Mute Wrote:It was an eye of round steak so there was no bone to cut near to.
I literally just took them out of the package, salted/peppered them on a paper plate, melted some butter in a pan, then gently dropped them in.
Like I implied, the main problem was they came out way too salty. medium well's what I'm used to, so there's not a problem there.
If it ain't fat free butter you basically added two layers of salt... That's probably why it turned out that way...
Or you don't know how to salt a steak... A teaspoon of salt would be over-salting it, even a new your strip. About a pinch per 3 square inches is enough
Glad to hear the steak cooked well enough. It's unfortunate that it turned out so salty though. Here's a possible tip to use for the next time you cook anything in general with seasoning/flavoring: go light at first, and gradually add more flavor until satisfied with the taste. You can always add more flavor if the taste sucks, but it's very hard or impossible to reduce/take away excess flavor. A dish with too little flavor is still edible, but a dish with too much flavor can be very hard to stomach.
You'll eventually get a feel on how much flavoring/seasoning to add to a specific amount of food. It's tricky to get used to, and rather hard to master. Even now I still doubt myself every now and then, and gotta ask my mom or siblings if I added enough flavor to whatever I'm cooking. Most of the time I added enough, but sometimes it falls a bit flat and that's where I manage to avoid a bland dish.
Want some advice on cooking send me a PM and whatever you want to prepare (as long as it's not out of proportion) then i can help since I do cook my own meals for my family and myself.
Derosis Wrote:Mute I can teach you how to cook dood O.o.
Want some advice on cooking send me a PM and whatever you want to prepare (as long as it's not out of proportion) then i can help since I do cook my own meals for my family and myself.
inb4SPAddsAHealthSection.
Hey hey, I can teach him a thing or two as well! Shouldn't just rely on one cook to learn everything, ya know? German cooking, Chinese cooking. Different styles, different tastes. Know what, he should keep posting here new questions should they arise.
oh dear god, steak is one of the hardest things to mess up. even if it's your first time cooking, you should be able to tell when the meat is starting to sear on the other side. it usually only takes a minute or two.
maybe it's because i live in texas and spent a lot of my childhood on ranches but i've never had a pan-fried steak. o-o the normal way to cook a steak was always over a wood-fire or charcoal grill. the easy way was with a propane grill. i've heard of pan-frying a steak but i've just never had it before. so i can't help you there. but i imagine it's going to have a fried taste since you're cooking it in oil. maybe not, i don't know. but as far as preparation goes, i never marinade a steak. ever. if a steak doesn't have a good natural flavor it's not worth eating. for seasoning though i always make a shaker-sized batch out of this (perfect for steak, really complements the flavor of a rare steak):
it's nothing fancy, in fact i just make it out of convenience. salt, pepper and garlic go together well on a lot of things, so i just throw in some stuff that kind of contributes to the same taste. don't use too much though, you can definitely tell if it's too strong
like i said, we don't really marinade much here, although that's because high-quality grass-fed texas beef is cheap and plentiful here. excellent flavor, very tender. cook it rare, medium if you're a woman. serve with potatoes and corn on the cob, both wrapped and foil and also cooked on the grill. of course i don't really expect you to do all of this. but definitely give that spice mixture a try. you can also buy cavender's in the store, it's a greek seasoning so it's a little stronger but it's got most of the same stuff as what i use.
i feel like i should put together all the "southern cooking" recipes i know and post them here. they're not at all difficult for the most part, and we're all either fat or swole, so we must be doing something right. sauces, rubs, and spice blends, beef and chicken recipes, green bean casserole, perfect mashed potatoes, gravy, stuffed jalapenos, armadillo eggs... jesus i'm starving now.
If the thread evolves into a "Cooking/recipe general" thread I would have no complaints.
Cinnamon and nutmeg, ON STEAK?! Woah dude, that sounds odd.
And honestly, I don't really notice much difference between a steak that's rare and one that's medium-well. Or rather I don't see the big deal about it. I've enjoyed steaks that were prepared both ways.
Mute Wrote:If the thread evolves into a "Cooking/recipe general" thread I would have no complaints.
Cinnamon and nutmeg, ON STEAK?! Woah dude, that sounds odd.
And honestly, I don't really notice much difference between a steak that's rare and one that's medium-well. Or rather I don't see the big deal about it. I've enjoyed steaks that were prepared both ways.
I prefer doing poultry because it's easier on the stomach and teeth, and a less strong meat taste. Unfresh poultry is more bearable than unfresh pork or beef, and Cambridge is NOT a place where I can get fresh meat easily and cheaply. Plus, it's easier for me to make stews and soups using chicken and duck than beef (I hate cutting meat). Duck stew ftw =P
Marinating is excellent if your meat is less-than-fresh. I appreciate and very much enjoy a good steak (I will pay for a good rib-eye) but flavoured meats make for a nice change on the menu, and I feel that stir-frying is kinder on poultry than on beef. [I get very pissed when my college prepares "Asian" food... what an absolute disaster in marinate]
I prefer using a wok if I have a gas stove, otherwise a non-stick pan on a hob. Don't own an induction cooker so I can't comment.
Mute Wrote:If the thread evolves into a "Cooking/recipe general" thread I would have no complaints.
Cinnamon and nutmeg, ON STEAK?! Woah dude, that sounds odd.
And honestly, I don't really notice much difference between a steak that's rare and one that's medium-well. Or rather I don't see the big deal about it. I've enjoyed steaks that were prepared both ways.
lol, man... You'd be surprised at a whole bunch of the recipes in cookbooks if you think Cinnamon and nutmeg going into a steak dry-rub is odd.
I like steaks (or beef in general) cooked medium rare. It's like the perfect way to eat it.
i thought i'd just throw a few simple appetizer recipes up and see how it goes.
Beef Jerky
yes. this is something that we do. it's incredibly easy to make, and it's so freakin' good. the marinade is a very basic starting point, it's fun to experiment and get the flavor where you want it. personally i like a black pepper-y flavor.
2 pounds of boneless beef top round, fat trimmed, partially frozen
1 cup of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup of water
4 garlic cloves minced
4 teaspoons of chile powder
2 teaspoons of chipotle powder
2 teaspoons of black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of cayenne
1. slice the beef into about 1/8 inch thick long strips.
2. mix everything else together except for the cayenne
3. let the beef marinate for about six hours in the fridge
4. when you're taking the beef out of the marinade, wipe off the excess liquid and pieces of garlic. place on foil lined sheets. no overlap. sprinkle on cayenne.
5. cook in the oven at 175 for about three hours. flip them, then cook for another two to three hours. this varies from oven to oven so just keep an eye on them. take them out when they're about the texture of leather, but not so dry that it's brittle and snaps. i do this every few weeks, they'll keep in the fridge without spoiling for about that long
Fried Pickles
these little pomegranates are the greatest thing i've ever had. it may sound weird but we deep fry everything in texas. butter, coke, bacon, cookie dough, peanut butter sandwiches... fried pickles aren't even that out there next to some of the other things we fry. however, they are so, so delicious. they're also easy to make.
2 cups dill pickle chips
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon salt plus more to taste
1 teaspoon black pepper plus more to taste
1 egg
1/2 cup buttermilk
2 cups finely crushed saltines
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
salt to taste
oil for frying
1. mix the flour, salt, and pepper in a large ziploc bag. put the pickles in the bag and shake until they're evenly coated.
2. mix the eggs and the buttermilk. put the crushed saltines on a plates with the cayenne and dill. in batches, dip the pickles in the eggs and then lightly dredge in the saltines. place those on a large plate or sheet.
3. in a large, heavy skillet, cook a 1/2 inch of oil on medium heat until about 350 degrees. cook the pickles for about a minute, until golden brown, turning once. you might have to do this in batches. after they're done, drain the grease on paper towls.
serve with buttermilk ranch.
Ham Salad
a mainstay. delicious as a cracker spread or on sandwiches. if you want you can omit the celery and onions. it's just as good.
3 cups ground fully cooked ham
1 hard-cooked egg, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
2 teaspoons finely chopped onion
2 teaspoons sweet pickle relish
3/4 cup miracle whip
1 tablespoon mustard (not the spice, like actual mustard)
1. combine everything together.
2. eat the pineapple out of it
ooOoo might take that jerky recipe from you. Sounds interesting. Though need to get used to an electric stove >.O stupid city apartments have no gas other than water heating and heaters...
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