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culinary term that have to be with a stake?

post #1 of 16
4/8/07 at 12:05am
Thread Starter 
what is the culinary term on english that is used for a stake when you just start cooking it and turn it over and turn it again?:confused: i know on spanish is used the verb "sellar" that it mean "to stamp" but i dont know the culinary term for that acction. can anyone tell me please?
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post #2 of 16
4/8/07 at 2:03am
I presume you mean a steak- I'm not sure if there is another term for the process but I believe you are trying to grill your meat to make cross-hatching marks on it. (does that help??? anyone else have better terms??)
Bon Vive' !
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post #3 of 16
4/8/07 at 8:31am
I found this...
"sellar" or "foca" means to seal

"stamp" means "sello" or "timbrar"

"timbrar" means "stamp"

So I'm guessing it means you are grilling at high heat to "seal" in the juices or..

grilling your steak so the lines will be "stamped" one way, then turning it to have "stamp" lines going the other way..

Like this one..

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post #4 of 16
4/8/07 at 9:33am
I take it that you're talking about the term for the process of putting the grill marks on the steak. If so, the term is "marking."

Useage: "Hey, Grill Guy. Mark 4 filets, so I can pop 'em in the oven to finish off!"

Does this help?
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post #5 of 16
4/8/07 at 10:05am
Castironchef,
Just curious, could you explain the "pop 'em in the oven to finish off!" for me?
Do you always do your steaks this way? Would that be at a high oven heat then?
Thanks.. This is something I did not know about..
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post #6 of 16
4/8/07 at 1:19pm
Joyfull:

You use the extremely high heat of the grill (or grill pan or saute pan) to sear the outside of the steak. If you cooked the steak all the way through this way, by the time the inside was cooked, the outside would be a cinder block.

But, if you "mark" or sear the outside and finish in the oven, the more gentle heat of the oven will cook the center and the outside will be just fine.

Also, in a restaurant setting, you can "mark" a whole slew of meat a bit in advance of a big hit and finish off in the oven to order.
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post #7 of 16
4/8/07 at 2:20pm
I see, thanks for explaining that.. One more question though.. Do you throw the steaks back on the grill at all before serving? For even a second or so to re-crisp the outside??

For some reason, I have this picture in my head of the steaks getting softish from being in the oven..
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post #8 of 16
4/8/07 at 3:08pm
They'll be just fine. After all, you were going to let them rest after cooking anyway. Weren't you?!?! :look:
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post #9 of 16
4/8/07 at 4:13pm
I prefer the Beatles method of marking: Let it be. That is, place the steak in the heated grill pan (I have no way to grill outdoors, so it's cast iron on the stovetop for me); let it be for a couple of minutes. Pick up and rotate 90 degrees, let it be. Flip over and let it be for only about a minute or so. Rotate again and stick the pan in the oven to finish cooking. It's easier to get the right degree of doneness that way, I think, without burning the marks.

Used to drive me crazy when I worked at an Italian place that made Fiorentina (T-bone steak) and the grill guy would keep jiggling the meat and picking it up and moving it and mashing it down and moving it some more. :mad: It just comes out ugly that way, not nice cross-hatching.

Another place I worked at didn't actually have a grill, so the "grilled salmon" was marked before service in cast-iron skillets and refrigerated, then finished to order in the oven as castironchef describes.
"Notorious stickler" -- The New York Times, January 4, 2004
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post #10 of 16
4/8/07 at 5:27pm
This is a little off topic but grill marks have come up here...

I knew a chef in Halifax who would take a reduction of molassis and balsamic and paint grill marks after cooking. I thought it has pretty **** funny (um, how, exactly did you grill the squash puree?) until I realized it wasn't a "joke."

--Al
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post #11 of 16
4/8/07 at 10:11pm
Thread Starter 
thanx everybody but i don't think you get my point, i mean the the action to put the steak on the pan or skillet (is that right writed?) and just when start cooking turn it over and do the same thing again, i dont know the name of that plate on english but on spanish is filete mignon and i think that is need it for that. but i wana know the term is used for that.
Any ideas?
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post #12 of 16
4/9/07 at 4:41am
I think you are referring to the term "to sear" or "searing" a piece of meat.
You can do it to any piece of meat. The purpose is to caramelize the outside while sealing the juices inside.

Yeah, Suzanne-that drives me nuts when I see people constantly turning meat on the grill and pressing all the juices out of it. You end up with dry, flavorless meat because the outside never really caramelizes and the juices get completely pressed out.

www.foodandphoto.com

Liquored up and laquered down,
She's got the biggest hair in town!

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post #13 of 16
4/9/07 at 5:30am
Thread Starter 
Thanx alot, i've been searching that term for long time. The reason i know many terms on spanish is because my dad have alot of chef friends and he teach me but i want it on english, and thank you for telling me what is it for. can you tell me with details the way to sear a piece of meat?
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post #14 of 16
4/9/07 at 6:05am
To sear a piece of meat, heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium-high heat until drops of water added to the skillet bounce around and immediately evaporate. Add a little bit of oil and swirl to coat the skillet evenly. Add the meat (you can season it with a bit of salt and pepper first)-it should start to sizzle immediately-if not, your pan is not hot enough. Leave the meat in the pan for 3-4 minutes, sizzling away, until its stickiness releases and you can easily turn it over with a pair of tongs. When you turn it over, you should have a nice, golden brown crust on the meat; if not, leave it there a little longer until you do. Turn it over and do the repeat the process with the other side of the meat. The goal is to achieve a nice dark, golden brown crust without burning the meat. This is called the Maillard reaction- or the constant shifting of sugars and proteins in the meat in reaction to heat. It's where the inherent flavor of the meat is intensified.
At this point you can move it to the oven to finish cooking, or make a pan sauce with some liquid and other seasonings.


Shirley Corriher in her book Cookwise notes that acid inhibits the Maillard reaction. Thus, you will not achieve the nice browning from the sear if you marinate the meat in a mixture that contains a low ph. Best to add any acid later in the flavoring process.

www.foodandphoto.com

Liquored up and laquered down,
She's got the biggest hair in town!

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post #15 of 16
4/9/07 at 6:12am
Thread Starter 
thanx alot, i did'nt understand all the words but i'll fint them in the dictionary, words like crust, and others, i dont understand very well english. anyways, thanx alot everybody.
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post #16 of 16
4/9/07 at 7:07am
Ha! That depends on the little piggies standing behind me waiting for their steak!! :lol:
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