Ok I need some tips

[RUGER]

Having a birthday supper at my house on Friday.
Gonna cook my wife a fillet (not worried about that one) but my best friend wants to buy porterhouse steaks for him and myself.

He gave me the money to buy them and I am going to cook them.

The nearest "butcher shop" is Trollingers (sp?) in Paris.
I don't mind driving there to get the steaks but I would rather not if possible.
The next best option I have is the local supermarket.

What can I do, without a degree from culinary school, to insure the steaks are not tough?

Generally I will marinate overnight with alegro & apple juice.
Then I will set them out several hours before cooking to let them get to room temp before throwing on the grill.

Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[jb3]

Not big on adding flavors to my steak. I get the grill as hot as it will get which is around 550, 3 minutes a side, turn grill off and let set for 6-8 minutes. Comes our pretty good.

 

[WTM]

the only thing you can do to guarantee a store bought steak is not tough is to not overcook it, medium rare, unless trollingers has some 21 day dry aged steaks. i dont do the marinate thing, i let the steak sit out 30-45 minutes, season with montreal or course salt, pepper and fresh thyme. i cook mine on medium to medium high grill, 4 minutes with lid closed, flip and 4-5 minutes with lid open. for 1 inch steaks pretty much guarantees medium rare and both sides get seared so that it remains juicy. let the steaks rest 5 minutes before cutting.

 

[BamaProud]

Its hard for me to comment on the quality of the meat not knowing anything about the supermarket or butcher, but I have to assume the butcher is the better choice.

I agree with the others, ditch the marinade. Let the meat come to room temperature, salt liberally add fresh ground pepper. Also get about 1/4 ounce of butter for each steak to room temperature. Close all air vents on your grill, close the lid, and cook them as hot as you can get your grill 3-4 min's each side. Open the grill vents and lid to get some flames active and cook them in the flames for 20-30 seconds each side. Immediately add butter the wrap each steak in aluminum foil for about 5-6 mins.

 

[BranchWater]

Tip #1. Toss the marinade.

 

[RUGER]

So it appears my problem has been in the way I cook them sounds like.

I normally get the grill hot and throw them on the hottest part for about 1 minute each side then move them off to the side and let them just kinda sit there for a while.
Never over med rare for me but sometimes they are on the actual grill for 20 minutes or more.

Could that be what is making them tough?

 

[WTM]

your probably drying them out so they appear tough. when i cook them they are never on the grill more than 10 minutes. medium to medium high on my grill registers 450-550 on the built in temp guage when i first throw them on.

 

[BamaProud]

If they are on a properly heated grill for 20 mins or more I would think they are far beyond medium rare. Are you using a meat thermometer or just ball-parking-it?

 

[RUGER]

If they are on a properly heated grill for 20 mins or more I would think they are far beyond medium rare. Are you using a meat thermometer or just ball-parking-it?

I cut it open and if it isn't bleeding it is overcooked. :)

Sounds like I am cooking them too long and with a fire that is not near hot enough.

 

[BamaProud]

One other thing, don't trust the thermometer on your grill.They are usually garbage. You can pick up an oven thermometer for about 5 bucks at any grocery store.

 

[BamaProud]

Don't cut it to see if its done! Use a meat thermometer.

The Pressure test also works well(linked), but takes some practice. Use a Meat Thermometer.
http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/th ... s_of_meat/

 

[TAFKAP]

Not big on adding flavors to my steak. I get the grill as hot as it will get which is around 550, 3 minutes a side, turn grill off and let set for 6-8 minutes. Comes our pretty good.

Me either, especially not a true steak cut such as a porterhouse.

1) For a porterhouse to be worth fussing over, it should be at least 1 1/2" thick
2) Truly, all you need is salt & pepper
3) HOT grill. Hot oven (or cool side of grill)


1) If you're cooking the steaks on Friday, order them today for pickup on Tuesday.
2) Liberally sprinkle Kosher salt over both sides of each steak. Pepper the hell out of them as well.
3) Put the salted steaks in a gallon Ziploc bag, mash out all the air, and put in the fridge.
4) On Wednesday morning, rub the steaks around, make sure that juice gets in contact with all the meat, and put the baggie back in the fridge. Make sure the steaks are flipped.
5) On Thursday morning, do the same thing, but this time add about 2 splashes of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
6) On Friday around lunch, remove the steaks from the bag, & pat dry with paper towel. Let steaks sit on a plate, in open air, for at least 2 hours before you light the grill.
7) Light the grill & let it preheat for a while to get the grates SCREAMING hot.
8) Oil the grates to prvent sticking.
9) Slap that meat on there. Grill about 2-3 minutes per side, just long enough that the meat lifts off the grate without scraping.
I usually cook a steak twice on each side, for a total cooking time about 8-12 minutes
10) Either transfer to a 450° oven or indirect heat on the grill. Let it roast for about 7-10 minutes (check it's doneness).
11) Remove steaks from heat when you think the steak is just "not quite done enough", place on a warm or hot plate, and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.
12) Either carve the meat off the tee-bone or serve it bone in. If you carve it, you can slice the steaks into 1/2" slices across the grain.
13) If you slice the steaks, sprinkle a little bit of salt across the exposed meat in the middle

 

[TAFKAP]

Tip #1. Toss the marinade.

This goes for all dark meats.

 

[RUGER]

So does marinade make beef tough?

 

[TAFKAP]

No, "marinade" is a wet mess that covers up the tasty flavor of beef with crap flavors, usually via chemical additives, and likely too much moisture. Marinade chicken and storebought pork because it has zero flavor. use salt & pepper on dark meats (beef, quality pork, venison, duck) to accentuate the natural flavors of good meat.

Brining meat (whether submerging in a liquid brine or coating the meat in salt) adds flavor, plus changes the structure of the meat so that it won't dry out as bad. For beef, venison, duck, etc. never use a wet brine as it'll turn the meat soggy. Dark meats are more flavorful when they're "dry" to some extent.

 

[TAFKAP]

Also, what most people call "marinading" is usually not marinading, but soggifying meat by drowning it in soy sauce and MSG.

 

[RUGER]

Gotcha so it is a personal preference and has nothing to do with grilling a tender steak.


I am definitely gonna try something different with the heat and cooking times.
Going by what was said here I think that is the root cause of my problems.

 

[Kimber45]

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/18011/mari ... r-steak-i/

 

[Kimber45]

https://www.thespruce.com/restaurant-st ... ets-336351

 

[Kimber45]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the- ... de-recipe/

 

[TAFKAP]

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/the-whitehogg-world-championship-steak-marinade-recipe/

Suitable to a timed competition format, but incorrectly labeled as a "marinade". Essentially, it's a dry-brine, without long enough time to allow salt/sugar to penetrate meat & disperse throughout the tissue.

 

[TAFKAP]

Gotcha so it is a personal preference and has nothing to do with grilling a tender steak.


I am definitely gonna try something different with the heat and cooking times.
Going by what was said here I think that is the root cause of my problems.

Tenderness has nothing to do with application of marinade or not. A marinade imparts flavor. The ability of the meat to absorb salt, distribute it throughout the tissue, and hold moisture is what dictates tenderness. It's also a matter of the steak marbling, grain of the muscle tissue, and amount of connective tissue fibers in the meat.

A Porterhouse will naturally be more tender than a chuck roast. It has less connective tissue, and all the muscle fibers orient in the same direction. The strip steak will be tougher than the tenderloin side, but still more tender than say a sirloin. You use a marinade on thin, stringy meat that'll cook quickly (flank steak) for dishes with a lot of flavor. Think fajitas. You can also use a marinade where the marinade serves as a braising sauce for a long-cooked piece of meat (roasts, stews, etc.)

As for a marinade, it's counterproductive in this case to cooking a nicely cooked steak. It makes the meat soggy, for one. It also has "tenderizing" components to it (acid, salt, & sugar) that will make a mushy consistency. With all the liquid, it'll cause the meat to almost boil itself before it develops a good char and crust. Plus, all the sugars in the marinade will caramelize & possibly burn on the meat.

Once you have a dry piece of meat, then you can cook it under high heat, develop a good sear, and finish roast it for a perfectly cooked center.

Salt it, let it rest (and come to room temperature), high heat sear, hot roast, let the meat rest again....the center will be warm & red, and you'll have a properly cooked fine steak.

 

[WTM]

tafkap laid it out pretty good but will add, when picking out steaks look for even fat distribution throughout, marbling doesnt account much for tenderness only flavor and lubrication but even marbling is a trait of a tender cut. seasoning while the steak is laid out to get to room temperature(for at least 30-45 minutes) the seasoning is drawed into the meat and you will end up with a better seasoned steak. searing a steak does not lock in juices, it is for texture and appearance only and to some degree flavor.

 

[TAFKAP]

".....and to some degree, flavor"

PSHHHH! I SAY!

Monsieur Maillard and his "reaction" beg to differ!

Some people........

:D

 

[BamaProud]

".....and to some degree, flavor"

PSHHHH! I SAY!

Monsieur Maillard and his "reaction" beg to differ!

Some people........

:D

I read that in the voice of Alton Brown. :)

 

[RUGER]

Well thanks guys, my cooking temps / times was apparently what I was doing wrong.
Did a little practice run last night.


I started with 2 T-Bones from walmart. They were reduced and I got them for like 6 bucks each.
With that being said I know a T Bone is not a ribeye and is not a fillet so the quality (tenderness) will not be the same.
One side of a T Bone will be good regardless of how you screw it up. That is the side the fillet comes off of (don't know the proper names and stuff)

Laid the steaks out about 3 hours before doing anything to let them get to room temp.
Made me up a "rub" of sorts.
Just played around with it.
Tony Chachere's, garlic powder, kosher salt and lots of black pepper.
Sprinkled it all over both sides of the steaks and then for good measure I put about 10 drops of worcestershire sauce on the top of each steak. (I love that stuff)
I did this about 30 minutes before I put them on the grill.

Put about 8 pounds of charcoal in the grill and fired it up. Let it get RIGHT. Don't have a thermometer but might invest in one.

Threw my wife's steak on and let it sit for 5 minutes. (She likes her steaks ruined)
Flipped her steak and threw mine on and let mine sit for 2 minutes.
Flipped my steak and let it sit for the remaining 3 minutes so hers and mine would be done at the same time (this was 1 minute too long for mine)
Opened the top of the grill and slapped 2 pats of real butter on top of each steak.
Let them sit while I got a plate and aluminum foil from the kitchen.
Took each steak up individually and wrapped in aluminum foil and let them rest while we prepped our baked taters.
After 6 minutes I opened up the steak and sliced it up into bite size pieces.
Probably the best T Bone I have ever cooked.

Hers was what I call well done and mine was about like med well. It was pink in the middle but not the red that I like. Still good though.
Definitely more tender than before.
I think I am ready for ribeyes again.

I do wish I knew what the temp was on the grill so I could have repeatability but I know it was way hotter than I have ever threw a steak on and just left it before.

 

[Pennywise67]

for checking grill temps on my grates I use a a infrared thermometer. just point and shoot.

 

[WTM]

by "wrapping" those steaks hot off the grill they will continue to cook. i always just lay on a plate and "tent" them. just loosely lay the foil over the plate and make a tent. this will let the steam escape and they wont continue cooking but keeps them warm for the 5 minute rest period.

 

[TAFKAP]

".....and to some degree, flavor"

PSHHHH! I SAY!

Monsieur Maillard and his "reaction" beg to differ!

Some people........

:D

I read that in the voice of Alton Brown. :)

As you should've. Bonus points for the image of a cameraman in a beret, pressed into service as a background cutaway actor

 

[TAFKAP]

Comments:

1) Season your meat when you lay it out. No need to bring it to room temperature, THEN season it. The longer you allow for the salt to draw out the moisture, then the steak to reabsorb the salty brine, the more thorough the seasoning will be. When you're ready to grill, pat the surface moisture off the steaks so that they're dry.

2) If you want worcestershire sauce, try mixing it with melted butter and apply it after you're done cooking the steak.

3) Ditto on the comment about wrapping in foil. Transfer to a hot (or warm) plate, loosely tent in foil, if at all.


If you use custom, hand-cut meat more than 1½" thick, you'll need to let the steaks finish cooking on indirect heat or in the oven.