Steaks (beef)

[Machiavelli]

On a slight tangent, I read in the paper this morning, that LIDL's latest shot at the posher supermarkets, is to start selling Wagyu beek steaks at a QUARTER the standard price (£25/kg against £100/kg - around £6.99 for a big steak.)

Do you steak experts recommend I seek some of this stuff out?

Wagyu beef is a sign of our times -- as Guinness Boy says, the cows are massaged and drink beer. Methinks that this is yet another outlet for the rich to indulge themselves, when I'd prefer that poor humans get to drink beer but I know you might consider that to be a somewhat revolutionary stance

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

What about a porterhouse?

 

[hans kraay fan club]

Wagyu beef is a sign of our times -- as Guinness Boy says, the cows are massaged and drink beer. Methinks that this is yet another outlet for the rich to indulge themselves, when I'd prefer that poor humans get to drink beer but I know you might consider that to be a somewhat revolutionary stance

Excuse me?

I think you've confused me with somebody else. You'll have to look elsewhere for your class war, I'm afraid.

 

[Machiavelli]

Excuse me?

I think you've confused me with somebody else. You'll have to look elsewhere for your class war, I'm afraid.

I'm not advocating classes, war, or class war, but I have been accused of doing so.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Excuse me?

I think you've confused me with somebody else. You'll have to look elsewhere for your class war, I'm afraid.

I will add beef steak to the "How do you start a bin fest?" thread

 

[Cowfold Seagull]

Nothing wrong with humble braising steak either, but maybe not what you are looking for here. Obviously a much cheaper cut and needs to be cooked for longer, but so succulent and tender when cubed and used in a stew or a casserole.

 

[Billy the Fish]

I like a bit of rump.

Agreed. People always slate me for saying it but as long as you get a decent cut I prefer the texture and flavour of rump over rib or sirlion any day. The problem is you can't guarentee the cut. I spoke to a butcher about it once and he rekoned it was the first 5 closest to the skin are a bit tough but after that they are much more tender. Can be a bit of a lottery.

Rib is your banker, fillet is overpriced for what you get, not a massive fan of the texture of sirlion but honestly, that is nit picking and I'd demolish any properly cooked steak

 

[jgmcdee]

Personally I always go with Rib Eye if it's on the menu, fantastic flavour.

Fillet is so overrated, yes it melts in your mouth but doesn't have enough taste.

Different beasts, so to speak. Fillet you should have rare or medium rare; a great fillet is wonderful and has its own subtle flavour.

Rib eye and Sirloin are both better off medium or so as that lets the fat in the steak melt a bit.

A lot of it comes down to if you want your flavours to be subtle or more pronounced. But don't bother taking a sauce with the fillet; that really is a waste.

 

[Notters]

Rib Eye is so much better than anything else IMHO, mottled with fat and really moist. So tasty.

 

[Goldstone1976]

Ribeye or a T-bone for me. T-bone gives you two in 1 - sirloin on one side, fillet on the other.

 

[Notters]

Different beasts, so to speak. Fillet you should have rare or medium rare; a great fillet is wonderful and has its own subtle flavour.

Rib eye and Sirloin are both better off medium or so as that lets the fat in the steak melt a bit.

A lot of it comes down to if you want your flavours to be subtle or more pronounced. But don't bother taking a sauce with the fillet; that really is a waste.

I certainly agree re rib-eye, needs to be medium to let the fat melt. If you have it rare you're missing out. I would have sirloin rare though. The fat is on the outside and a good chef would cook this first.

 

[Hillian1]

I certainly agree re rib-eye, needs to be medium to let the fat melt. If you have it rare you're missing out. I would have sirloin rare though. The fat is on the outside and a good chef would cook this first.

Ooh, I'd never thought about that with Rib Eye. I've just got into the habit of asking for everything blue.

 

[Machiavelli]

Ooh, I'd never thought about that with Rib Eye. I've just got into the habit of asking for everything blue.

The fat in rib eye is just delicious, so I like Notters' reasoning on this, in fact, can we have a post from Notters indicating what the optimum cooking time is for each cut?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Ribeye or a T-bone for me. T-bone gives you two in 1 - sirloin on one side, fillet on the other.

What's the difference between a t-bone and a porterhouse? This is looking like an option as you get two steaks for your meal.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

But don't bother taking a sauce with the fillet; that really is a waste.

My main experience of steaks, to date, is steak roquefort in France. I always have this when I visit. Bloody lovely.

 

[Notters]

The fat in rib eye is just delicious, so I like Notters' reasoning on this, in fact, can we have a post from Notters indicating what the optimum cooking time is for each cut?

Ha! Depends how thick it is, what type of pan you have, what sort of hob you have, etc... But for a good thick (say an inch) piece of rib eye, probably 3/4 minutes on each side in a hot pan. Maybe only 2 minutes on each side for a sirloin/rump.

 

[Goldstone1976]

What's the difference between a t-bone and a porterhouse? This is looking like an option as you get two steaks for your meal.

That's not as easy a question to answer as you might think! "Porterhouse" has two meanings, a US one and a UK one. In the US, a porterhouse is a T-bone, but taken from closer to the rump of the animal, so you get more fillet steak than you would from a T-bone. In the classic UK meaning, a porterhouse is simply the sirloin element of a T-bone. Most UK restaurants use the US definition these days, but often fail to give you a steak that does actually have a greater proportion of fillet than you'd find on a "normal" T-bone.

 

[WhingForPresident]

If you love steak, you absolutely must go to a Gaucho. They have ones all over London and at the O2, pretty sure there is one in Manchester too. Pretty pricey but totally worth it.

 

[Birdie Boy]

Porterhouse steak on the bone, chateaubriand, rib-eye, in that order. Never a sauce with the first two, plain for the rib-eye or if you want a sauce then it's roquefort or any other blue cheese sauce.

Porterhouse will be one thick bit of steak, whereas T-bones are filet and sirloin which are thinner and no where near as tasty, imo.

For blue cheese sauce, roquefort, stilton or any other blue cheese of this vein, diced onion, port or sherry, double cream, yum yum.

Edit: Just to add, Porterhouse on the bone 800g in Coalshed was £60 with nothing else, no chips, veg anything. Porterhouse steak on the bone 1.2kg from Blakes, £13, the wife cooked it (sealed both sides then put in oven) and it was fantastic.

Edit Edit: Med-rare, if I get rare, med-rare or med, I am happy but med-rare to rare is my preference. Can't beat a bit of blood!

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Ribeye or a T-bone for me. T-bone gives you two in 1 - sirloin on one side, fillet on the other.

Definitely T Bone for me. Long forgotten due to mad cow disease but very tasty due to the bone and fat and large enough to fill you up.
Dont see many on menus these days but for me the best if cooked properly.
The thing about any steak is you need four things, good quality meat a chef that knows how to cook it properly, a good sauce is important too, I like pepper and proper beautifully cooked chips.
After years of experimenting I do a decent steak.
Steak rested at room temperature.
Pan very hot.
A coating of groundnut oil, salt and pepper.
Place in pan do not move it, cook it to your choice.
Put a knob of butter in pan for final 30 seconds.
Take off heat and leave to rest for 10 mins.