Anyone know their BEEF

[Pete D]

Way off topic.........but
I have been given the task of buying steaks for 10 of us who are having a lads night in ! (we are to old for night clubs )
So whats it to be, traditionally with us lads its great big lump of beef that we graze our way through with a few beers before hand, some red wine during and a lot of silly talk afterwards. Most like me are ex rugby players and have a good appetite
I once worked in a butchers so its fell to me to get the meat as at the last event the 'bovine procurment manager' purchased badly and old boots came to mind, laces n all.
So my limited knowledge tells me
Rump = excellent flavour, good texture and best eaten rare-medium
Sirloin = good flavour, tight texture (easy to overcook) and best eaten medium but with crispy fat
Fillet = very low flavour, soft texture and best eaten rare as can dry out. (girls favourite)
Rib eye = good flavour, firm texture but plenty of fat to baste it and keep it moist, best eaten medium to well done (because nobody enjoys a mouthful of uncooked fat)
I know I need a smoking hot pan to seal in the juice and flavours, likewise I know not to pierce it at all whilst cooking (use tongs, do not let juices out) and I also know the importance of resting the steak 5 -8 minutes uder foil before serving.
So over to you, what else should I look for or do. All advice and hints and tips welcome. Oh we want to taste the beef, not smother it in sauce or garlic and dont mind paying a tenner each for the steaks.

All advice appreciated
Pete D

 

[greatbritishhoney]

Make sure you use an oil that is capable of cooking at high temperature.
Olive oil = rubbish
Rape seed oil is pretty good.

 

[moby]

Big Jucy TBones done on BBQ maybe salt & Pepper to taste and you benifit from having the flavour of strip steak one side and tenderloin t other

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Make sure you use an oil that is capable of cooking at high temperature.
Olive oil = rubbish
Rape seed oil is pretty good.

Veg oil also good.

My preferred is the rib-eye* - best flavour and not as expensive as the fillet. Other two are not imho worth considering.

Simon Hopkinson did a very straightforward steak and chips recipe on the Beeb recently, though he prefers the sirloin -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/steak_and_perfectly_77968

*and medium rare at most, dont worry about the fat it adds to the flavour and NO steak should be well done

 

[Cazza]

I'm with Mr A, rib eye every time, it always seems more tender and tasty than other options. The fat helps it keep moist on the bbq.
Drool drool!
Cazza

 

[keithgrimes]

Sirloin for me for flavour, but a big'un, 12 oz. oil the steak and not the pan. cracked black pepper on steak but no salt. smoking hot pan (preferable ridged). one and a quarter minutes on one side. turn it ROUND 90 degrees (not over). then another 75 seconds, then flip over, another 75 seconds, then turn it Round 90 degrees. Another 75 seconds then out. rest five minutes tented with foil. Result. Crispy and caramelised on the outside - medium/medium rare on the inside. Right, I'm salivating now - off to the butchers

 

[keithgrimes]

Oh, and make sure the butcher hangs his beef for at least 21 days

 

[Pete D]

I should of done a poll, rib eye 2 sirloin 1. All good stuff so far, nice hot oil will walnut be any good ? and oil the steak not the pan. These will be cooked on a hot plate purchased from France last year, a sort of cross between a bbq and a pan.
Best set another place for Cazza !

 

[enrico]

Mix some honey with some chilli sauce and coat them on the BBQ

 

[Cazza]

Best set another place for Cazza !

Mmmmm Kings Lynn's not too far away.
Cazza

 

[Kate's Bees]

Have to say, I always use butter whatever the cut to cook steak. Can smoke a bit but flavour the best!

 

[drstitson]

that crazy HB man uses a blue cheese infused butter to put on the steak after cooking and slicing ready to serve.

mind you he also cooks his 18 week matured rib of beef for 30 hrs at 50C before cutting into portions and griddling.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/heston_blumenthal/article624364.ece

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

We had a butchers shop attached to our store (father was a carpenter, but trained as a butcher during a bad spate of building doldrums in the 70's as a lot of our extended family were butchers)and the old man loved his beef - liked is joints slow cooked to B****ry but his steaks whatever the cut rare. Cast iron pan heated up until it's smoking throw the steak in, pause, turn it, pause take it out - the timing is how long it takes you to say that instruction.I agree.
Personally i don't think any steak should be cooked more than rare unless it's a slow cooked braised steak. Fillet if it's cooked more than bleu, you might as well buy a piece of leather to chew on (probably more flavour anyway). rump rare, ribeye or sirloin blue to rare but remember the pan must be so hot that the meat burns on the outside and the fat is then cooked.
But even more important buy good quality home reared meat, hanging for 21 days is the very bare minimum - also it must hang as a complete carcass not butchered and then refridgerated in a sealed plastic bag which is what all the supermarkets try to pass as 21 day matured meat four to six weeks preferable, your raw meat should be maroon coloured rather than red and quality meat cooked rare does not ooze blood.
The best steak I ever had was in the Bear inn in Crickhowell, you could smell them cooking it from the bar (two rooms away) and it had a strong cheesy/oldish meat aroma) it tasted heavenly - now that was well past 21 days!!
Rant over - next opinion please

 

[Pete D]

Well we ate like lions and the chef and buyer both got high praise.
Thanks for all the advice.............this is what actually happened;
local butchers had some top quality well hung rump which looked great, alas not enough for all of us but managed 4 steaks about a lb each. Next we had 6 sirloins off the same beast and they too looked the biz, again nice thick steaks about a lb.
Hot hot hot pan, oil on the steaks and seared and sealed, all served medium rare.........
pretty damn good thank you

 

[keithgrimes]

Hurrah