posted
06/28/11
What’s the secret to a good steak? We’d like to know, so we’re putting the question to you. Tell us the secret to a good steak and you could win a $100 gift certificate to Omaha Steaks, plus a beef cookbook and apron, courtesy of the Beef Checkoff.
The Beef Checkoff asked us very nicely to list a whole bunch of reasons why beef is great, but we think that would just be preaching to the choir. So let’s just all agree that beef is great, we should all eat a bunch of it on the 4th of July and if you want to know more about America’s favorite red meat you can go here.
The fine print
While the giveaway is an equal opportunity for all consumers, entries are only be open to those who live in the U.S. Employees of the Beef Checkoff and any subcontractors are not eligible to win. Beef producers are not eligible to win.
How to win
Log in and leave your steak secret in the comment section below. The winner will be selected by a Made Man editor. Entries due Monday, July 4 at 4 pm PT. Good luck!
Made Man 2011 BBQ Package
Looking for 4th of July BBQ ideas and tips? We’ve got them. From top chefs talking about the weird things they’ve barbecued to smoked cocktails to BBQ wine pairings. Check out our package of stories below.
Things You Didn’t Know You Could BBQ
Video: How to Pair Wine with BBQ
COMMENTS
June 28, 2011 3:05 pm
Joe Donatelli
Here’s mine: Wish-Bone Italian dressing marinade for when I buy less-expensive steaks.
June 28, 2011 3:26 pm
Adrian Graham
My wife … case closed!!
June 28, 2011 3:27 pm
Anthony
The secret to a good steak is the quality and cut of meat you use. For great you want to use a Prime grade of beef. Next decide what kind of steak you prefer, rib eye, Porterhouse, Tenderloin, Sirloin ect. Just season with salt,pepper, and some garlic powder. The best flavor will come from grilling. Either oil the grill or steak first though. We like nice thick steaks in our family an inch and a half to 2 inches thick.
June 28, 2011 4:26 pm
Chris May
It starts three weeks earlier. Buy a whole loin, weighs about 20#. You should get a good discount from the butcher. Salt, pepper and wrap it in cheesecloth. Store it for three weeks at 34*. I used an old frig, put block ice on top shelf, a catch basin down 1, meat down 2, and a catch basin down 3, and an old towel on the bottom. Check ice daily.
Unwrap and trim off fat. It will be very greasy and degraded, especially on top. Leave some good fat next to the meat. No perfectionism needed here. Slice to your preference (2″ for me). Save scraps for fajitas, cubed or stripped thin. Baggie and freeze what you don’ intend to eat right away, separate multiples with plastic wrap.
Your steaks should be nicely purpled. That is natural tenderization from aging, and the flavor is awesome.
I season for my grill with Lea and Perrins, heavy black pepper and some powdered New Mexico red chile, after rubbing olive oil all over. Do NOT overcook. I use a hot fire to get nice blackening. That means that you can’t keep your hand where the steaks will go for more than a couple seconds. Your wood is important. 2″ apple branches are a favorite, as is mesquite. Any fruit tree wood works well.
I oil, season and wrap in foil whole potatoes, skin on, and start them 45 min before the steaks. Some slice veggies on skewers are a nice touch and can go in with the steaks. Serve with a hearty red wine or your choice of beverage. Enjoy the steaks and the compliments!
June 28, 2011 4:34 pm
Brent Wajdowicz
Marinate steaks in a combination of oil, soy sauce, and some ginger. The soy sauce and oil will help tenderize the steak and keep it from drying out, while the ginger gives a great flavor.
Let the steaks reach room temperature and place on a hot grill. If the grill isn’t hot enough or if the steaks are too cold, you’ll risk over-cooking or drying out the meat.
Cook the steaks on the grill flipping them only once for even-cooking and even-charring. If you move the steak around too much or flip it too often, the steak will start tearing and falling apart.
If you imagine the grill as the face of a clock, point the steaks at 10 o’clock then turn them to 2 o’clock for that perfect crisscross pattern of grill marks for a great presentation.
June 28, 2011 4:40 pm
Joe Donatelli
Wow. Some of these are really impressive. Keep them coming!
June 28, 2011 4:55 pm
DJericho
1. don’t skimp on the meat. depending on the cut, even flank steaks I look at the color of the meat, if it’s pale or discolored I leave it alone.
2. I let the steak rest before cooking, come up close to room temp before putting that bad boy on the fire, then salt and pepper. I want my steak to taste like beef, that’s why I didn’t skimp on the meat.
3. on the fire, I don’t turn it alot, depending on thickness, 5-10 mins turn 90 degrees for those nice grill marks, another couple of mins, then flip repeat on the other side. I like my steaks medium rare so some pink. if it’s a think steak, I’ll finish it off in the oven @ 400 degrees with a meat thermometer till I get the desired doneness.
4. Let the meat rest again, another 10 mins minimum so the juices don’t run out when I cut it.
June 28, 2011 5:18 pm
K R
the #1 key secret to a great steak is:
HEAT.
you’ve gotta’ start with a hot surface–grill, cast iron, broiler, etc–doesn’t matter…
gotta’ start with HEAT! HIGH HEAT!
get that nice crust…
a minute a side should be enough…
then move it to the side/off the heat.
let it finish there.
and start with a steak that’s warmed up a bit.
give it 30 mins outta’ the fridge…
#2 USE TONGS
and don’t do anything to pierce the steak…
KEEP THE JUICES IN!
for doneness, give it a poke with your finger. don’t ever let it get to a point where it doesn’t have some ‘bounce’ to it.
#3, DON’T EVER COOK IT “WELL DONE”
you like steak that well done?
eat a briquet instead. or a rice cake…
#4, SEASONING.
salt it, and in those 30 mins, let it sit.
fresh cracked pepper before you throw it on, and go…
#5, REST.
give it 5 minutes after you take it off the heat, and let those juices go to where they need to go.
June 29, 2011 1:15 am
Kevin Kittle
The best steaks you will ever eat are grilled over a campfire.
#1 Season the steak and freeze it at least a week in advance. 3 weeks prior is ideal.
#2 Travel to your favorite remote campsite.
#3 Start a fire using wood you cut and collected. Place a campfire grate over the fire. By the time the fire has died down, the grate will be sufficiently heated.
#4 Sear your steaks on the superheated grate. This seals in the juices.
#5 Keep the fire hot, but without the flames touching the steak. Keep flipping the steaks insuring they cook evenly.
#6 Remove from fire and let it sit for a few minutes.
#7 Enjoy. You’ll never taste a better steak than the ones you grill out in the wilderness.
June 29, 2011 9:21 am
Dan Hartwigsen
A little salt, a little pepper and cook over charcoal until lightly charred on the outside and pink in the center. Simple as that!!
June 29, 2011 1:48 pm
judi @ farmnwife.com
My secret to great steak is raising my own beef. We know how to feed them and when to take them to the locker. Haven’t found a steak at any restaurant as good as what’s in my freezer.
June 30, 2011 4:34 pm
Scott Blake
Prep work:
My personal dry rub containing Sugar, Salt, Paprika, Chilli Pepper (Chipotle for smoky heat), Ground celery flakes, Garlic, and Cumin. Then my personal marinade of Bulleit bourbon, purple star-thistle honey, and little Worcestershire sauce. Bag it and refrigerate it over night.
Cooking:
Allow meat to warm to room temp. Preheat the grill with all burners on high until 550 to 600. Insure that the grill is clean to minimize flare-ups. Turn heat back to 450 and grill steak on each side for 3mins for rare, 4mins for medium rare, 5mins for medium. Adjust 30 secs to 1min up/down for thickness
Service:
Allow the steak(s) to rest for 5 minutes before served.
That’s my recipe for the perfect steak…works every time. Enjoy!
July 14, 2011 1:05 pm
Kelly Coady
Give the steaks to my Husband and tell him, please cook these in that special way.
July 14, 2011 1:06 pm
Kelly Coady
Give them to my husband. Best steaks ever.
July 18, 2011 5:24 pm
garth
Order a prime loin from the butcher the week before you want it. I use a small “dorm” size refrigerator to age the beef throughout the week but the beer fridge in the garage works too.
Wash the beef and wrap it in a white gym towel(clean)–set the wrapped beef on your roasting rack and place the entire arrangement in a Tupperware container on the bottom of the refrigerator.
When you get home from work EVERY night, change the towel (rinse the old towel and wash it yourself for bonus points from the wife). When done aging beef, put towels in Tupperware and reserve for next time or they will be thrown out…Trust me on this.
Friday night, remember–Corn soaked in water all nigh–the night before can be cooked directly on the grill with the steaks on Saturday by leaving it unshucked. Once it is done, shuck it and enjoy the added bonus of the smoky charcoal and steak aroma/flavor.
On Saturday afternoon, unwrap the prize and trim off any dry spots or anything that looks funky–when in doubt cut it off. The balance of the steaks are still in a chunk–Cut them to about 11/2″ thick–rub with sea salt/cracked black pepper/coarse garlic rub (1/1/1 ratio) and set out to warm to room temperature.
Fill a Charcoal Grill with coals and try on some cedar chunks for a Maine Guide flavor. When the grill is hot, lay on the steaks, flip once after about 2 minutes–then turn to crisscross your grill marks–cook to medium-rare/medium (remember these steaks will not be as bloody due to aging). Try patting the steaks with your spatula while grilling–medium steak will move with gentle pressure–well done steak will be quite firm. Remember you can not uncook an overdone steak.
Remove Steaks and rest for 5 minutes to serve with:
Slice potatoes(wash/slice thin/salt/pepper/garlic–wrap in foil and sprinkle w/ EVO) throw on grill while getting ready and while steaks are cooking–when cooked to suit(25 min or so), open foil Parmesan cheese lightly before serving…
Almost any lager, Red Zin or chilled Pino Grigio will make a perfect complement to this meal.
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