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Software development with AI is starting to feel like cooking steak

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Re: Software development with AI is starting to feel like cooking steak

#201

Post by criddell »

CBLT wrote: post #190
garbageman wrote: post #152

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Salamander broiler would be incredible to have at home. We get decent results from using a cast iron pan thats as hot as we can get it. At most we can sear 2 steaks as it tends to cool off pretty quick even under high heat. Got any better alternatives that a home cook could use?

I've tried a blowtorch and a barbecue, but they're not as good as cast iron. Best results from just spending $15 on a second cast iron.

Are you just heating the bare cast iron to crazy hot temperatures and then putting the steak in?

I've thought about trying that, but I'd need to first strip the seasoning off the pan to avoid all kinds of nasty flavors. The second pan makes sense...

Re: Software development with AI is starting to feel like cooking steak

#203

Post by criddell »

yulker wrote: post #174
criddell wrote: post #129

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've made steak probably 100 times in the past decade (sometimes with a sous vide) and I don't think I've ever made one I would say is great. Certainly not as good as what I can get at a good restaurant. I think what my home steaks are really missing is the crust from salamander broiler. I don't have anything at home that can exceed 1000 F / 550 C.

couldn't you trivially get a kitchen torch or use your oven's broiler

I haven't had good luck with either. The torch may have been a skill issue but the broiler just doesn't get hot enough. Mine taps out at 550 F.

Re: Software development with AI is starting to feel like cooking steak

#204

Post by wheels »

criddell wrote: post #129
wheels wrote: post #69

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed. I'm an avid cook. Sous vide circulators are cheap now, and so are meat thermometers. Doing a steak well is one of the easiest cooking tasks, to the extent that I won't bother paying top dollar in a restaurant because it's so easy to do restaurant quality at home. I could teach someone to cook a restaurant quality steak in a couple hours and a few practice runs.

I've made steak probably 100 times in the past decade (sometimes with a sous vide) and I don't think I've ever made one I would say is great. Certainly not as good as what I can get at a good restaurant. I think what my home steaks are really missing is the crust from salamander broiler. I don't have anything at home that can exceed 1000 F / 550 C.

There's so much written about how to cook a steak well, and I've tried a lot of exotic techniques (I have gas and charcoal grills, tried cooking straight on a chimney starter, have gas torches inside and outside). Most of what really matters is that it's dry, the pan is heavy and hot, you use enough oil to get good heat transfer.

If you get those parts right (and control the inside temp via sous vide or reverse sear) most of the other stuff is pretty marginal in how much it helps. Even all of the extra herbs, and butter basting and everything -- relatively insignificant compared to just getting the salt-level right.

Re: Software development with AI is starting to feel like cooking steak

#205

Post by entrepy123 »

greedo wrote: post #123
entrepy123 wrote: post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To get a perfect steak with nice X-shaped sear marks on both sides: 1. Turn grill on all the way. Close lid. Wait for grill's gauge to reach >400 F (>200C). 2. Put steak on grill. Close lid. Wait 2 minutes. 3. Rotate steak 90 degrees, placing on a fresh section of the grill (not where it just was). Close lid. Wait 2 minutes. 4. Flip steak over, placing on a fresh section of the grill (not where it just was). Close li…

350º internal temp for medium done? Maybe you forgot to include the glue on your pizza as well.

Oops, that should 140 F (or 60 C) when done, in the coolest center part. Thank you for noticing it.

Re: Software development with AI is starting to feel like cooking steak

#206

Post by mayoff »

puchatek wrote: post #197
garbageman wrote: post #155

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sous vide are even cheaper now, $30 for a basic one, provided you've got a stock pot or something large enough to set it in.

You need something to vacuum seal the food. Is that included in the $30?

That can be just a ziplock bag and the same water bath you're going to use for the sous vide anyway.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XrZPLF0ezw8nn

Re: Software development with AI is starting to feel like cooking steak

#208

Post by fierycatnet »

I'm going to get some push back on this but this is my steak night... I buy fillet and throw it in the over for 10 minutes or so, then I cut it up and thrown on the pan with regular butter, salt, pepper and its enough. It gets seared in butter to golden brown and still tender inside. Everything takes about 5 minutes of actual work, 20 if we count the prep and oven heating. My simple go to dinner now, and I got tired of eating medium rare all the time just to keep it "right". Coincidently, it doesnt work with regular sirloin, it gets tougher and not as pleasant as fillet.

Re: Software development with AI is starting to feel like cooking steak

#209

Post by RajT88 »

inigyou wrote: post #111
RajT88 wrote: post #102

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. It is about learning all of these things. Knowing what kind of cut you have, and how to treat it to best effect. A very tough gristly cut can be improved by tenderizing. Going low-and-slow/sous vide to melt the connective tissue. Even grinding it up to make a hamburger steak / loco moco. Once you know all of those things, choosing the right approach and executing it is not that hard. The steps themselves are sim…

This story is AI slop

AI slop that has been told for decades. Lol

Re: Software development with AI is starting to feel like cooking steak

#210

Post by fishtoaster »

danielmarkbruce wrote: post #71
PaulRobinson wrote: post #45

Earlier quoted context omitted.

All metaphors break at some point. However, your example actually proves the point. How many people who want a good steak know how to identify a high quality cut? Do they even know where to buy a high quality cut? What the different cuts are and whether they want rump, sirloin or fillet? How many kitchens have a meat thermometer? How many home cooks know how to use it and what the right temperature should be? How man…

Go to costco, buy prime filet. Put it in a ziplock in a sous vide at 130 for an hour. Drop it in corn oil at 425 for 30 seconds. Add some butter and salt. That simple process, suggested by Nathan Myhrvold (former MSFT cto) in the modernist cuisine, produces a filet better than most restaurants.

Since we're deep enough in this thread where we're talking about steak rather than AI, I'd like to lean into that.

I used to sous-vide a lot. It was certainly great to get perfectly-done steak. but I still didn't love the result and it took me a while to figure out.

Specifically: sous-viding at 130 doesn't reliably render fat. So it's great for a lean filet mignon like your suggesting, but kept giving me rubbery fat in anything with more fat or significant marbling. I eventually switched away from sous-vide (I usually either grill or reverse sear, depending on my effort/time availability) for most cuts these days.

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