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Myths about cooking steak that need to go away (2013)

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Re: Myths about cooking steak that need to go away (2013)

#141

Post by Lazare »

ckastner wrote: post #118
contravariant wrote: post #101

Myth #3 (Bone-in steak has more flavor than boneless) seems a bit of a strawman, the version they disprove is "the bone somehow imparts flavour onto the meat", but they then go on to say that: > I personally find the tiny bits of connective tissue-rich meat, fat, and gristle stuck to the bone to be the tastiest part of the steak So yeah, unless you can get the bone out perfectly you'll get more flavoursome meat if yo…

> Also it's not entirely insane to believe bones impart flavour Brown stock is made from roasted bones, among other things, so I too feel somewhat skeptical about the claim that bones cannot import at least some sort of flavor.

With brown stock, you're eating bits of the bone. With a bone in steak, you're eating bits of meat that have been near the bone.

It's not impossible that it would have an impact, but there's no obvious mechanism either. (And as the author points out, there's no particular reason why, even if flavour transfer was happening, it'd go the direction you want either.)

Re: Myths about cooking steak that need to go away (2013)

#142

Post by s1artibartfast »

errcorrectcode wrote: post #90
serf wrote: post #74

Earlier quoted context omitted.

have you found this approach to work on anyone, regarding any topic?

No, but at least I didn't give consent to it through my silence or was on the wrong side of history, nearly as important as slavery, since it's an existential threat to all of us. Qui tacet consentire videtur.

Have you ever considered that it may be counterproductive to your self stated goals and a more moderate approach may work better?

Re: Myths about cooking steak that need to go away (2013)

#143

Post by buescher »

iqanq wrote: post #47
tedunangst wrote: post #4

Doesn't matter how it's cooked as long you put enough ketchup on it.

Why buy an expensive and tasty meat and put some sugary sauce on it? No offence intended, it's just that this baffles me. The only thing I would put on a steak besides salt is black pepper if I feel feisty.

Me too, but you just didn't get the joke.

Re: Myths about cooking steak that need to go away (2013)

#144

Post by spiderice »

Zababa wrote: post #134

> Myth #6b: "If you cut it open to check doneness, it will lose all its juices." > The Reality: Again, the amount of juice lost by a single slit-and-peek is completely inconsequential in comparison to the whole piece of meat. I think this one might depend a lot on how sharp your knives are. And most people that I know have dull knives. Thus, when cutting a steak to peek, they end up pressing it, which releases juices…

I think comments like this (basically just guesses without any data) are where myths like this originate.

Re: Myths about cooking steak that need to go away (2013)

#146

Post by tptacek »

tzs wrote: post #135
bradleyjg wrote: post #12

If you haven’t heard the good news about the reverse sear yet, today is your lucky day. https://www.seriouseats.com/reverse-seared-steak-recipe

That's what I do (but I got it from the first episode of "Good Eats Reloaded"), except that I go until the temperature near the center is the temperature I want for the final temperature rather than the 15℉ below that which is what that article recommends. I'm using a 200℉ oven (well, that is what it is set to...I don't know how accurate that is), and found it heats the steak gently enough that the center temperature…

Here's some graphs of temperature changes during sears (also bearing in mind that the steak keeps increasing in temperature for a couple minutes after you pull it from the oven).

https://genuineideas.com/Assets/imageassets/Reverse-Sear.jpg

Taking it up to 115 also gives you some wiggle room if you want a really intense sear, or if you want to baste (I usually throw a handful of thyme in the butter while I sear).

Re: Myths about cooking steak that need to go away (2013)

#147

Post by strken »

I think he's misunderstanding the point of the poke test (myth #7). It's not intended to precisely gauge doneness regardless of cut, it's intended to help absolute beginners tell the difference between blue-rare, well-done, and somewhere in the middle. If you're buying a meat thermometer that starts at $83USD and your job is writing for a cooking website, you don't need to compare your steak to the fleshy bits of your hand to tell if it's done, but it's helpful if you just started cooking for yourself.

Re: Myths about cooking steak that need to go away (2013)

#148

Post by ckastner »

tptacek wrote: post #124
ckastner wrote: post #118

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Also it's not entirely insane to believe bones impart flavour Brown stock is made from roasted bones, among other things, so I too feel somewhat skeptical about the claim that bones cannot import at least some sort of flavor.

He tested this, for whatever it's worth to you: bone in, bone off, and bone detached and re-attached with a foil shield between the bone and the meat. Indistinguishable.

I understand that, and fully share his view that "tiny bits of connective tissue-rich meat, fat, and gristle stuck to the bone to be the tastiest part of the steak".

I can also easily admit that it's possible that the "bone-in steak has more flavor" argument might actually just be a consequence of the above: people leaving the bone on may mistake the flavors of said meat and fat for flavor imparted by the bone, rather than being innate.

However, I'm trying to weigh the one source here calling this a myth against plenty of reputable Chefs who subscribe to this myth - not just with steak, but also with poultry. It's quite possible that these Chefs are fooling themselves (they frequently do; I've seen enough contradictions), but it nevertheless is an extraordinary claim.

Re: Myths about cooking steak that need to go away (2013)

#149

Post by staticassertion »

tptacek wrote: post #138
staticassertion wrote: post #125

Most of this sounds right. I think the 'bone in' myth is a little more subtle and I'm not convinced that poking my steak 4 times just to flip it is worthwhile (it's gonna release juice, that's gonna cool the pan down and create steam). Otherwise, yep. I will add that by far the number one thing you can do to up your steak game is to just buy better steaks. There's a massive difference between a good cut and an ok cut…

I have never had a "wagyu" steak (served as a steak) that I found special. It's to the point where "wagyu" is kind of a red flag for me. (I've had A5 prepared at sushi places, and that I get, but it's a totally different preparation).

Are you referring to American/Australian wagyu as "wagyu" ? Did you get it at a restaurant or make it yourself?

I find that American/Australian wagyu is not like Japanese wagyu, but it is still extremely good - it's just a really really good 'regular' steak. It's going to be beefier than a Japanese wagyu with less marbling.

I'd be really surprised to hear that you can't tell the difference between a 'regular' steak and Japanese A5 though. They're really, really different - the marbling is extreme by comparison.

Re: Myths about cooking steak that need to go away (2013)

#150

Post by staticassertion »

spiderice wrote: post #136
staticassertion wrote: post #125

Most of this sounds right. I think the 'bone in' myth is a little more subtle and I'm not convinced that poking my steak 4 times just to flip it is worthwhile (it's gonna release juice, that's gonna cool the pan down and create steam). Otherwise, yep. I will add that by far the number one thing you can do to up your steak game is to just buy better steaks. There's a massive difference between a good cut and an ok cut…

What is a "pretty good price"? Looking at that website, the cheapest I see is around $80 for a single 8oz steak. I don't see any bulk options.

If you buy the 15lb Wagyu ribeye it'll be 40/lb. I do not recommend buying wagyu by the ounce.
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