Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

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

seriouseats.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

81–90 of 301 posts

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

#81

Post by errcorrectcode »

valgor wrote: post #46
csdvrx wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you really need to rain on everyone's parade? Some people like meat. Deal with it.

The animals don't like it. The environment does not like it. Eating animals is not a "live and let live" situation because you are denying others the right to live.

The PeTA argument of kindness rarely works because most people are meat addicts and fine with unkindness so long as they don't have to see it.

Also, rational self-preservation doesn't work because it's not a freight train about to run them over and most people don't make decisions rationally. There are plenty of existential risks involved in meat ag:

1. Pandemic evolution through a combination of antibiotic resistances (to speed meat production), wildlife-domestic animal interactions, animal crowding (Petri dish like dorm overcrowding spreading meningococcal meningitis), and human-animal interactions.

2. Climate change - 12% of anthropogenic GHGs and growing. Already at 417 ppm CO2 and climbing.

3. Irreparable rainforest loses due to clear-cutting for CAFOs and feed grain farms affecting the local climate of other equatorial ecosystems.

Accelerating intensity of storms, variability of weather, and rising sea levels will lead to famines, resource wars, and retrofitting vs. relocation of major coastal cities. But because something hasn't happened yet, it's "crying wolf."

They will bicker, complain, take potshots, and rationalize kicking-and-screaming until told they can't have it anymore because they're addicts. The sooner there are sustainable alternatives, widespread lifestyle changes, and externality luxury taxes, the better.

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

#82

Post by tptacek »

gruez wrote: post #67
weeksie wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A strip is not a "cheaper" steak than a filet. Filet mignon is a fine cut, it's low in flavor but very tender which means that it tastes better when it's extra rare. Well marbled cuts of steak are usually better at mid-rare b/c the fat melts a little. I do like sous vide for very thick steaks with some marbling—so a strip is a pretty decent one for the dip. However, I've found ribeyes come out spongey when you sous v…

>A strip is not a "cheaper" steak than a filet. But objectively speaking a strip steak is cheaper. Based on my observations of supermarket sale prices, the ranking goes: fillet > ribeye > strip > others that I don't bother with (sirloin/round)

You are missing out on some truly excellent steaks: the hanger is like a cross between the ribeye and the skirt; the skirt is no slouch either! and if you've got some Activa RM handy, you can make a triple-thickness skirt, which is incredibly good; the spider steak (compare to the "oyster" of a chicken leg) is maybe the world's greatest sandwich steak; the tri-tip, which takes a marinade far better than any of the expensive steaks, and which the circulator will make just as tender as a fillet; and the picanha, which is the single greatest grill steak --- I would trade 2 ribeyes for 1 picanha if I was planning to grill.

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

#83

Post by serf »

valgor wrote: post #46
csdvrx wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you really need to rain on everyone's parade? Some people like meat. Deal with it.

The animals don't like it. The environment does not like it. Eating animals is not a "live and let live" situation because you are denying others the right to live.

>The animals don't like it.

as opposed to the plant that longs for death?

there are plenty of nervous-system-like responses from plants that are undergoing destruction, why not just admit that the reason behind these complaints is a selfish human-empowering reason rather than the emotional appeal of "what about the animals?" ?

Won't anyone think of the plants?

"...you are denying others the right to live."

Isn't this basically just a condition of humanity? If it isn't a base principal can you point to a human that doesn't live that way?

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

#84

Post by weeksie »

gruez wrote: post #67
weeksie wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A strip is not a "cheaper" steak than a filet. Filet mignon is a fine cut, it's low in flavor but very tender which means that it tastes better when it's extra rare. Well marbled cuts of steak are usually better at mid-rare b/c the fat melts a little. I do like sous vide for very thick steaks with some marbling—so a strip is a pretty decent one for the dip. However, I've found ribeyes come out spongey when you sous v…

>A strip is not a "cheaper" steak than a filet. But objectively speaking a strip steak is cheaper. Based on my observations of supermarket sale prices, the ranking goes: fillet > ribeye > strip > others that I don't bother with (sirloin/round)

Supermarket steaks sure, but a good (dry aged) steak is expensive and they don't often dry age filets. Check the price differential for Pat's dry aged vs prime:

https://shop.lafrieda.com/collections/dry-aged-beef

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

#85

Post by bobbygunderson »

abakker wrote: post #62
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

I do this in a smoker sometimes. Smoke to 100*, rest, and then sear on grill or in pan. Don’t use much smoke. Can be a really killer way to do ribeyes and porterhouse.

Yep yep yep. And I’ll also echo don’t use much smoke - I went way overboard with some mesquite to see what it would be like, and it was fine but definitely detracted. A light smoke then a char is chef’s kiss though.

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

#86

Post by foobarian »

giraffe_lady wrote: post #58
AdmiralAsshat wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Having compared the methods in my own kitchen, I'm also coming around to the idea that the reverse sear is a better method than sous vide, because I seem to get a better crust on the steak (likely because the steak is dryer than what I can remove from the s-v'd steak with paper towels). But , I find this only holds true for really nice cuts like filet mignon. If I want to cook a cheaper steak like a NY strip, I think…

I was a professional chef for many years before I got into coding and I very rarely use a sous vide at home. The practical advantages of it have a lot more to do with timing, prep dynamics, and consistency than they do with final quality. There are some things that it makes possible or easy that are otherwise nearly inaccessible to home cooks and that is cool if you want to play around with it. Or if I'm cooking 6 st…

Not a chef but I also found sous vide to cause more problems than it solves for cooking steaks. The biggest problem I have with it is that the fatty marbling does not render to the extent it does on a grill, because I can't afford to sear it as long as on the grill to avoid overcooking it. So I end up with a nice brown sear only on the surface, but then as soon as you bite into it you're met with almost raw fat. It's gross :)

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

#87

Post by chrisseaton »

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.

> Why buy an expensive and tasty meat and put some sugary sauce on it?

Why does anyone combine flavours and use sauces and different elements of taste?

I don't put ketchup on my steak either, but let's not pretend that the idea of sauces or combining sweet and savoury is somehow unfathomable.

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

#89

Post by tptacek »

darkerside wrote: post #65
weeksie wrote: post #36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A strip is not a "cheaper" steak than a filet. Filet mignon is a fine cut, it's low in flavor but very tender which means that it tastes better when it's extra rare. Well marbled cuts of steak are usually better at mid-rare b/c the fat melts a little. I do like sous vide for very thick steaks with some marbling—so a strip is a pretty decent one for the dip. However, I've found ribeyes come out spongey when you sous v…

I typically see strip steaks for way cheaper than filets per pound at the market (US). Since it's so tender, I've always felt filet are OK to cook a little more well, and you solve for the flavor with sauce, seasoning, or marinade.

Strips and ribeyes are much more forgiving than filets because filets have very little intramuscular fat. Strips are ribeyes also taste much better than filets because filets have very little intramuscular fat. Don't buy filets. :)

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

#90

Post by errcorrectcode »

serf wrote: post #74
errcorrectcode wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If the consumer had to grow the cow in complete unconsciousness without antibotics and with enough room to avoid close contact with other wild and domestic animals to prevent superbug evolution, slaughter it, cook it, and pay for all of the GHG offsets of the entire supply chain necessary to support it, then it would be fine. Or, it's not, and it's an indulgence worse and different than heroin because its widespread…

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.

Post reply on HN