[HIME]

this Tuesday me and my husband having 6 year anniversary and i wanted to make a nice dinner to surprise him, he love steaks so much so i really want to make some nice steak something that will impress him, can any body help me????

also i was wondering what side dish would be great with steaks other than mash potato and broccoli , i really want to make that day memorable so can any body help me thxs so much

just want to know your opinion, what do you think about some finger food at the dinner, some thing nice to make it more romantic, can you give some of your idea and opinion please and thxs

[teamfat]

I'll suggest pan seared ribeyes with either a red wine pan reduction sauce or my favorite topping for beef, bearnaise sauce. If you have a grill, though, in my opinion steaks are best when done over rocket-hot mesquite coals. But a decent piece of quality meat tastes pretty, uh, darn good too!

Start with a classic ceasar salad, asparagus as a side with the steak. See the current 'beating the steak' thread in the Recipes forum for some more tips and ideas on preparing steak.

mjb.

[boar_d_laze]

HIME,

This is a recipe I wrote awhile ago while I was still looking for a style for my intended book. I've already published it a few times on the net. Indeed, there's a thread in this forum including pictures from a Chef's Talk member, RPMacMurphy, who made it with very good results. I think it's just the thing you're looking for.

BDL

SEARING

PAN BROILING A STEAK

or,

FROM THE FRYING PAN INTO THE FRYING PAN

STARRING

BEEF STEAK

WITH A MILD, GREEN PEPPERCORN PAN REDUCTION SAUCE

Also Starring

Basic California Marinade, and California Beef Dry Rub

For any tender beef steak, cut into (“steaked”) whatever passes in your household as serving size.
Remove your steaks from the fridge, and marinate them on the kitchen counter in the following Basic California Marinade (enough for four servings of steak):

1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbs red wine
1 Tbs worcestershire sauce

Marinate for anywhere between 10 minutes and 2 hours. It may not seem like much, but this is enough marinade for four medium-small steaks or two large ones. There should be very little liquid in the pan, just enough to coat the bottom. In a short time, the marinade will mix with the steak's juices and thicken to a heavy syrup. This is a good thing, you want the syrup to serve as a “slather” (a barbecue term for a condiment which, like mortar, holds rub to meat), more than to force flavor into the meat. Beef steak has the right flavor already.

About 5 minutes before cooking, drain the marinade from the pan. With the steaks in the same pan, still moist with marinade, season them on both sides with California Dry Rub for Beef :

1/3 cup Diamond kosher salt,
1-1/2 tbs fresh, coarsely cracked black pepper,
2 tsp California chili powder
2 tsp granulated garlic,
1 tsp granulated onion,
pinch sage, and
pinch thyme.

This is more than you’ll need for your steaks, but I wanted to keep the amounts large enough to mix conveniently. Don’t worry, it keeps well for about a month, you’ll use whatever’s left long before it goes stale. Practicalities having been dealt with we can address the burning question of, “What makes it so California and all?” The answer lies in a later sub-section of the book, California Barbecue. Skip over, if you’re of a mind.

Tip: One of the big differences between home and professional cooks is that home cooks tend to under-season. Don't be intimidated. Judge how much rub you'll use by the concentration of salt.
Meanwhile, back at the food: Finely mince a tbs or two of shallots and parsley, and prep your mise en place with:

1-1/2 tbs of minced shallots or red onion
2 tbs minced parsley, curly or Italian flat leaf
1 oz cognac,
2 oz additional cognac, or Madeira or sherry if desired,
1/4 cup heavy cream,
1-1/2 cold, salted butter, cut into 3 pieces,
1/2 tspdijon mustard if desired, and
green or pink pepper corns if desired.

Heat a heavy but responsive (not cast iron) pan that can take some abuse to near searing temp and add a couple of drops of EVO, swirl the pan so the oil coats the bottom. The hot oil will run very freely (one of the signs the pan is ready). Assuming the pan is ready, the oil will start to smoke very quickly. You want to get the steaks in the pan at exactly that moment. If the oil doesn’t run, the pan isn’t hot enough. Put it back on the fire and get the steaks in the pan at the smoke point. This close timing means you must PAY ATTENTION. No phones, no walk-aways.

Still in the paying attention mode we come, very quickly, to the point where the steaks are seared and must be turned.

IMPORTANT TIP: Don't touch those bad girls. Don't lift them. Leave them alone for at least 2 minutes. Shake the pan gently to see if they'll release on their own. If not, leave them alone for another minute and give the pan another, more vigorous shaking. If the still won't move, knock them on their side with your spatula or tongs to get them sliding. Once sliding, you can turn them.

When the steaks are turned, let them cook for no more than a minute before putting them, pan and all, in a 400 degree oven. Assuming a 6 oz, 1-1/2" fillet remove them from the oven after 7 minutes for a point. Remove the steaks from the pan to rest on a warm plate.

Note: Remember during the rest of the preparation, the pan handle will be HOT HOT HOT.

There either will or won’t be excess fat in the pan. Up to a 1/2 tbs or so is a good thing. More is greasy. If more, drain the excess. In any case, the pan should be over a medium-hot flame. Now that we’ve got the pan on the flame, using a pot holder, take the pan off the stove, and hold it away from your body, and add the first ounce of cognac. Immediately flame if off. When the flames have died, return the pan to the burner and unstick the crystallized meat juices stuck to the bottom of the pan (the fond) with your tongs, spatula or preferably a soup spoon (not a wooden spoon) into what’s left of the fat and cognac, and add the mustard, and the green peppercorns. Swirl everything around by shaking the pan, stirring furiously with your spoon. Make sure everything is fully incorporated – especially the fond.

Note: When you unstuck the fond by adding liquid and scraping or stirring, you deglazed the pan; the product is called a deglaze.

Add the additional cognac or wine if you're using it and let the volume by about one half, stirring constantly.

Add the cream and as soon as it comes to a boil reduce the heat to medium and stir until the sauce has reached a nappe consistency.

TIP: When cooking teachers refer to nappe (nap-PAY) they talk about “coating the back of a spoon.” That’s a little ambiguous. Let’s make it more specific. Put a metal, soup spoon into the sauce and hold it up. If the sauce runs off leaving the spoon bare, it needs more reduction. If a thick glob stays with the spoon, the sauce is too thick and should be thinned. If the back stays coated, use your index finger to draw a diagonal stripe across the back of the spoon. If the sauce doesn’t run back into the stripe immediately, it’s nappe. This, by the way, is one of the reasons you don’t use a wooden spoon. The other being that a wooden spoon won’t do as good a job of getting the fond off the bottom of the pan.

Still using your trusty soup spoon, whisk in 1-1/2 tbs of butter, broken into 3 pieces, one small piece at a time, incorporating each piece before adding another. Turn off the heat before adding the last piece, then incorporate it with residual heat. Mix in half the parsley. Taste for seasoning, and adjust if necessary.

Plate the steaks with the best presentation side up, rotate them so their best looking part is closest to the plate's edge. Sauce with a soup spoon, covering 1/2 - 2/3 of the surface of the filet, leaving the best looking part naked. Use enough sauce so it drips generously onto the steak forming a small puddle in the center of the plate. Add just enough parsley for a fresh appearance.
Et voila!

You should know:

The recipe is simple, frenetic and contains a number of techniques. Understanding them will improve your ability to perform them and give you the freedom to create your own dishes.

Searing includes encouraging meat proteins to undergo a process similar to caramelization, called the Maillard reaction. When done right, most of the browned, crystallized proteins stay with the surface of the meat and some, along with a touch of seasoning from the meat, will stay with the pan. If you remove the meat from the surface of the pan too soon, you'll alter the reaction and the meat will never brown properly. If you wait too long, the taste will move from sweet to bitter. Fortunately, a clean, smooth, seasoned or lightly oiled pan, will hold the meat until it's ready to turn, then release it at exactly the right moment.

When the meat goes into the oven, the surface temperature actually goes down slightly and the juices will begin to run -- slightly. When these juices hit the hot pan they, along with the glaze from the sear process form the fond, which in turn, structures the reduction sauce.

This type of sauce is called a “pan reduction,” that is, it is constructed and thickened in the wide, shallow, cooking pan. The right consistency for pan reductions is almost always nappe. The recipe I've given you is a simple, classic, yet typical reduction. The constants for the sauce, are the deglaze and incorporation of fond, and the final nappe consistency. Don't mess with them.

Of course there are an infinite number of pan reductions, not to mention a few more recipes in this book. But the range of pan reduction sauces is much greater than the scope of this, or almost any, book. Feel free to substitute anything for anything else as per your whim. But remember the meat is the star, and the sauce only there as a highlight. Simplicity is the key.

[shel]

BDL ...

Why do you choose Morton's Kosher Salt? It contains additives, specifically yellow prussiate of soda (a water-soluble, anti-caking agent), and, measure for measure, has a higher sodium content than some other salts, such as Diamond Crystal Kosher salt.

FWIW, I prefer Diamond Crystal when using kosher salt - less sodium and no additives.

shel

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by shel

BDL ...

Why do you choose Morton's Kosher Salt? It contains additives, specifically yellow prussiate of soda (a water-soluble, anti-caking agent), and, measure for measure, has a higher sodium content than some other salts, such as Diamond Crystal Kosher salt.

FWIW, I prefer Diamond Crystal when using kosher salt - less sodium and no additives.

shel

Shel -- Good catch. Old recipe. I've switched to Diamond myself because it tastes better. The sodium difference is a function of volume as you said; and since they're both NaCl, equal amounts of sodium (and saltiness) by weight. Since saltiness is a function of weight, volume amounts must be adjusted according to brand. Indeed, the reason I specify one or the other is because they don't measure the same.

I think I've thanked you before for having my back. Here we go again.

Thanks,
BDL

[shel]

Gotcha on the salt ... I, too, think Diamond Crystal tastes better - cleaner, if you will. It just bothers me a bit that it's a Con Agra product .... Have you tried using some sea salts in the rubs you make? I'm just on the verge of experimenting with them.

Tell me about the heavy cream. Aren't there a couple of versions of heavy cream, each with a slightlt different butterfay content? Does it matter in this recipe? Is heavy cream the same as whipping cream? As you may surmise, I'm kind of ignorant about cream.

As for the peppercorns, this or similar recipes might do well with Schezuan peppercorns. What do you think? Sometimes I'll add a few of the Schezuan peppercorns to whatever other peppercorns I'm using to add a more complex flavor.

shel

[boar_d_laze]

Heavy cream and whipping cream are very much alike, and in most grocery stores are identical. Light cream is 1/2 and 1/2. Whether heavy, whipping, extra heavy, or double as long as it's heavy enough, the particular identity of the cream won't make much difference in this recipe. If you were shopping for Thomas Keller, we'd want to be more exact. But, we've got perspective.

The szechuan peppercorns -- sounds very interesting. It would be a radically different taste, you know. More heat, less of that pickled greenness that green peppercorns bring. It's an exciting thought. If you try it, let me know what you think.

This particular recipe is intended as a building block for learning how to handle meat in the pan, in the oven and for making a reduction; as well as standing as a finished recipe. In the greater scheme of things the recipe is a bit of a chestnut. Bottom line: If you want to improvise off it, that's exactly what it's there for.

BDL

[tessa]

i dont know what your meat cuts are called where you live ( its different names all over the world) but when you go to buy your steak , , the better cuts of meat are a bit more expensive than the tougher cuts, look for good colour , a good marbeling (little white streaks of fat through the meat), that it looks moist and if you touch the top through the packaging it feels nice and soft to the touch
the secrets to cooking a good steak as the others have said is a really hot surface be it a grill or a heavy based pan , turn it only once, season it well and let it rest for about 10 mins in a warm place covered with tinfoil
one of my favourites is a good peice of scotch fillet (ribeye) cooked rare and topped with a mix of sauted mushrooms and onions with a little garlic and then had a bit of sour cream tossed through at the end. I would serve it with a baked potato and fresh green beans with a little buttery sauce and baby carrots.
Then if you have room a dark chocolaty mousse that you can feed to each other of little tiny spoons
as for the finger food thingy i would go for things that you can feed each other and maybe a bit messy ( so you get to lick each others fingers), things like fresh oysters, or oozy cheese on little croutes of bread,stuffed cherry tomatoes semi roasted in the oven,minature stuffed moneybags/wontons with a spicy drippy sauce

[HIME]

thxs boar_d_laze, shel_teamfat for all the ideas and the info, i will sure to try it
also i love the idea to fed each other with some messey finger food thxs tessa, can you give me some recipes to make thxs

if you guys have some more idea i'm still open for some suggestion esp the fingger food and steaks thxxxxxxssssss soooo much

[DocSmith]

Listen to BDL he speaks the truth.

I use the same cooking method and just made two perfect fillet mignon for the wife and myself tonight.

I have this uber expensive grill outside I got as a gift, and since I've learned the pan searing technique it goes to waste on steaks.

Whats nice is you get a down right perfectly cooked steak in about 10 minutes. Once I figured this out its what started me cooking in the first place. If perfect steaks were this easy, what else could I master?

My favorite recipe is the following, steak Docsmith, short version.

LIGHTLY brush on olive oil and rub on kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and chipotle powder.

Cook just as BDL gave such good instructions on.

My sauce is rather basic....

In a larger ramekin put crumbled blue cheese, about a teaspoon of butter and some fresh pepper. Microwave for about 15-20 seconds on high, stir.

Spoon on top of the steak, and enjoy.

The chipotle adds a nice kick without being hot, which blends in so well with the blue cheese. Sadly my wife cares neither for blue cheese or chipotle so I make this treat for myself. If you are using a prime/choice cut of meat I might go more basic but for select cuts it makes a great meal at a very low price.

[MaryB]

I just replaced my pepper grinder with a new set from Penzeys. The salt shaker came with kosher salt that was way better than either Diamond or Morton. The flakes were a softer texture and the flavor beats both hands down.

[teamfat]

A poached egg with a nice, warm runny yolk is a pretty good topping, http://hoosierq.com/Images/yolk1.jpg - don't look if you are an undercover agent for the FoodMustBeCookedToDeath police.

One thing some folks may have glossed over in BDL's description is the use of granulated garlic, not garlic powder. There is a texture difference, and the granulated works better in this situation. A small detail, but it does make a subtle difference in the outcome.

BDL, I always do my pan seared steaks in cast iron, is your recommendation against it due to thermal inertia issues?

mjb.

[boar_d_laze]

Originally Posted by teamfat

BDL, I always do my pan seared steaks in cast iron, is your recommendation against it due to thermal inertia issues?

In a word, yes. If this were stove top only, cast iron would probably be a tiny bit better. But a cast iron pan would tend to carry too much heat into the oven and overcook the bottom side. An experienced cook compensates by cooking the second side for a shorter period of time, but it's hard to write a recipe which covers every possibility. Mine are too long as it is.

Embarrassing but also true, I personally prefer carbon, Calphalon, or even stainless for almost everything. Fortunately, since writing that recipe I've become a lot more flexible about other people using what works for them. It feels so much better with the stick out.

BDL

[DocSmith]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

In a word, yes. If this were stove top only, cast iron would probably be a tiny bit better. But a cast iron pan would tend to carry too much heat into the oven and overcook the bottom side. An experienced cook compensates by cooking the second side for a shorter period of time, but it's hard to write a recipe which covers every possibility. Mine are too long as it is.

Embarrassing but also true, I personally prefer carbon, Calphalon, or even stainless for almost everything. Fortunately, since writing that recipe I've become a lot more flexible about other people using what works for them. It feels so much better with the stick out.

BDL

I always use cast iron for this and I've not had an issue with the other side being over cooked, in fact the sear tends to be a bit less than the first side.

I normally sear the first side, flip and put right in the oven. Even cast iron cools fast enough that by the time the second side sear is done the temperature seems to be ok.

[shel]

Originally Posted by boar_d_laze

[...] The szechuan peppercorns -- sounds very interesting. It would be a radically different taste, you know. More heat, less of that pickled greenness that green peppercorns bring. It's an exciting thought. If you try it, let me know what you think.

I've used Szchezuan peppercorns a lot, although I'v not used them in this specific recipe/technique. I don't find them to be particularlyhot, but they do have a radically different flavor profile. Others may find them to be hot, but my tolerance to heat is reasonably high.

Another pepper to try is the Balinese Long Pepper - essentially a more intense black pepper. Gotta smash 'em a bit as the won't fit into a regular pepper grinder. Big Tree Farms | Creators of Artisan Foods

shel