A local megamart (Vons) has $3.49/lb bone-in NY strips this week. I
bought a pack today. Being unemployed means bargain shopping, but not
bargain eating. The price is for the mega pack, so I froze the other
4 steaks I was not using tonight.

I wanted a perfect summer meal tonight, so for me that means a
steakhouse dinner. My brother was over, and can eat a lot. So I had
to feed both of us without spending too much $$.

My brother asked how I get perfect meat every time. I told him it was
simple math and basic tools. So, here is the perfect steak, time
after time, that even poor people like me can accomplish.

Math
For a good medium-rare steak, you want it to hit about 138 degrees in
the middle of the steak. Since it is summer, the carryover heat from
cooking a 1-1.5” thick steak is about 14 degrees. That means the
steaks should be pulled off the grill at 138-14, or 124 degrees. The
carryover can vary a bit - you will figure it out with a little
practice. If it is 50 outside, the carryover will be about 8-10
degrees. It was 87 outside when I was cooking, so the carryover was
about 14 degrees today.

If the steaks start at 60 degrees, then 124-60 is 64 degrees of heat
we add to the steak. We want to flip the steak ONCE only, so that
means we want to flip the steak at 64 divided by 2, or 32 degrees of
heat. In theory, flipping these steaks at about 92 degrees (60+32)
(as measured in the middle of the steak) will ensure a steak that is
perfectly cooked.

Tools:
Charcoal grill – mine is a $20 Weber Kettle (craigslist purchase used)
Chimney – mine came with the weber for free (example:
HTTP://virtualweberbullet.com/chimney.html)
Tongs – NEVER use a fork to flip your steaks (never puncture meat you
are grilling, ever)
Taylor Probe thermometer – mine was a xmas gift last year, $20 at the
store otherwise - http://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Digital.../dp/B00004XSC5
Tool Cost - $20 total for myself (spent 2 years ago)

Steak Seasoning Mix:
Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
some sort of Chili Powder
Dried Powder Mustard
Garlic Powder
Onion Powder

Other Stuff:
a bunch of green onions
frozen bag of french fries (I prefer these to a baked potato) - $3 for
2 large bags
salad fixings

Vinaigrette:
extra virgin olive oil
red wine vinegar
kosher salt
cracked pepper
garlic and onion powders
dried Italian seasoning


Procedure
steaks should be at ROOM TEMP, or close to it – today, mine started at
60 degrees just before grilling

chop up your salad

mix the vinaigrette in a jar, seal the jar, and shake until it
emulsifies

mix some steak seasoning, then sprinkle very liberally over both sides
of the steak – mine were 1.5” thick NY strips with the bone in

spray-oil the cleaned & trimmed green onions, then sprinkle steak
seasoning over them liberally

insert the probe into the middle of the thickest part of one of the
steaks, and set the temp alarm to 124 degrees

after seasoning the meat, I went outside and started the coals – the
coals will take about 20 minutes to heat up and get that nice coating
of ash over them

the chimney means I don't need lighter fluid, which means the steaks
get a pure smoky flavor - and don't bother talking to me about gas
grills - the meat tastes better from charcoal, period

I then pre-heated the oven to 425 degrees

next, you line a pan with aluminum foil and spray it with oil

dump a single layer (only) of fries into the pan, then spray the fries
with some oil and put into the oven for whatever the time on the bag
says (18 minutes for mine)

the coals were ready when the fries were just about done, so I left
the fries in the oven and just turned off the heat

drop the steaks and onions on the grill (after dumping the charcoal
and setting up the grill, of course)

I sat outside with a beer and watched the thermometer. After about 5
minutes, it said 92 degrees. I pulled the onions (they were done) at
that point, and did the one flip of the steaks.

About 5 minutes later, the steaks read 124 degrees. I took them
inside, and left the probe IN the steak – after about 10 minutes, the
temperature had peaked to 138 degrees, then dropped down to 137
degrees

Once the temp starts dropping down, you can eat the steaks. I use a
little steak sauce with my steak, some ranch for the fries, and my
homemade vinaigrette for the salad. Some beer to wash it down, and a
Cuban cigar after dinner. Perfection.

Cost Breakdown
2 NY strip Steaks - $8
Fries – about $1
Green Onions - $0.33 at a Latin market for a bunch
Salad Fixings – about $3.50 total for salad for 2
Salad Dressing – maybe $0.50
Seasonings and sauces – lets say another $0.50
Beers (on sale) – $0.65 per 12oz bottle – 6 bottles consumed total
Charcoal - $1 or so (Kingsford Mesquite, on sale $8 per bag)

$18.73 or so for a perfect steakhouse dinner for me and my mooch of a
brother. $9 per person, including beer. Not too shabby.

Sounds like a great dinner, but I think you forgot to calculate the
cost of all your equipment..

Cookseasonal > wrote:
> Sounds like a great dinner, but I think you forgot to calculate the
> cost of all your equipment..

I think you forgot to quote so people will know who/what you're replying to.

Jill

wrote:
> A local megamart (Vons) has $3.49/lb bone-in NY strips this week. I
> bought a pack today. Being unemployed means bargain shopping, but not
> bargain eating. The price is for the mega pack, so I froze the other
> 4 steaks I was not using tonight.
>
> I wanted a perfect summer meal tonight, so for me that means a
> steakhouse dinner. My brother was over, and can eat a lot. So I had
> to feed both of us without spending too much $$.
>
(snippage)
> $18.73 or so for a perfect steakhouse dinner for me and my mooch of a
> brother. $9 per person, including beer. Not too shabby.

Perhaps your brother would consider contributing to the cost of a meal,
seeing as how you're unemployed and all

I'm with you on the gas-grill thing, although many people swear by it. But
I prefer hardwood lump to charcoal briquettes. Soak some chunks of mesquite
or other wood to throw on the fire if you want that added something. I
don't find it adds much when grilling as opposed to smoking; the meat isn't
on the grill that long.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
. ..
> Cookseasonal > wrote:
>> Sounds like a great dinner, but I think you forgot to calculate the
>> cost of all your equipment..
>
> I think you forgot to quote so people will know who/what you're replying
> to.
>
> Jill

You can't read the thread?

"Janet" > wrote in
:

>
> "jmcquown" > wrote in message
> . ..
>> Cookseasonal > wrote:
>>> Sounds like a great dinner, but I think you forgot to calculate the
>>> cost of all your equipment..
>>
>> I think you forgot to quote so people will know who/what you're
>> replying to.
>>
>> Jill
>
> You can't read the thread?
>
>
>

I can read the thread and have no Idea to what the response is in
reference to either.

So far my baseball equipment has been of little use when I fry potatoes
for my steaks...Hope that meets the reponse correctly.

BTW why would the cost of my baseball equipment be important to spud
frying? Would the cost of my Football equipment be important to this
topic?

--

The house of the burning beet-Alan

On Thu, 3 Jul 2008 07:38:18 -0400, "jmcquown" >
wrote:

>I'm with you on the gas-grill thing, although many people swear by it. But
>I prefer hardwood lump to charcoal briquettes. Soak some chunks of mesquite
>or other wood to throw on the fire if you want that added something. I
>don't find it adds much when grilling as opposed to smoking; the meat isn't
>on the grill that long.

I read in one of the links provided yesterday about smoking that lump
is better for grilling because it burns hotter (and faster).


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

On Jul 3, 2:21*am, Cookseasonal > wrote:
> Sounds like a great dinner, but I think you forgot to calculate the
> cost of all your equipment..

And, the cigar!

Karen
p.s. it was a cute post, OP!

jmcquown wrote:
> wrote:
>> A local megamart (Vons) has $3.49/lb bone-in NY strips this week. I
>> bought a pack today. Being unemployed means bargain shopping, but not
>> bargain eating. The price is for the mega pack, so I froze the other
>> 4 steaks I was not using tonight.
>>
>> I wanted a perfect summer meal tonight, so for me that means a
>> steakhouse dinner. My brother was over, and can eat a lot. So I had
>> to feed both of us without spending too much $$.
>>
> (snippage)
>> $18.73 or so for a perfect steakhouse dinner for me and my mooch of a
>> brother. $9 per person, including beer. Not too shabby.
>
> Perhaps your brother would consider contributing to the cost of a meal,
> seeing as how you're unemployed and all
>
> I'm with you on the gas-grill thing, although many people swear by it.
> But I prefer hardwood lump to charcoal briquettes. Soak some chunks of
> mesquite or other wood to throw on the fire if you want that added
> something. I don't find it adds much when grilling as opposed to
> smoking; the meat isn't on the grill that long.
>
> Jill

What brand of lump do you prefer?