Truth day Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024

I cannot, cannot, cannot cook steak!
Don't tell me temperature, don't tell me timing, don't tell me what pan, don't tell me what burner, don't tell me what steak!
No matter what you say - I will still f*** it up!
That's not pink in the centre - it's BLUE.
Sorry, not a good picture.
Just because I had two successful steaks - last year with the Wagyu and then just a bit ago with a strip loin, air dried, I have since done two more, can only call them extremely not... something! Edible but just not my dream steak of "Medium Rare!"
Going back to my "never buying steak again" (although I think I have another in the freezer, gah!!!)

Sorry you're having a difficult time with steak. That's a really nice-looking steak I'd be happy to eat rare with a great sear.

Andy M. said:

Sorry you're having a difficult time with steak. That's a really nice-looking steak I'd be happy to eat rare with a great sear.

Click to expand...

Yes, really

Had a busy day. I got a grocery delivery from Lufa Farms, my produce basket+ place and a plumber came and changed the faucet in my kitchen sink. So supper was simple.

I roasted a skinless boneless chicken breast, a "Santiago Lime & Cilantro Sausage", and some asparagus. It could have used a carb, more than the small, whole wheat, bread heel that I used for sopping up juices. But, it was easy and delicious. I only ate half of the chicken breast. The rest is in the "snack basket" in the fridge.

dragnlaw said:

I cannot, cannot, cannot cook steak!
Don't tell me temperature, don't tell me timing, don't tell me what pan, don't tell me what burner, don't tell me what steak!
No matter what you say - I will still f*** it up!
View attachment 69828That's not pink in the centre - it's BLUE.
Sorry, not a good picture.
Just because I had two successful steaks - last year with the Wagyu and then just a bit ago with a strip loin, air dried, I have since done two more, can only call them extremely not... something! Edible but just not my dream steak of "Medium Rare!"
Going back to my "never buying steak again" (although I think I have another in the freezer, gah!!!)

Click to expand...

First, if it comes out undercooked, pop it into the microwave and zap it in 15 second increments until it is where you want it. I do it all the time with steaks I make for my sister, and it works out just fine. She's a PITA about a perfect Medium doneness, while I do Medium rare. If your steak is overcooked, there's not any way to "uncook" it, so you are better off if you undercook it.

Second, THE only way to a perfectly cooked steak is sous vide. I think Andy will back me up on this. I get a perfect medium rare steak every time! Sous vide at 135F/58C for 90 minutes, then sear in a hot pan for one-minute per side. Bob's your uncle, as they say across the pond.

Photo: Sous vide and seared NY Strip. I could cook this fifty times with the sous vide and sear method, and it will be exactly the same every time. Science!!!



CD

We had thin pork chops, scalloped potatoes, Cinnamon applesauce, and crispy Pepperidge Farms white chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

We had burgers and COTC.

Casey is right about SV.

Natto w/veggie rice and kale, mustard and vinegar to dress it. Lots of watermelon.

Those steaks all look lovely. And all I had tonight was pizza.

rodentraiser said:

Those steaks all look lovely. And all I had tonight was pizza.

Click to expand...

I had pizza for lunch, and just a PB&J sandwich for dinner.

CD

dragnlaw said:

I cannot, cannot, cannot cook steak!
Don't tell me temperature, don't tell me timing, don't tell me what pan, don't tell me what burner, don't tell me what steak!
No matter what you say - I will still f*** it up!
View attachment 69828That's not pink in the centre - it's BLUE.
Sorry, not a good picture.
Just because I had two successful steaks - last year with the Wagyu and then just a bit ago with a strip loin, air dried, I have since done two more, can only call them extremely not... something! Edible but just not my dream steak of "Medium Rare!"
Going back to my "never buying steak again" (although I think I have another in the freezer, gah!!!)

Click to expand...

AND I forgot to add to the list of "don't tell me" to cook it sous vide, as although I've never used one, don't have one, don't intend to get one in the near future, I'll bet I could still screw it up. Ditto a pellet, charcoal, gas grill or blacktop.

Chicken stir-fry and jasmine rice last night.

dragnlaw said:

AND I forgot to add to the list of "don't tell me" to cook it sous vide, as although I've never used one, don't have one, don't intend to get one in the near future, I'll bet I could still screw it up. Ditto a pellet, charcoal, gas grill or blacktop.

Click to expand...

Sorry, DL.

dragnlaw said:

I cannot, cannot, cannot cook steak!
Don't tell me temperature, don't tell me timing, don't tell me what pan, don't tell me what burner, don't tell me what steak!
No matter what you say - I will still f*** it up!
View attachment 69828That's not pink in the centre - it's BLUE.
Sorry, not a good picture.
Just because I had two successful steaks - last year with the Wagyu and then just a bit ago with a strip loin, air dried, I have since done two more, can only call them extremely not... something! Edible but just not my dream steak of "Medium Rare!"
Going back to my "never buying steak again" (although I think I have another in the freezer, gah!!!)

Click to expand...

That looks med rare to me. Blue is LESS cooked than rare, basically hitting the heat for a few seconds on 1 side, then flip for a few seconds on the other side. Blue is only having a sear on the very edge, not any of that grayish layer at all, still red all the way through, other than the very outside sear. Cool all the way through.

Rare is having a sear on the outside, with just a tiny amount of the grayish layer, with a thick red center layer. Cool center.

Med rare is what I see of your picture, seared outside, a thicker layer of grayish, a deep pink/reddish center. Very lightly warm center.

Medium should have a little light pink in the center. Warmish center.

Medium well, no pink at all. Very warm center.

Not going to comment on well done because you might as well be eating leather IMHO.

Have you tried the make a fist and touch to compare and check the doneness method @dragnlaw ?

Dinner last night was at Benihana for a mystery shop job. It was okay. However, I would not have been happy about the meal/cost if I wasn't getting reimbursed for it. I took pictures, but they are nothing to look at because of the way things were served. I had never been there and Craig had only been there once several years before we met, so 35+ years. He said it was about the same from what he remembers.

We had tuna poke, which we both did like a lot, and their fried rice. Then it started going downhill. Our soup, their house onion/mushroom, and salad were served at the same time, less than 5 minutes after the poke and fried rice. Soup was okay, though I didn't think it had a lot of flavor. Salad was just a run of the mill salad. Then, the chef showed up. I don't know if he was playing up the accent or was fresh off the boat, but it was annoying only being able to understand a small part of what he was saying for the most part. He went thru their allergy spiel and repeated our orders, all of which was understandable. I had ordered med rare beef tenderloin and scallops. Craig ordered scallops, Northern lobster, and shrimp. My tenderloin hit my plate literally after I took my last bite of my poke. It was medium at best. I was biting my tongue about how long the seafood was cooking, but surprisingly the scallops were cooked perfectly. Craig's shrimp and lobster were another story, seriously overcooked. The shrimp were curled up in a tight O, and both them and the lobster looked dry. We were served zucchini slices and onions as vegetables.

We won't be going back.

That's a shame about the Benihana. They always had a good reputation back in the day. Don't even kknow if they are still in Montreal or not. I think I only ever went once maybe twice but of course we're talking 40/50 years ago.

medtran, thanks for the rundown on the steaks but I do know what blue looks like - and although my picture doesn't give it justice - trust me - it was blue.

LOL, thanks Andy, casey and medtran for trying. We all have our nemesis' and steak just happens to be mine. Now if I was cooking them 5 times a week it might be a different story - but good steak here starts around 28$ a kg on up to 45$ and aged could run around 60 sumpin'. Not something I'm willing to spend on 5 times a week to learn.
Just have to stick to chicken, shrimp, pork -