Kswck wrote:
> "R Reid" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I am new to cooking in a way LOL I am 24 just getting my own place.
>>
>>Like a lot of people I like my steaks now and then.
>>
>>Is there a way to make them tender when cooking or whats the best piece
>>to buy in the food stores?
>>
>>Thanks for helping a "young lady" learn things from experienced people.
>>
>>I will try to come back here or feel free to email:
>>
>>RACHEL
>>
>>@
>>

>>
>>
>
>
> Lemme make a suggestion to ya.

Quick cooking of just about any cut of beef is not going to be tender! i
don't care what the experts say about rib eye or even a bit of shoulder
beaten to within 1/8th of its existence and quickly sautŽed in hot oil.

For me "tender" is long, slow, falling off the bone, stopping just
before it turns to estouffade, tender.

There is this trick we all do with chicken but i used to work for an
Italian chef who, for certain people, if he knew they were going to
dine or saw them come in the restaurant he would start their steak (that
he had butchered that morning) often times as much as 1/2 hour or more
before serving it. So he could half cook it on a grill or pan sautŽ it
(depending on sauce) then he would set it in a hot oven in a copious
amount of stock and let it simmer for an half hour or so.

After that he would take it out of the sauce, let it rest on a plate for
about 5 minutes, and when he thought nobody was looking he would dab it
with a clean cloth, plate & sauce it, it looked like a grilled steak
with a bit of sauce.

He managed to get really tender steaks. Fork tender, melt in your mouth
tender.

Not to everyone's taste i know, but my favorite way of using beef.

I became a convert to boiled beef after tossing some uncooked steak
trimmings in a stock pot and filtering it the next day i picked up the
piece of boiled beef, it looked too good to just throw away, and ate it,
and very tasty it was.

Not only do i like the taste of long, slow cooked beef but i don't like
'chewy' meat, and again, IMO, any quick cooking of beef is going to be
"chewy".

I think the best one can do is to beat it very thin, but there are also
marinades of an highly acidic nature that alter the flesh and make it
tender but again, that takes time and is not done quickly.

Roast beef is as good, i wont say better than, boiled beef, each has its
charm. But the long slow cooking of beef, especially if one cares to
air dry it for a week or so before cooking, well, that's tender.


Now if im sounding arrogant in your mind, let me say, i have never
really understood the concept of a 'tough' chicken or boiled egg, but i
have been warned about both! i mean its chicken! how tough can it be?,
even old roosters i have cooked & eaten were not tough in the same way
quickly cooked beef is tough. So when i hear the idea of "tender beef
steak" it gives me pause.





> Everyone has their own idea of the perfect steak; the perfect cut, the
> perfect way to cook it. And everyone has screwed it up once of twice-even if
> they don't admit it.
> Experiment on you own.
>

There you go....the way to be is to do? get in the kitchen and start
cooking!

> As far as I am concerned, if you want a T-Bone well done, eat London Broil.
> I love London Broil-when it's 2 for 1 and I need stew meat, but that's the
> only use I have for it. <And no, it's a cooking method-not a cut>

Are you familiar with the "London - House" form of a large filet de boeuf?

Stuffed & after browning, braised in Madeira & veal gravy with a
mirepoix that has mushrooms added. I have never done the exact recipe,
but its very good with beef gravy. And i have never lined the dish its
braised in with foie gras or used the amount of truffles called for in
the dish, but other wise, stuffed with a nice mushroom stuffing, and
braised in red wine and beef gravy, it turns out very nice, i often use
the "London broil" sold in markets, although i have used a
"Chateaubriand" as well.

>
> A seven-bone(that's what they call it here) steak is a chuck steak. It is a
> rather tasty steak and it is cheap. But there is not a lot of meat on it.
> Maybe you want to start with something like that?

I have recently got hooked on "English short ribs" boneless. Not quite
$3.00 per pound and for some reason i don't understand, when quickly pan
fried they make the best pan drippings with which to make a sauce!

I put some butter and grape seed oil in a pan, sautŽ the boneless ribs
till they are nicely browned on the out side, remove them, catch &
preserver any juices that the meat gives off while they rest.

And i then proceed to make a roux out of some rice flour and pan
juices, adding wine, stock or milk or cream depending on what im using
the sauce for.

The partly cooked ribs get either put in the refrigerator for later use,
or set to braise in a pan in the oven for a couple of hours till they
are fork tender.

Cause other wise, they are a tough piece of meat to chew.
--
Mr. Joseph Littleshoes Esq.

Domine, dirige nos.
Let the games begin!
http://mac.easthouston.net/thehound/...3s/start32.mp3