Steak

[gpop]

I don't cook a good steak, I never have. I can do wonders with chicken, pork and other carnivore fare, but the cow has been the least likely to receive a good review at my dinner table.

At least until I read an article containing an interview with some food scientist (can't remember who the scientist was or where I read it) who proposed something that made my Argie suegra cringe. She swears by the Argentine traditional method of cook on low heat until the blood starts coming out of the top, then flip it once and cook for an equal amount of time.

The article interviewee proposed a different way: with a medium high heat turning the steak several time (in fact every 20 seconds) so as not to allow liquid in the steak to reach a boiling-point thereby ruining the meat.

The wife likes my steak better now than she used to, but it's still not the same as her mothers churasco.

Any thoughts?

 

[internationalguy]

I think it all depends on the type of steak and how do you want it cooked. For a more "American" medium rare or medium, searing the meat makes more sense. As far as the way they do it here with their "a punto" I think they want to go that way because it suits it better. Who knows. It also depends on the thickness of the steak. I'm more of a large piece of meat kind of guy... you can always split it up after it's cooked, here they seem to favor cooking "bifecitos" that have been infinitesimally portioned before they're cooked.

 

[scotttswan]

I prefer mine wafted through a warm room.

 

[GS_Dirtboy]

Don't salt your steak much more than 2 minutes before cooking. The salt pulls out the juice. Sear it on both sides high flame for 1 minute. Drop the flame to medium and cook for 8 minutes (1.5" steak) or 10 minutes (2" steak). Turn for 4 minutes (rare) 6 minutes (medium) or 8 minutes (medium well). Don't get into the habit of cutting into the meat to see if it is done. Train yourself by heat and time and be able to tell how well it is done by the rebound when pressing with a fork on top.

That's the "YeeeHaw Texas" and "I'm from Oklerhomer" version. If you want it done like down South then same but add a gallon of BBQ sauce.

 

[GMXam]

I put room-temp, and salted filet on a medium-high fire, turn only once upon the meat reaching the pressure like that of the meaty-thumb part of my palm when pressed, using three fingertips. I check only by pressing to keep it juicy.

 

[gpop]

I think it all depends on the type of steak and how do you want it cooked. For a more "American" medium rare or medium, searing the meat makes more sense. As far as the way they do it here with their "a punto" I think they want to go that way because it suits it better. Who knows. It also depends on the thickness of the steak. I'm more of a large piece of meat kind of guy... you can always split it up after it's cooked, here they seem to favor cooking "bifecitos" that have been infinitesimally portioned before they're cooked.

I usually go with thick bife de chorizo, keeping hers in one piece, but butterflying mine as I like a medium steak. Or a ojo de bife.

I prefer mine wafted through a warm room.

Mooooo

Don't salt your steak much more than 2 minutes before cooking. The salt pulls out the juice. Sear it on both sides high flame for 1 minute. Drop the flame to medium and cook for 8 minutes (1.5" steak) or 10 minutes (2" steak). Turn for 4 minutes (rare) 6 minutes (medium) or 8 minutes (medium well). Don't get into the habit of cutting into the meat to see if it is done. Train yourself by heat and time and be able to tell how well it is done by the rebound when pressing with a fork on top.

That's the "YeeeHaw Texas" and "I'm from Oklerhomer" version. If you want it done like down South then same but add a gallon of BBQ sauce.

I've changed that since before; I now salt the meat a the moment I am about to put it on the fire. Still can't get the argies hooked on bbq sauce...that is until I make pork ribs (no issues there except for everyone eating up my ribs at $150 per rack).

 

[GMXam]

...that is until I make pork ribs (no issues there except for everyone eating up my ribs at $150 per rack).

Spare ribs are a different story for me. I halve the rack, slide'em into a ziploc, fill with one chopped onion, 3 minced and chopped garlic cloves, equal parts of soy sauce and vinegar, and ground black pepper....into the fridge for an hour, flip and one more hour in the fridge...then, off to the grill for some browning.

 

[gpop]

I think it all depends on the type of steak and how do you want it cooked. For a more "American" medium rare or medium, searing the meat makes more sense. As far as the way they do it here with their "a punto" I think they want to go that way because it suits it better. Who knows. It also depends on the thickness of the steak. I'm more of a large piece of meat kind of guy... you can always split it up after it's cooked, here they seem to favor cooking "bifecitos" that have been infinitesimally portioned before they're cooked.

I still find picking out meat somewhat of a challenge here.
The butcher shop doesn't always have, or couldn't be bothered to cut what I want. In the case of a grocery store like Jumbo, I kind of still get lost identifying the ticketed item with the nearest English equivalent.
Sometimes I pick out a piece that looks great, but the wife tells me she doesn't like that cut (she will not eat roast beef for instance).
Rib eye=ojo de bife, bife de chorizo=new york strip, bife angost=t-bone, lomo=fillet... the rest, I'm lost on.

 

[thorsten]

 

[MDZ]

The article interviewee proposed a different way: with a medium high heat turning the steak several time (in fact every 20 seconds) so as not to allow liquid in the steak to reach a boiling-point thereby ruining the meat.

I am in the same boat. I am from a country where we know everything about delicious bratwurst, sausages, etc. but preparing a good steak is something I had to learn abroad ...
On the TV program Cocineros Argentinos I saw something similar. They started with a little bit of a higher temperature to "seal" both sides and then lowered the temperature a little and kept turning the steak (they called it "vuelta y vuelta"). We tried it afterwards and it turned out great!