as usual.

[OLG]

This is what I do with a filet...

 

Sprinkle with soy sauce and Worchestershire sauce and pepper. Bring to room temp. Melt butter in a thick frying pan (I use cast iron). Brown over medium high heat on both sides. Transfer to a rack in a baking pan and bake at 375 till done as you like.

 

Juicy and yummy!

[Plucky]

Marinate it for hours. I don't think there is such a thing as a tasty well-done steak though. I like mine to moo.

[ChrisB]

Our steaks are very basic, but we always seem to get compliments. Bring the steaks to room temperature and salt both sides with kosher salt at least an hour before you want them on the grill. You can add pepper if you'd like. Grill until desired doneness. Like Mrs. Mungo said, the steaks need to have at least a little pink to keep them moist. Let the steaks sit, tented with foil, for at least 10 minutes before serving.

[cjzimmer1]

Cooking a good tasting steak has always eluded me too. But I don't have a grill so I just did them under the broiler and they are only okay. Then I found a recipe online. I think it make have been Alton Brown but don't remember nad now I make them from memory.

 

Take steaks out about 1/2 before you want to start cooking. Preheat oven to 500 degrees. Sprinkle with coarse sea salt and fresh ground pepper. (I found I actually needed a pretty heavy coat of this to flavor through the meat. My steaks are 1 inch thick). Allow to rest 1/2 hour. Heat cast iron pan to medium high- high. Place steaks in pan for 3 minutes. Don't move till time is up. Flip and cook another 3 minutes. Place entire cast iron pan in hot oven. Cook 3-5 minutes (although you might want aanother minutes or two if you are going for well done) on each side. Remove steak from pan and allow to rest.

 

Put cast iron pan on burner. Add a few TBSP butter, several cloves of sliced garlic and about 1 tsp garlic powder. Deglaze meat bits from the pan. Garlic should be softened by this time. Pour butter/garlic mix over steaks.

 

Now I don't even care that I don't have a working grill. Family loves them this way and it's much easier than running my food outside to cook it.

[TammyinTN]

In the winter months I use Ree's --Pioneer Women's method. Very juicy and tasty.:D

[dirty ethel rackham]

I would only grill them. I really don't like my steaks cooked inside. They don't brown as well or taste as good. I would shovel out to the grill, I would stand out there with an umbrella in a thunderstorm before I would cook them inside. But, I'm kind of a grill snob:).

[Blueridge]

As far as grilling them goes...what temp do you use with a gas grill? Low/medium/high???

[AlmiraGulch]

I could never, ever grill a steak properly until I started following Bobby Flay's very easy method. Now they're perfect every time.

 

Ingredients

 

 

• 4 1 1/4-to-1 1/2-inch-thick boneless rib-eye or New York strip steaks (about 12 ounces each) or filets mignons (8 to 10 ounces each), trimmed
  
• 2 tablespoons canola or extra-virgin olive oil
  
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  

Directions

 

About 20 minutes before grilling, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let sit, covered, at room temperature.

 

Heat your grill to high. Brush the steaks on both sides with oil and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place the steaks on the grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Turn the steaks over and continue to grill 3 to 5 minutes for medium-rare (an internal temperature of 135 degrees F), 5 to 7 minutes for medium (140 degrees F) or 8 to 10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees F).

 

Transfer the steaks to a cutting board or platter, tent loosely with foil and let rest 5 minutes before slicing.

 

Also, I saw a show where he talked about judging doneness based on how the meat feels in comparison to the palm of your hand, like this:

The Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat

 

Method

 

Open the palm of your hand. Relax the hand. Take the index finger of your other hand and push on the fleshy area between the thumb and the base of the palm. Make sure your hand is relaxed. This is what raw meat feels like. (Check this out the next time you have a raw steak to cook.)

Now gently press the tip of your pinky and your thumb together. Again feel the fleshy area below the thumb. It should feel quite firm. This is what well done meat feels like when you press on it. (Check this out the next time you overcook a piece of meat.)

Press the tip of your ring finger and your thumb together. The flesh beneath the thumb should give a little more. This is what meat cooked to a medium doneness feels like.

Gently press the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb. This is medium rare.

Press the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb. The fleshy area below the thumb should give quite a bit. This is what meat cooked to rare feels like. Open up your palm again and compare raw to rare.

[In the Rain]

I wonder if this will turn into a marathon thread like the one on how to cook filet mignon. Remember that one? :lol:

 

We've only ever grilled steak. Dh usually just salts and peppers it. Steak sounds yummy. Enjoy your dinner. :D

[Tigger]

I don't think there is such a thing as a tasty well-done steak though. I like mine to moo.

 

:iagree:

 

That said, if you don't want to broil, our go-to cooking method when it's too cold to grill outside is to use the cast iron skillet - heat it really hot, then throw the steaks on after it's hot-hot-hot and cook like you're on the grill....for us, that'd be "moo" too.

[Sandy in Indy]

I like mine to moo.

 

That's funny...I've always said that if it ain't mooing it's done enough.

 

I have absolutely no advice for the OP. Steak is such a rare event around here that we've never gotten around to figuring out how to cook them well. (well as in good--not well as in shoe leather...:) )

[kewb]

Well done steak does not compute. Our family joke is that you should put the steak on a plate and walk past the grill and then hand me the plate. I like my steak black and blue.

 

However, if you are going to insist on shoe leather, I recommend you marinate your steak overnight. I like to use Teriyaki and garlic. Lots of garlic. Sometimes, I will add a little grated ginger to the marinade.

 

I think they come out best on the charcoal grill.