letting meat de-chill before cooking

[tarannau]

Marinate it? Why would you want to do that to a good quality steak?
And adding salt to meat before cooking toughens it up

The advantages are that the juices are all still in the steak at the time of cooking. The high heat sears the steak and all the juice stays inside the meat as opposed to dripping out into the defrosting dish or frying pan

Isnt that true whether the steaks are frozen or not?

Sounds interesting, but I'd be worried I'd either overcook the steak or have an icicle centre

 

[madzone]

Isnt that true whether the steaks are frozen or not?

Sounds interesting, but I'd be worried I'd either overcook the steak or have an icicle centre

Isn't what true?

I'm not advocating that anyone else steps out of their steaky comfort zone - merely citing what works for me

 

[tarannau]

Your claim that 'the juices are all still in the steak at the time of cooking'. Surely you're just losing the (insert more technical term here) freezing water.

Besides, the belief that steaks were more tender after freezing doesn't really matter in either way - if it's defrosted then it's undergone the same tenderisation process as the still frozen steak.

No comfort zone needed for steak. Hot griddle, couple to a few minutes each side. Nowt else needed.

 

[madzone]

Your claim that 'the juices are all still in the steak at the time of cooking'. Surely you're just losing the (insert more technical term here) freezing water.

No you're not - you're losing blood as well.

Besides, the belief that steaks were more tender after freezing doesn't really matter in either way - if it's defrosted then it's undergone the same tenderisation process as the still frozen steak.

It's not about freezing as a tenderisation method though

No comfort zone needed for steak. Hot griddle, couple to a few minutes each side. Nowt else needed.

You stick to that my luvver and I'll stick to cooking mine from frozen. Win-win

 

[selamlar]

But if you want your steak bleu, as i do on occassion, and it is COLD from the fridge, let alone frozen, it is still cold in the middle after you have cooked it.

 

[CharlieAddict]

Why would you season or marintate good steak??!!!

Marinate it? Why would you want to do that to a good quality steak?
And adding salt to meat before cooking toughens it up

don't you guys pepper your steak?
okay, understandbly marinating steak is more of a korean/chinese thing.

 

[selamlar]

don't you guys pepper your steak?

Nope. And that is why french steak is infinately better than english.

 

[madzone]

don't you guys pepper your steak?
okay, understandbly marinating steak is more of a korean/chinese thing.

Nope - I'll serve pepper sauce on the side but apart from that I don't add anything to the steak itself.

 

[madzone]

But if you want your steak bleu, as i do on occassion, and it is COLD from the fridge, let alone frozen, it is still cold in the middle after you have cooked it.

Well, maybe that's one time when cooking from frozen isn't a good idea

 

[fractionMan]

what advantages are there to cook a steak from frozen?

you can't season it.
marinate it.

Why would you season or marintate good steak??!!!

Marinate it? Why would you want to do that to a good quality steak?
And adding salt to meat before cooking toughens it up

The advantages are that the juices are all still in the steak at the time of cooking. The high heat sears the steak and all the juice stays inside the meat as opposed to dripping out into the defrosting dish or frying pan

Salt and pepper your steak all over both sides just before cooking. It will not lose moisture this way.

Frozen steak loses more moisture when it's cooked than room temperature steak, and that's an emperical fact.

I'm glad your steaks come out the way you like them madzone, I just think we have a different idea of what a good steak is. And there's nowt wrong with that, so you can stop it with your rolleyeys.

 

[Kanda]

Salt!!!!!!!

 

[madzone]

Salt and pepper your steak all over both sides just before cooking. It will not lose moisture this way.

Frozen steak loses more moisture when it's cooked than room temperature steak, and that's an emperical fact.

I'm glad your steaks come out the way you like them madzone, I just think we have a different idea of what a good steak is. And there's nowt wrong with that, so you can stop it with your rolleyeys.

My idea of a good steak is tender and juicy. My idea of a good steak is one where you almost don't need a knife as it'll cut with a fork. Which is lucky really because that's how they come out when I cook them from frozen.

So, you can stop it with you 'empirical facts'

 

[fractionMan]

I can't imagine any restaurant worth it's salt not seasoning a steak with at least salt before cooking it. Shitty ones with catering monkeys perhaps, but not a decent restaurant.

 

[fractionMan]

My idea of a good steak is tender and juicy. My idea of a good steak is one where you almost don't need a knife as it'll cut with a fork. Which is lucky really because that's how they come out when I cook them from frozen.

So, you can stop it with you 'empirical facts'

How do you cook them then?

 

[madzone]

I can't imagine any restaurant worth it's salt not seasoning a steak with at least salt before cooking it. Shitty ones with catering monkeys perhaps, but not a decent restaurant.

Maybe you're just used to eating shitty meat

Our beef doesn't need any seasoning - it's tasty enough as it is.

 

[madzone]

How do you cook them then?

From frozen

 

[tarannau]

Well, maybe that's one time when cooking from frozen isn't a good idea

But can a decent rare to medium-rare steak be warm in the middle when frozen?

It'd not a trick question, more that I'm curious. I suspect you either like thinner steaks or the meat more well done than I like.

 

[fractionMan]

From frozen

Grill, fry, oven etc? The method. I'm interested in how you go about salvaging it from it's frozen state.

 

[madzone]

But can a decent rare to medium-rare steak be warm in the middle when frozen?

It'd not a trick question, more that I'm curious. I suspect you either like thinner steaks or the meat more well done than I like.

I don't like the thinner steaks - we have all the cuts of steak in the freezer and the butcher decides how to cut them, not me.

I wouldn't be able to eat the steak if it was cold in the middle.

You may have a point that the rarer it is the less likely it'll be good cooked from frozen but Mr Madz like's his steak on the rare side of medium and his come out fine

 

[madzone]

Grill, fry, oven etc? The method. I'm interested in how you go about salvaging it from it's frozen state.

Fried Hot pan - no oil

Is that the technical term?

 

[fractionMan]

no oil?

Now you're just trying to wind me up.

 

[selamlar]

No oil is right. Very hot griddle pan is the way to go, I find. Assuming your pan is seasoned, you shouldn't need any oil

 

[tarannau]

Yep, no oil. Salt steaks the minute before they go on a red hot griddle. Leave for a minute or 3, flip and that's it.

You do need a little salt mind. Nobody's denying that good beef's got flavour, but salt enhances rather than diluting the taste.

 

[madzone]

You do need a little salt mind.

No, you don't

 

[madzone]

no oil?

Now you're just trying to wind me up.

Why would you need oil?

 

[tarannau]

No, you don't

Pish. People who always proudly annnounce that they don't use salt nearly always make tasteless mush.



Now I'm actually pretty restrained in my use of the whte stuff, but I also don't buy the perverse logic that no seasoning = virtous goodness either. Proper seasoning always enhances a meal - you try working in a commercial kitchen and sending a steak out without salt...

 

[madzone]

Pish. People who always proudly annnounce that they don't use salt nearly always make tasteless mush.



Now I'm actually pretty restrained in my use of the whte stuff, but I also don't buy the perverse logic that no seasoning = virtous goodness either. Proper seasoning always enhances a meal - you try working in a commercial kitchen and sending a steak out without salt...

I can guarantee that my steak isn't tasteless mush

 

[fractionMan]

Why would you need oil?

Because it enhances the flavour and give is a better colour. Also, I use a frying pan, not a griddle and it's crap if it's sticks too much. You also get a better sauce from the juices this way.

 

[madzone]

Because it enhances the flavour and give is a better colour.

Strange man

 

[fractionMan]

weirdo