Chip Sengravy

Whats the best way to cook it?

I found a place on holiday once that did amazing fillets, like nothing i have ever tasted....I asked the chef how he did it, but he was a bit on the foreign side and didnt speeaky the eenglish. I kind of got the jist thet he wrapped it in tinfoil, and did it on the hotplate. Does that sound about right?

any other suggestions?

davegtt

I like my steak grilled to be honest. had it a few other ways but its just not the same

The Zohan

Not got a recipie myself however try the BBC site. I griddle steaks when i cook them, this works a treat for me.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/

Paul

AndyC_772

iTrader: (2)

In my experience, the quality of a steak depends almost entirely on where you buy it.

In the US, I've never had a bad one. France is OK provided you want it to still be moo-ing when it's served up. I had a great one in Germany a few weeks ago too.

Sadly in the UK, I've never found one that really compares. The best I've managed is to buy one fresh from a farm shop and to barbecue it over really hot charcoal, but even then it needed a lot of pepper to really bring the flavour out. Most UK steaks are, in my experience, frankly awful.

If anyone can tell me where I've been going wrong, I'd love to know.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

As above. Flash cook it on a very hot heat to seal in the flavour.

And yes UK steak is mostly rank


I prefer a good cut of Sirloin or Ribeye - quality doesn't seem to vary as much as Fillet (plus it's easier to cook )

SJ_Skyline

Plenty maldon sea salt & pepper

I've been experimenting with frying shallot, herbs & garlic in butter, adding red wine then crumbling an oxo cube in to make a red wine sauce. This still needs some work on it

davegtt

Probably because most steaks it the UK are mostly water it is hard to get a good piece of steak over here..... always have the fillet when I go abroad as the UK just doesnt compare

The Zohan

Yep.
We have a particularly good butcher oin the village i live in. The steaks remind me of the quality and taste of meat we used to get when i was a kid.
Price is around the same as you would see in Tesco or Sainsbury's but 1000 times better meat and great advice on cooking and what to get.

BTW: Rump is my favorite

prodriva

Another vote for ribeye. Get it from my local butcher who is very very good IMHO.

Diablo

Scottish beef is generally excellent, there are a number of fantastic butchers up here.

Best way to cook is to leave them thick cut, and cook in a very hot frying pan with just butter and a little olive oil.

Alternatively, cook under a very hot infrared grill.

D

Diablo

Oh, and NEVER buy steaks from supermarkets. Far too young, 'cos the consumer wants pink meat, not deep red/brown.

Chip Sengravy

cheers peeps..

Oiled, seasoned ,and dropped into a hot griddle pan it is then


I'll fart about with the tinfoil method another time

Jay m A

iTrader: (2)

To echo the above, every time I go to the USA the fillet steaks are just amazing compared to most restaurants / shops around here.

Then again not many farm shops in London

Apparition

The tin foil method will keep in all the juices to keep it succulent. Ultimately, tho' it all depends on the original condition of the meat. You can't beat a good little independant butcher, he will have to sell good stuff to hang on to his reputation and business.
PS. Put some thinly sliced strips of leeks and carrots in with the meat and maybe a little seasoning , wow, a whole meal in one go.
Yve

SJ_Skyline

Use one of these:



Wrapping in foil and letting the steak rest for a few minutes after cooking is another good trick.

Chip Sengravy

I have one of those...and will do the tinfoil trick while resting.

What veg?


and LOL @ Diablo's 'Finbar Suanders' cullinary advice in post No 11

David Lock

http://www.minymorfa-farm-shop.co.uk/welsh_beef.htm

Unsafe for vegetarians

SJ_Skyline

Making me hungry just looking at that site!

David Lock

And fillet @ £7.99 lb. Compare that with a high street butcher.

Edited to add that info from Chip (otherwise he'll probably sulk)

rossyboy

iTrader: (8)

7 oz Aberdeen Angus Fillet Steak from a good butcher, 3 minutes in a Big George Foreman, perfect

Robert Rosario

Will echo the posts on here regarding your local butcher.

Use him, talk to him, and build up a relationship if you want to taste better meat.

And do it before he goes out of business as the herds of shoppers head to thier "super" market for second rate cuts of over priced tat.

The Zohan

Good advice and how true. Our local butchers is usually pretty busy but the supermarkets are doing thier best to put them out of business. I know the supermarket is an easy option but it is worth the effort of going to a good butchers for really good quality meat.
The worry is that people get used to the generally poor quailty of meat, veg etc and just accept it as the norm which is a shame.

It takes me around 10 mins to go to our local butchers get the meat for the week which is time well spent. Our kids are eating decent food which is the most important thing to me.

PS I do not work at my local butchers of any comany promoting meat!

Chip Sengravy

Fnarr,Fnarr


ok, I'm immature!...I admit it!

Poor Guy

Ive got to say i find yanky steak bland as hell. I live in Doncaster with one of the best markets in the country. I get 2 slabs of cow for a £5er, sear them in a pan real hot for 30 seconds each side and grill them oh so slowly. Juices all locked in and scrummy.

Chip

Firstly steak has to be top quality ie Welsh Black and well matured (between 21-30days)

Cook the steak in a cast iron griddle pan or a Meyer Analon type pan and make sure its really hot before putting the steak into it. Don't even think of using a GF grill as they will not get anywhere near hot enough. Steak should be at room temp before going into pan as well.

Put into pan and DO NOT move it until its halfway through its cooking time which will depend how you like it cooked. By not moving it the sugar in the juices will caremelise and stop the steak from sticking to the pan.

Then turn the steak over to finish off cooking. Always try to undercook a little on the griddle as it will continue to cook a little whilst resting.

In the pan then add a little brandy and cream to pour over the steak.

And do not buy meat from the supermarkets as it's ****e.


Chip

robski

One of the main problems with beef is it really needs to hang well.

Most supermarkets are churning it out so fast Im surprised its not still mooing in the packet.

Echo the local butchers if you have the time, but the other simpler (but less effective method) is to keep it a while yourself, wont have the same results, just don't eat it until the neon red effect it seems to have in the supermarket has well faded.

Best steak ever for me was in Germany but it was a bloody expensive restaurant.

ALi-B

iTrader: (1)

Smack on...exactly how I cook it - except I do it on the gas BBQ (or the pan if it's raining Lots and lots of heat (grill isn't powerful enough) and usually only need to turn once.

Thats the mistake for most people with cooking steak is they keep turning it. So the outside never gets chance to sear properly.

Greeny01

I had a steak recently in Aberdeen and it came with Garlic butter and herbs on it and it was superb.

Might be a stupid question but how do you make that stuff?

Iain

David Lock

Completely agree about "pink" meat and supermarkets. Years ago I lived in downtown Tufnel Park (and uptown Tufnel is bad enough!) and there was a Greek butcher who broke every health and safety rule in the book keeping the meat lying around - usually next to the snoozing cat - and it looked old and worn out (the meat that is). Not a hint of fresh red. But did it taste great

Chip Sengravy

2 Fillets procured from local farm shop this afternoon, left on the dashboard of the van for the rest of the day for some 'power hanging' , so we shall see...It certainly appears to be alot softer than the stuff from the supermarket.


The best steak I ever had was from a guy that I used to work with, he got it from a guy in the pub that did the markets, I imagine it was what was left over after the day, for £20 you got 6 gigenourmous Tbones and 6 chunky fillets....I stopped getting it off him after the last bagfull had been stored in the cupboard of the pool room in his smoky boozer for 2 days . I got it home and opened it up ready to bag it and freeze it, but the smell was just too rank, had to bin (outside) the lot .