# How do you like your steak prepared?



## reveal (May 24, 2005)

Me? Medium-Rare. Not quite mooing but not ruined to the point where I can't taste the flavor of the meat anymore. When my wife and I first started dating, she would only gets steaks Medium-Well. It took about 6 years but she finally started getting them Medium and she loves it. Now just to bring her down one more notch.


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## jonesy (May 24, 2005)

I like them so well done that I can almost, not quite, but almost, taste ash.

I always have family members and friends comment "you've forgotten your steaks on the stove" "aren't they done already?" "They're going to burn" etc.


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## Henry (May 24, 2005)

Well done, though I'll take medium-well. Any earlier than that, and I might as well cook it myself.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (May 24, 2005)

When my husband and I first started dating - I was a well-done girl.  However, his influence eventually convinced me that the juice was *not* blood and that it tastes better if it's red.

Now: medium-rare to rare depending on my mood and how thick the steak is.  Mmmmm.  Meat.


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## Lhorgrim (May 24, 2005)

I like mine "medium", so I generally order them "medium rare".  In most restaurants in my area your steak _will_ be overcooked


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## Crothian (May 24, 2005)

Medium rare to medium done depending.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (May 24, 2005)

Lhorgrim said:
			
		

> I like mine "medium", so I generally order them "medium rare".  In most restaurants in my area your steak _will_ be overcooked



 Isn't it the truth?!  That's something that it took me a while to adjust to here in the "city" - back in South Dakota it wasn't nearly such a problem.  Blah.


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## Goblyns Hoard (May 24, 2005)

With fresh blood still pumping through it - i.e. still attached to the cow


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## GreyShadow (May 24, 2005)

Medium rare for me thanks. My better half prefers to have hers flamed until there is no red even vaguely visible.


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## Psion (May 24, 2005)

No pink... no black.

Generally that's "medium" or "medium well" around here.


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## francisca (May 24, 2005)

medium well


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## Voadam (May 24, 2005)

Rare.

Shocked a waiter in France when I ordered a rare steak. "But you are American!" when I confirmed that yes I am American and I prefer my steak rare he proudly said "That is how we prefer it! Americans and British never order rare though. I will tell the chef!"


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## the Jester (May 24, 2005)

A good steak medium rare is a great yumminess.

In a restaurant I know that medium is the rarest I'll get.

A common reason for places to overcook their meat is a concern over lawsuits from undercooked meat, especially when they might not always keep the freshest meat on hand.  :\


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## HellHound (May 24, 2005)

I don't know the term for it in English. One step less than rare. In French its called "Blue", referring to the lovely purple colour of uncooked beef.

Basically, grab it, slap it onthe grill to make it scream (or moo) for a few seconds, flip it over, and then slap it on my plate, thank-you-very-much sir.

Unfortunately, many States and most of Canada doesn't allow for beef to be served that hasn't reached a certain internal temperature...


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## diaglo (May 24, 2005)

in my youth...it had to be shoe leather.

but the older i get the bloodier i like it.

just after college and even though i worked in a micro lab i started to enjoy well done.

and then i progressed to medium well

currently i'm in the medium range.

perhaps by the time i'm in a nursing home i'll be the steak tartar style.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (May 24, 2005)

HellHound said:
			
		

> Unfortunately, many States and most of Canada doesn't allow for beef to be served that hasn't reached a certain internal temperature...




In the US - you'll get the warning on the menu, but you should be able to order steak as rare as you'd like in most establishments.

Also - I'm really, really hungry.  This thread is making it worse.


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

Voadam said:
			
		

> Rare.
> 
> Shocked a waiter in France when I ordered a rare steak. "But you are American!" when I confirmed that yes I am American and I prefer my steak rare he proudly said "That is how we prefer it! Americans and British never order rare though. I will tell the chef!"




Ha. Same thing happened to me. I ordered steak tartare and he "explained" to me that it was raw meat. I still ordered it. I love steak tartare.


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## Mystery Man (May 24, 2005)

When I cook it I make it medium rare. When I'm at a restaurant I order it medium becuase they never do it right.


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## Xath (May 24, 2005)

I like my steak to be so rare that a good Vet could still save it.   

mmmm...cow....


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## Pielorinho (May 24, 2005)

About an eighth of an inch on either side seared, and the rest red and cool.  And served with fresh-grated ginger.  And made out of tuna .

Daniel


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## frankthedm (May 24, 2005)

I Love cooked outside, raw-rare inside. BUT I will normally get the meat more cooked the less I trust the meat / establishment. That is ONLY for beef though. Chicken or pork? well done. Fish? Sushi please! No sushi? Overcooked please!


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## reveal (May 24, 2005)

Pielorinho said:
			
		

> About an eighth of an inch on either side seared, and the rest red and cool.  And served with fresh-grated ginger.  And made out of tuna .
> 
> Daniel




Hmmmm.... Something tells me that's sarcasm but I'm not quite sure. Smells kind of fishy.


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## IronWolf (May 24, 2005)

I go for the medium to medium-well depending on who is grilling the steak.


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## Vraille Darkfang (May 24, 2005)

If I get it from a Restaurant or a normal grocery store.

Well Done.  Cook that baby till I know everythings dead in it.

I've known too many people who work in kitchens to trust what they're cooking.

Likewise, I've known too many people who work the Meat Counter at your local Mega-Mart.

But, I live in the midwest.

That gives me the option of going out and saying:

 "I want that one!"

"Mooo"

"That brown one there sir?"

"Yep"

"Mooo"

(Zap).

(Thud).

(Chain Saw sounds).

Fresh steak I like cooked medium well over my charcoal grill using hardwood brickets with some mesquite chips.  Also can't forget to marinate the night before in just a touch of Soy Sauce & Apple Cinder Vinegar; rub it good with my Sesoning Rub, then throw it over that open flame.

P.S. Tuna Steak (when you can get it fresh) is just as good as any steak I've ever had.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (May 24, 2005)

I just got done with my lunch where we were discussing how well (or not well) done we prefer our steaks... during this conversation, I discovered that one of my co-workers has had steak a grand total of 3 times in her life.  Once in the past 10 years.

Now - maybe it's just b/c I'm a South Dakota girl with a husband whose family ranches cattle... but - that TOTALLY FREAKS ME OUT.


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## WayneLigon (May 24, 2005)

Medium Rare, usually ribeye or fillet. Or bacon-wrapped fillet. Mmm.


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## Hellefire (May 24, 2005)

Bring it over, kill it if ya wanna, doesn't really matter to me, and hand me a knife and fork.

Aaron


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## Arnwyn (May 24, 2005)

Medium-well. Never any rarer than that.


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## Jdvn1 (May 24, 2005)

Medium well.  Really, I like medium, by the always undercook it.


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## abri (May 24, 2005)

It depends who is cooking it... And my mood. 
If I'm cooking, then it's blue, as in seared on each side on a good old cast iron pan and in the plate.
At the restaurant, rare, but outback is the only place they'll serve it so. 

And often I'll eat the meat raw:

Julien's famous steack tartare
Take a 1lbs piece of tri-tip (more taste but harder, can use tenderloin instead, will be much softer, do NOT use NY steack, the fat marbling isn't great when raw.)
Using a thin knife remove the excess fat, tenderize the meat a little using the back of a cleaver.
Then using a serated knife cut 1/4" slice in the beef, then cut in slice then cubes.
I insist to cut by hand, stay away from any mechanical method!
Now to go with that you need two shallots and one small onions, diced small, a small spoon of worcestire, a spoon of caper, sea salt, olive-oil (black truffle infused if you can find it) and three egg yolks, stir all that in the meat.
Not you need to get your hand on some "sel de guerande" or other flake of sea salt and season to taste.
Serve with some form of potatoes


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## HellHound (May 24, 2005)

Pielorinho said:
			
		

> About an eighth of an inch on either side seared, and the rest red and cool.  And served with fresh-grated ginger.  And made out of tuna .
> 
> Daniel




Absolutely. A tuna steak grilled to perfection like that is a fine thing indeed, possibly head and shoulders above beef. 



			
				Queen_Dopple..err...dopple...dop...dop...I can never remember your darn handle! said:
			
		

> In the US - you'll get the warning on the menu, but you should be able to order steak as rare as you'd like in most establishments.




I was quite happy to see these warnings in the restaurants I was at last summer, but not all States work that way...


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## HellHound (May 24, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> I just got done with my lunch where we were discussing how well (or not well) done we prefer our steaks... during this conversation, I discovered that one of my co-workers has had steak a grand total of 3 times in her life.  Once in the past 10 years.
> 
> Now - maybe it's just b/c I'm a South Dakota girl with a husband whose family ranches cattle... but - that TOTALLY FREAKS ME OUT.




One of my crew from school has had beef four times in her life, twice in the past 10 years also (and both were actually in the past three months).

She hates the stuff.

But has fallen in love with her brother-in-law's hamburgers.


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## Queen_Dopplepopolis (May 24, 2005)

HellHound said:
			
		

> I was quite happy to see these warnings in the restaurants I was at last summer, but not all States work that way...




Really?  I thought that was a federal standard.  Interesting.

--Queen D (works fine for me )


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## eabha (May 24, 2005)

HellHound said:
			
		

> I don't know the term for it in English. One step less than rare. In French its called "Blue", referring to the lovely purple colour of uncooked beef.



Yeah, blue rare. Yum! But I can't get it anywhere but my mom's BBQ, and she hesitates to prepare it that way for me. In restaurants I ask for rare and usually get medium rare. _Sigh_.


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## Hand of Evil (May 24, 2005)

medium rare cooked on a grill with beer used to season it as it cooks.


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## Steve Jung (May 24, 2005)

Medium suits me fine.


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## Angel Tarragon (May 24, 2005)

Well done.


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## Jdvn1 (May 25, 2005)

HellHound said:
			
		

> I was quite happy to see these warnings in the restaurants I was at last summer, but not all States work that way...



I thought there was a limit between rare and raw, though...


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## GrayIguana (May 25, 2005)

abri said:
			
		

> Julien's famous steack tartare
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## smootrk (May 25, 2005)

A Filet Mignon cooked a little rare, with gorgonzola (or bleu cheese) sprinkled on top with mushrooms cooked in butter layered over the filet.

For a side, Asparagus with Holandaise sauce, and a big baked potato with all the fixins to round out the course.

For Desert, any kind of fruit pie with vanilla ice-cream.


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## Cutter XXIII (May 25, 2005)

smootrk said:
			
		

> A Filet Mignon cooked a little rare, with gorgonzola (or bleu cheese) sprinkled on top with mushrooms cooked in butter layered over the filet.
> 
> For a side, Asparagus with Holandaise sauce, and a big baked potato with all the fixins to round out the course.
> 
> For Desert, any kind of fruit pie with vanilla ice-cream.




That's what I'm talking about, too. Just add a nice Bass ale to the main course.


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## Wereserpent (May 25, 2005)

I usually sont eat steak, but I do eat beef perpared in different ways such as Meatloaf or hamburgers.  I think I like me meat on the medium-rare to rare side of things.  I like it to be tender.  The only thing that sucks is that when I do eat meat at my house it has to be well done because that is they way my family eats it.  What sucks is that if my dad and brother find it to be too rare they will take mine awaytoo cook some more even if I find it fine.


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## Ao the Overkitty (May 25, 2005)

Lhorgrim said:
			
		

> In most restaurants in my area your steak _will_ be overcooked




Up here, you should order your steak/burger a degree or two more cooked than you want it in most places.  They seriously undercook.

I like my steak to be somewhere between medium-rare and medium-well.  As a general rule, I order it medium well in restaurants.

I like a little pink, just so long as it isn't mooing.


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## Bloodstone Press (May 25, 2005)

Very well done.


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## Hellefire (May 25, 2005)

Of course my bear steak I like vey fresh and with lots of onion.

Aaron


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## Desdichado (May 25, 2005)

Psion said:
			
		

> No pink... no black.
> 
> Generally that's "medium" or "medium well" around here.



Yup.  I've never understood the fetish with undercooked meat.


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## John Q. Mayhem (May 26, 2005)

I'm with Diaglo.

Also, I'm horribly jealous of The_Universe.


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## D-rock (May 26, 2005)

Rare or maybe medium rare

I like the seasoning and blood to run out of it so I can mix it with other things.


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## Zander (Jun 6, 2005)

Here in the UK, waiters don't ask you how well cooked you'd like your steak. They ask you how mad you'd like it.  

Seriously, to find out how cooked a steak is without cutting it open, pinch it. How does it work? The more you cook steak, the tougher it gets. As a guide, touch the thumb of one hand (we'll say the left) to the end of each of the fingers of the same hand. Use your other hand (i.e. the right) to gently pinch the fleshy part between your thumb and index (of the left hand). When your thumb (of your left hand) is touching your pinky, the flesh between your thumb and index (of that hand) will feel like a rare steak. As you move your thumb over to the ends of the ring, middle and index fingers (of the left hand) the pinch will get 'tougher'. If your steak reaches the 'index' degree of toughness, it's well done. It really works. Try it. 

Obviously, when you pinch the steak, take care not to burn yourself.


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## Aus_Snow (Jun 6, 2005)

Medium-rare or rare. Any longer than that, and IMO it's overdone.


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## Greatwyrm (Jun 6, 2005)

I like mine medium or medium-well.  My wife, on the other hand, just likes hers hurt really badly.


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## The_Universe (Jun 6, 2005)

Medium Rare, if it's ACTUALLY medium rare, is how I prefer my steak. It's always tricky ordering it, as my stated preference can yield anything from practically uncooked to "lump of charcoal."


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## Storm Raven (Jun 6, 2005)

Joshua Dyal said:
			
		

> Yup.  I've never understood the fetish with undercooked meat.




Because some of us like to actually taste the meat, and not the burn. For me, I'd like the steak to know that heat exists somewhere in the world, but have very little actual familiarity with the reality of it.


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## Sledge (Jun 6, 2005)

Black on the outside please.


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## Dark Jezter (Jun 6, 2005)

Medium rare.


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## Galethorn (Jun 6, 2005)

I'm surprised I haven't answered this one yet...

Ok, since I'm a cheapass (which isn't much of a surprise, being a teenager and all), I don't ever order steak...

I cook it myself.

I like to start with a sirloin or a tri-tip...

Now, whether it's on the grill or in a pan, I like to use a liberal sprinkling of McCormick 'season all' (salt, chili pepper, black pepper, celery seed, nutmeg, coriander, onion, and garlic) as the only seasoning.

If it's in a pan, I use some good virgin olive oil (it leeches a lot of the cholesterol out, without screwing with the meat's flavor). On the grill, well, it makes a good glaze on itself with its own juices when they combine with the seasonings.

Anyway, I like to cook it at a very high heat so that the outside is a nice dark brown (not black at all though...blech), and the inside is still juicy and pink--almost red at the center.

Serve with some pasta (in a parmesan and cream sauce; not cooked; just heated up by the pan after you've drained the pasta, so the cheese melts a bit), and some just-barely-crunchy-still steamed brocoli and you've got a perfect meal, as far as I'm concerned. Oh, and it isn't right unless you keep the knife in your right hand the whole time--anything else is barbaric...or else clumsy.


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## LightPhoenix (Jun 6, 2005)

Cutter XXIII said:
			
		

> That's what I'm talking about, too. Just add a nice Bass ale to the main course.




Mmm, Bass.  I'll just take that for my main course.   

I'm about to be verbally assaulted by you all, but I haven't had steak in at least ten years.  Somewhere between the time I was ten and fifteen my tastes changed drastically.  And I stopped eating steak, most beef, most pork, and fish.  I started liking shellfish though, and recently discovered I can tolerate bacon again.  Anyway, the point I was going to make is that when I was younger, I definitely remember liking it between rare and medium-rare.  Nothing fancy, just a good marinade to soften it and give it a little more complex flavor.

Here's the weird thing though... for the most part I looooove the smell of steak.  And most meat that I don't eat anymore, except fish, which makes me gag.


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## Shag (Jun 7, 2005)

Medium-well, the middle is still pink but not bleeding...I only get steak from really good places that actually know who to cook it.


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## Devilkiller (Jun 7, 2005)

I very rarely order steak in restaurants since I enjoy grilling and can cook it so much more cheaply at home. When I do order at restaurants I've found that a request for "medium rare" can get you anything from slightly browned to incinerated. Thus it is hard for me to say what degree of doneness the steaks I cook really are, but I like my steak cooked on a grill for about 6-7 minutes. I suspect that my steaks are "rare". I buy mostly ribeyes or porterhouses and look for steaks that weigh about a pound. I'll sometimes buy filet mignon if it is on sale, especially if I'm expecting to serve guests who might not enjoy the fat and bones in the steaks I usually buy.



> A Filet Mignon cooked a little rare, with gorgonzola (or bleu cheese) sprinkled on top with mushrooms cooked in butter layered over the filet.



I had a similar dish today, only with a ribeye and a light sauce made by cooking sauteed onions in a little marsala with a little garlic. The mushrooms were also criminis rather than the standard white mushrooms. Criminis can often be found in stores now days as a "baby portabellas". The side was sliced potatoes roasted until brown in olive oil with garlic and "italian seasoning".

I know some steak purists would protest at putting toppings on a steak. I really enjoy grilling though, so I eat a lot of steak during the summer. A little variety can be nice form time to time. My standard steak is salted, brushed with a little sesame or olive oil depending on my mood, and then salted again and dusted with black pepper and maybe just a little garlic. The side is generally baked potatoes with butter, salt, and black pepper.



> Oh, and it isn't right unless you keep the knife in your right hand the whole time



Um, are you left handed or something? For a right handed person wouldn't the knife be held in the left hand at all times instead? Certainly switching hands seems odd though I've seen people do it. Actually, when I first fed my girlfriend steak she was so unskilled at cutting it up that she used to put down the fork and hold the steak down with her finger. I still can't understand what the heck her problem was, but she's getting over it.


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## glass (Jun 17, 2005)

reveal said:
			
		

> Me? Medium-Rare.




Me too.


glass.


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## glass (Jun 17, 2005)

HellHound said:
			
		

> I don't know the term for it in English. One step less than rare. In French its called "Blue", referring to the lovely purple colour of uncooked beef.
> 
> Basically, grab it, slap it onthe grill to make it scream (or moo) for a few seconds, flip it over, and then slap it on my plate, thank-you-very-much sir.
> 
> Unfortunately, many States and most of Canada doesn't allow for beef to be served that hasn't reached a certain internal temperature...




AKA, 'knock its horns of and wipe its...'   


glass.


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## reveal (Jun 17, 2005)

I just found a really easy way to prepare ribeyes.

Take a cast iron skillet and stick it in an oven. Turn the oven to 500 F. While it's heating up, coat the steak with a little bit of oil and salt and pepper. When the oven hits 500, take the skillet out and put it on the stove over high heat. Put the steak in for 30 seconds and don't touch it. Flip it over for another 30 seconds.

Put it in the oven for 2 minutes for Medium Rare. Add a minute for Medium. Flip the steak over and cook for another 2 minutes (3 for Medium).

Take it out and let it rest under a loose foil tent for about 3 minutes. Voila! Juicy, tender, fast steak.


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## Kanegrundar (Jun 17, 2005)

I my steaks medium rare.  I like a lot of juice and pink in the middle.  Plus, rub it down with a good dry rub before slapping in a grill over charcoal and wood chips.  Mmmmmm....steak...

Kane


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## The_Universe (Jun 17, 2005)

Ribeye, strip, and filet (or a T-Bone/Porterhouse, which is the Strip and Filet cuts connected by a bone) steaks are almost always going to taste better than sirloin, shoulder, or tip steaks, because they're a higher quality cut of meat. They're cut from the steer or heifer just below the spine, starting from the last rib, going back to the hipbone.  They tend to be tender, tasteful cuts because the muscle that they're cut from has a higher fat content - and what you taste in meat is the fat.  This is generally referred to as "marbling."  

That being said, if you're going to get one of the second tier steaks, go for sirloin, which is cut from the same general area as the ribeye and porterhouse, just a little further below the spine (and tends to be a more "worked" muscle, which means it will have less marbling, and be a little bit tougher). Once you know what a good *cut* of meat is, how it's cooked becomes less of a problem, because you're starting out with higher quality.  

I could go on for days.  And it doesn't just apply to cattle - almost all livestock have their best cuts taken from between the last rib and their hipbone - the general "loin" area.


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## Umbran (Jun 17, 2005)

Queen_Dopplepopolis said:
			
		

> ... I discovered that one of my co-workers has had steak a grand total of 3 times in her life.  Once in the past 10 years.
> 
> Now - maybe it's just b/c I'm a South Dakota girl with a husband whose family ranches cattle... but - that TOTALLY FREAKS ME OUT.




I don't find it surprising.  I hardly ever eat steak either.  If you haven't noticed, steak is pretty darned expensive.  I can typically get some form of fresh fish or chicken for half the price of steak.  So, unless you've to a big thing for the taste slab-o-beef, it's not cost efficient.  On the rare occaison I do eat it, I prefer it anywhere from medium rare to medium well, depending upon the cut and the method of preparation.



			
				reveal said:
			
		

> I just found a really easy way to prepare ribeyes....




Ah!  Someone has been watching Alton Brown on _Good Eats_.


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## reveal (Jun 17, 2005)

Umbran said:
			
		

> Ah!  Someone has been watching Alton Brown on _Good Eats_.




Yup yup.


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## haiiro (Jun 17, 2005)

Hooray for E/N! 

I like my steak lean, with no bones or fat present, and cooked just to the point where there's no pink at all. I'm also quite happy with anything between "no pink" and "charcoal," because burny = tasty.


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## FreeXenon (Jun 17, 2005)

I used to be 'Well-Done' man, then 6 or 7 years ago I was introduced to Medium-Rare, and I have not looked back since. 

It is really hard to get a steak cooked Medium-Rare correctly...


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## Jerome Steelsides (Jun 17, 2005)

Medium well works for me just fine.


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## ragboy (Jun 17, 2005)

I've never understood the attraction of Filet Mignon and other 'pasty' cuts. I like my steak tough enough to chew, but not like leather. Steak that melts in your mouth is not steak in my opinion. 

When I cook it at home, I use the grill or a very hot frying pan. Both my wife and I like ours rare. The blood is compulsory. 

As far as seasoning, I've tried a lot of marinades, rubs and whatnot, but plain old salt and pepper and fresh garlic to cook and a good spicy barbeque sauce to dip is about all I take these days. Usually just the salt and pepper and garlic. I like fresh green beans out of my garden (cooked in the same pan) and a gigantic greek salad. Sometimes potatoes (baked or garlic-mashed). Sometimes jalapenos, if I grill it. Dang. Now I'm hungry. 

Strangely, I grew up in Texas with Texas beef, but the best steaks I've ever had were from a little meat shop in Langoens, Germany. The best flavor and consistency in beef I've ever had, and we raised our own grain/corn-fed/no-hormone cattle when I was younger.


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## MonkeyDragon (Jun 17, 2005)

I adore Alton Brown.  He's my favorite host.  I find that his mantra of the most tender meat being the furthest from the horn and the hoof to be easy to remember.

I used to like my steak well done, as I didn't fancy the thought of eating undercooked meat.  Had a rare steak in France and thought "Well, this tastes pretty good...but...but...raw!"

Now I like them medium well, with just a touch of char on the outside.  For me, thats the perfect balance of still tender, can still taste the meat, but fewer worries about ickies.  Anything that's ground, though, must be well done.

Whenever I have leftover steak, I like to saute onions and garlic in a load of butter, toss with angel hair pasta, and add the thinly sliced steak to warm through.  Top with parmesean, feel the love.


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## Mixmaster (Jun 17, 2005)

Me?

First: I love "Good Eats" and Alton Brown.

Second: Nice Sear on the outside, medium to medium well on the inside, depending on cut.


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## Tetsubo (Jun 17, 2005)

Medium Rare. I want to actually taste the meat, not the method of cooking.


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## Pierce_Inverarity (Jun 17, 2005)

Rare.  There really is no better way to enjoy meat.  Seriously.  Also, none of this lean  no fat crap.  Give a well marbled NY Strip and just sear the outside.


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## Mixmaster (Jun 17, 2005)

Pierce_Inverarity said:
			
		

> Rare.  There really is no better way to enjoy meat.  Seriously.  Also, none of this lean  no fat crap.  Give a well marbled NY Strip and just sear the outside.




Ah, a "Black and Blue" kind of guy.


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## the Lorax (Jun 17, 2005)

GreyShadow said:
			
		

> Medium rare for me thanks. My better half prefers to have hers flamed until there is no red even vaguely visible.




No pink what-so-ever for me thanks, I try to avoid ordering beef when eating out as it is all too often undercooked for my taste.

It is a poor cook indeed that cannot cook a piece of meat so that it is both juicy AND fully cooked.

Squishy pink beef will make me gag, I cant get it down.


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## Chorn (Jun 17, 2005)

the Lorax said:
			
		

> It is a poor cook indeed that cannot cook a piece of meat so that it is both juicy AND fully cooked.



Careful there.  Many cooks take it as an insult to the meat and themselves if you ask them for something beyond medium.  It's also a matter of time spent because a well done steak naturally takes longer on the grill and hence throws off the queue.  As a result the kitchen staff's timing is thrown off.


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## devilbat (Jun 18, 2005)

As far as I'm concerned, rare is the only way to cook steak.  Throw it on high heat for twenty-five seconds, to sear the outside, turn the heat down, and cook it for roughly three minutes, and you've got yourself a great piece of steak.


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## Angel Tarragon (Jun 18, 2005)

devilbat said:
			
		

> As far as I'm concerned, rare is the only way to cook steak.  Throw it on high heat for twenty-five seconds, to sear the outside, turn the heat down, and cook it for roughly three minutes, and you've got yourself a great piece of steak.



That is almost exactly the way my best friend prepares his!


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## Ferret (Jun 18, 2005)

Rare. 

My dad used to work in a kitchin, the chef in there went bad when someone orded the steak well done, slammed it againsted the stove, swore blindly.......


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## DungeonMaster (Jun 18, 2005)

Rare. Anything else is travesty to a good steak.


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## the Lorax (Jun 18, 2005)

the Lorax said:
			
		

> It is a poor cook indeed that cannot cook a piece of meat so that it is both juicy AND fully cooked.






			
				Chorn said:
			
		

> Careful there.  Many cooks take it as an insult to the meat and themselves if you ask them for something beyond medium.  It's also a matter of time spent because a well done steak naturally takes longer on the grill and hence throws off the queue.  As a result the kitchen staff's timing is thrown off.




Precisely.  The chef's are getting mad for two reasons.  
 1. Chef school has taught them to frown upon "well done"  -  for no other reason than "its bad".
 2. It throws of the grilling timing/is more difficult to do correctly.

So basically because they are lazy and because of chef school dogma.  

Well Done = Done Well for me.


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## Herremann the Wise (Jun 18, 2005)

The best steak I've ever had:
Prime Angus.
Sirloin.
150 day grain fed producing magnificent marbling.
Medium.
It cost the equivalent of about USD40. I'm making myself hungry just thinking about it.

Apparently in restaurants, if you order a steak beyond medium, you are guaranteed to get the worst cut they have. By the time it has been shrunk to nothing (well done), you would not be able to tell the difference between a good or a bad steak.

In Australia, we also use the term "blue". No warnings though.   

Best Regards
Herremann the Wise


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## jaerdaph (Jun 18, 2005)

Medium rare for me.


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## ssampier (Jun 18, 2005)

I like my steak with a thin line of pink in the center, then it's still tender and juicy. Well done in a restaurant generally means "shoe leather".

To cook, for cheaper cuts, I'll marinate in garlic and olive oil. For more expensive cuts (ie better cuts that are on sale that week), I'll just use kosher salt and small amount of olive oil. For cooking, I like the outside nicely seared over high heat, then finished over low heat.

I love the Alton Brown method, but I generally only cook for myself, so I rarely want to go through all that effort. The grill is slightly easier to use, but only works for four months out of the year 

Mmm, this thread makes me want to round-up some cow-meat and grill. Unfortunately, at the moment, I'm at work.


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## Angel Tarragon (Jun 18, 2005)

ssampier said:
			
		

> better cuts that are on sale that week), I'll just use kosher salt and small amount of olive oil. For cooking, I like the outside nicely seared over high heat, then finished over low heat.



That is how my dad does it, it comes out pretty decent.


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## thalmin (Jun 18, 2005)

I order medium, but have a wide range of acceptable. I want the meat at least warmed, but don't turn it into charcoal.

Sheesh. What is it with this forum? Ribs. Steaks. BBQ sauces.

Enough reading. Time to fire up the Weber.


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