The Perfect Steak

The PPP · Posted: Nov 10 2009 Post subject: The Perfect Steak

My girlfriend took me to Ruth Chris steak house last week for my birthday and I have had a lot of steak in my day, but don�t ever remember eating one this tender and delicious it was incredible ( I got the T-bone) Steak has always been a weakness for me. I usually grill direct heat on the weber they come out good but I want great. So please share some of your secrets for the perfect steak.

chILLinNgrILLin · Joined: 06 Nov 2009 Posts: 10

It's all about getting the proper cut of meat...I like ribeye. Just apply olive oil, sea salt, freshly cracked black pepper, a little minced garlic. Rub it all in, let the steak get to room temp and cook over high heat...

So IMO, the secret to the perfect steak is meat selection and not to over-spice. Let the meat speak for itself Wink

-CnG

mhoodnc · BBQ Fan Joined: 23 Aug 2007 Posts: 344 Location: Charlotte

Hi, and I mean Hi heat, the Ruth Cris, Morton's, etc cook at 1500 degrees.
Some like the basic salt and peppa, Montreal steak rub is real good. I'm not a purist so my fave is marinated in Pineapple juice and ginger(or terriaki) then cooked to medium on a very hot grill. Costco steaks are the best I've encountered around here. If your serious don't even think about cooking a steak that's less than an inch thick. let it rest a few minutes, you'll be glad you did.

day_trippr · Posted: Nov 10 2009 Post subject:

kingofcool · BBQ Pro Joined: 05 Dec 2008 Posts: 863 Location: Georgia

Type of cut will make a world of difference. A filet you can cut with a fork. Ribeye has dones of flavor but you suffer on the consistency. Most likly it was a filet. I get my grill as hot as I possible can and add some fresh coals on there about 15 mins before putting the steak on, piled pretty darn close to the grate. I also try and let the grate be on there for a few minutes to warm it up. Then, depending on the thickness, I put the steaks on there, abot 5 per side. That's pretty rare for 1.5 inch steak. If you have a flame up, don't worry, that's the hot you want. I also either use coarse ground sea salt and fresh ground black pepper for a simplier taste or I get montreal steak for a little more going on.

I used to be the same way with steak but I just started grilling them. I've bought a tenderloin and cut steaks and also done the same for a sirloin roast. After doing it a few times you'll get a better idea of what you need to do. Good luck!

corndog · Posted: Nov 10 2009 Post subject:

I love a ribeye, w/ just salt, pepper, and garlic powder, cooked over charcoal/wood....but let's expand this...yes, the steak it's self will be good, but I think the perfect steak should include the experience of cooking and eating the steak...from the time you pop-a-top (or cork), fix some appetizers, season the meat, tend the fire, sear the steak, have a beverage or two, spend time w/ family and friends, fix the sides, rest and plate the steaks, admire your work and master of the flame, pop another top, laugh and have a great time and great meal....That to me is realy...the perfect steak!!!! And then it's on to dessert...another topic of great interest..
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The PPP · Posted: Nov 11 2009 Post subject:

No body has mentioned aged beef or what the cow eats yet. I remember reading on the menu at Ruth Chris that cows are corn fed. How much of a difference does that make? Isn't a T-bone the best of both worlds?

polishdon · Posted: Nov 11 2009 Post subject:

The way Ruth Chris' serves it on those hot plates is awesome. Still sizzlin when you're cutting into it.

day_trippr, their site actually says "Our famous steaks are seared to perfection at 1800 degrees and topped with fresh butter so they sizzle all the way to your table." Shocked

The PPP, from what I learned watching Food Inc the other night, corn fed cows are not the way to go. Cows were always grass feeders, it wasn't until we started force feeding them corn, because it's a cheap feed, that they began eating it.

But who knows, that steak I had at Ruth Chris' was damn good. Very Happy

keanderson2 · Newbie Joined: 14 Jun 2009 Posts: 71 Location: Atlanta

Corn fed beef is the norm these days in the U.S. You can get grass fed, but you'll pay more for it and have to go to a specialty market typically. Corn fed tends to be more consistently marbled and have a milder flavor, which is what most people are used to. There are environmental drawbacks to the corn fed system we use, but I won't go there...
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The PPP · Posted: Nov 11 2009 Post subject:

How can we get such a high heat? I heard from a friend that is a chef that he has seen people cook them right on the coals for one min. a side them puts the grate on and finishs em up. Has anyone every done this? Wouldn't it cause ash on the meat?

Toga · Posted: Nov 11 2009 Post subject:

I am a big delmonico fan. If the delmonicos dont look appealing i'll settle for a Tbone or good looking ribeye. Find a couple that are nicely marbled and sprinkle with sea salt and a touh of fresh cracked black pepper. Cook them hot and fast over a bed of lump. I grilled up a few sunday night for dinner. They were mighty tasty.
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GOON'S BBQ · Posted: Nov 11 2009 Post subject:

All the steaks at the high end restaurants are most definitely dry aged for probably 30 days or so. That and high heat makes for a real tender mouth watering steak. Salt and Pepper all you need on a good steak.
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Ryan Chester · Posted: Nov 11 2009 Post subject:

A nice fat ribeye and a healthy coat of our Santa Maria Style Rub is all I need. I start it high heat over the coals to build a crust and move it off and let it finish indirect. Pull it off just under medium rare, let them rest for about 10 minutes to let the juices settle in and come up to medium rare.

All rubbed down!!!

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marvsbbq · BBQ All Star Joined: 15 May 2005 Posts: 6186

The perfect steak for me is when I get done eating it I say..."Now THAT was a GOOD steak" Laughing

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Mikey P's BBQ · BBQ Fan Joined: 15 Sep 2009 Posts: 154 Location: SW Oh-io

aging is KEY to a good steak. Add some sea salt and pepper and grill it over HOT charcoal and you can be beat.

I used to work in a restaurant and the ribeyes were aged but the NY strips werent. I know they are different cutts but coming from the same butcher, the beef tasted completely different.

Aging beef is KEY. Period.

ckone · Posted: Nov 11 2009 Post subject:

kingofcool · BBQ Pro Joined: 05 Dec 2008 Posts: 863 Location: Georgia

Also, like all other meat, steak needs a proper rest.

DawgPhan · BBQ Super Pro Joined: 12 May 2005 Posts: 3444

cwall1313 · Posted: Nov 11 2009 Post subject:

ckone- If i'm cooking a steak just for me, I always put the grate directly over the charcoal chimney. I like my steaks rare with a nice crust. Hard to do unless you have extremely high heat. Only draw back is you can only do one at a time, but it's my favorite way.

Dawg Phan- A Delmonico is a bone-in ribeye. It's by far the greatest cut of meat ever IMHO.
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SmokeHound · Posted: Nov 11 2009 Post subject:

My personal favorite in steak: 2" porterhouse. Seasoned with fresh garlic (can never have too much garlic, IMHO), sea salt and cracked pepper. Seared on each side over super hot wood coals, then I put it on the smoker side for 15 minutes or 'til it's medium rare in the middle. Top it with garlic butter (maybe even sprinkle a little gorgonzola on it), and HAVE AT IT!!! No sides, just the steak and a glass of Shiraz. . . . OMG!!!!!

[heavy sigh. . . .]
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