This steak is too darned big!!!

[Greg Who Cooks]

Rib eye is about my favorite beef cut (although I'm thrilled when I have enough guests to cook prime rib roast).

I was in a supermarket today and saw some nice looking rib eye steaks (bone-in), but they were 1-1/2 pounds! (24 oz., 0.7 Kg) That's just too big!!! It's too much of a serving for one person, and when I'm entertaining guest(s) I like to serve everybody the same entree. Many of the most popular cuts can't be cut in half and yield identical servings.

A nutritionist would probably tell you to eat no more than 6 oz. (maybe even 4 oz. but scoff, scoff...). "No bigger than the palm of your hand." Yeah, right, maybe if it's three inches thick. (The steak, not my palm!)

Filet mignon is not my favorite cut because they're too lean, not enough marbling, but at least you can find them in the 6-8 oz. size. IMO that's a reasonable protein serving.

When faced with these Frankensteaks I just have a problem leaving some on the plate. I'm on a seafood diet. When I see it I eat it. A good solution to this is to serve a reasonable size, maybe even a large reasonable size (12 oz.?) and when it's gone there isn't any more unless you want to drive back to the supermarket. (That's a good disincentive to over eat.) But steaks seldom come in this size. If anything I've seen a trend to larger and larger steaks.) One good strategy to serving healthful food is portion control.

Part of the problem is that cows insist on growing to some similar size and when the butcher cuts them up the only control he has is how thick do you want it cut? And I'm sure that many will agree that we like our steaks thick, not big.

I wish scientists could breed miniature cattle so that when you cut rib eye steaks you can cut them 2 inches thick and still have a reasonable serving size. Cattle ranchers would probably like bigger, cattle twice the size! I presume there's a per cow cost and per pound cost, and I presume the bigger the cow the cheaper it is for ranchers to produce. I bet they'd like a 20 ton cow 10 feet tall if somebody bred them!

Well I just wanted to kick this around, to have fun with a topic. I don't see any solution except to cook Asian like I often do (or cook stews, meat only roasts like tri-tip where you can cut any serving size) where portion size and portion control is almost always assured when you're eating with chop sticks. But I like steaks too. I feel that too often the serving size is just out of control. I'm not going to buy a 1/2 inch thick rib eye. (I've seen them, "thin sliced.") I can't cook that and have any sear and rare to MR in the middle.

Discuss.

 

[Barbara L]

There is no such thing as a good steak that is too big.

Ask the butcher to cut some smaller steaks for you. Most grocery store butchers will do this for you (at least in all the stores I have been in).

 

[Andy M.]

Don't forget there is bone and fat in that total weight and the remaining meat is a 'reasonable' portion.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Ask the butcher to cut some smaller steaks for you. Most grocery store butchers will do this for you (at least in all the stores I have been in).

Any butcher I've seen can only cut it thicker or thinner. If you want it thicker it has to be bigger. If you want it to be smaller it won't be thick. You can't pick thick and small at the same time. That is my dilemma.

 

[Andy M.]

I have that problem with Costco ribeyes. often in the display case there are only two inch thick ribeyes at about 2 pounds each. To much, even for me. They will cut them in half for you or put out 1" thick steaks that run around a pound apiece. Those are manageable for me but SO leaves half hers on the plate to be eaten as part of a lunch or breakfast.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

While shopping at Trader Joe's today I found an almost reasonable size, 0.71 lb. (11 oz., a third of a Kg) It's about 3/4 inch thick, not as thick as I'd like. ($7.49/lb. $5.32, about the most I want to spend for one serving of steak)

 

[Skittle68]

Bf and I usually either split a monster steak, or if we have guests, each have our own and then make something with the leftovers. In order to not eat the whole thing you may have to only put part of it on your plate. I have the same problem.

 

[4meandthem]

Cook the steak and reheat the leftovers sous vide style. There is no loss of quality reheating a steak that way. It will be just like the first day. I kid you not.

 

[Claire]

I'd cook it on the grill; luckily I like rare. So Ideally (don't do it often enough that I'm great with timing) I slice from the ends for my husband and me. That's meal #1. In the middle, where it will be almost raw, I cut to size for stroganof, the Asian dinners you mention (stir fries, crying tiger), sandwiches, salads, steak & eggs, etc. Because it is under-done in the middle, the light saute won't ruin it. I wouldn't dream of serving such a huge steak per person. For guests I'd just buy a smaller cut. I'm not usually inclined to do individual steaks when having guests, it is too difficult to please everyone with the degree of done and have everyone sit at the table together.

 

[justplainbill]

I used to enjoy an occasional 48 ounce steak at Arthur's in Hoboken. Peter Luger's porterhouse steaks average 36 - 38 ounces each, bone in rib steaks are 30 - 32 ounces, and strip steaks average 24- 26 ounces. For charcoal broiling, I like my steaks at least 2 inches thick and charred on the outside, rare in the center. For pan frying, steaks as thin as 3/4" will do.
We often share a two pound steak (about every 3 weeks), with my wife consuming about 6 or 7 ounces.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I agree with you about "Frankensteaks". The easiest solution is to slice it down the middle and freeze half of it. Voila! Two meals.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Bf and I usually either split a monster steak, or if we have guests, each have our own and then make something with the leftovers. In order to not eat the whole thing you may have to only put part of it on your plate. I have the same problem.

Cook the steak and reheat the leftovers sous vide style. There is no loss of quality reheating a steak that way. It will be just like the first day. I kid you not.

I just don't like left overs including steak. I don't eat lunch. I like a freshly cooked meal every night.

I agree with you about "Frankensteaks". The easiest solution is to slice it down the middle and freeze half of it. Voila! Two meals.

Half a bone-in rib eye is a bit difficult to work with.

 

[Skittle68]

I just don't like left overs including steak. I don't eat lunch. I like a freshly cooked meal every night.

Half a bone-in rib eye is a bit difficult to work with.

I agree about cutting the steaks. Sometimes it just isn't that easy. We usually make soup, stew, or some other "make-over" out of the leftover steak. So then it is more like a fresh cooked meal. But if you're not a soup lover... Well, start writing letters advocating for miniature cows lol. Either that, or learn to love boneless steaks so you can cut them smaller.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I'm not a soup or stew (or "make-over") enthusiast.

Often as not I just cut up the left overs and give them to my dog as part of his next night's dinner.

I just started the topic for a rant. There's really no good solution other than to continue on the same way, sometimes finding a small steak that is still too big and overeating, other times giving the remainder to my dog.

I eat steak less often anyway. At one point a few months ago I realized I had not had a steak in 4-5 months. More often I cook other things, chicken, fish, shrimp, and I often cook Asian stir fry where the meat is cut up into bite size pieces, and when you're doing that it doesn't matter what shape or thickness the steak originally was. And I can just freeze any overage raw, thaw it for another fresh dinner later.

 

[Steve Kroll]

My gripe with steaks is that they always seem to come in pairs. Maybe this isn't the case with grocery store steaks, but we get our beef through a CSA-type deal and there is almost always only two of each type of steak. Well, guess what? There are three people in our household when our daughter is back from college for the summer. So I usually wait until some night when she isn't home for dinner in order to make steaks for DW and myself. Last week our daughter asked why I never made steaks for her anymore. Oops. Bad dad.

Other than trying to divide two steaks three ways, there is not much I can do about it, though.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

My gripe with steaks is that they always seem to come in pairs. Maybe this isn't the case with grocery store steaks, but we get our beef through a CSA-type deal and there is almost always only two of each type of steak. Well, guess what? There are three people in our household when our daughter is back from college for the summer. So I usually wait until some night when she isn't home for dinner in order to make steaks for DW and myself. Last week our daughter asked why I never made steaks for her anymore. Oops. Bad dad.

Other than trying to divide two steaks three ways, there is not much I can do about it, though.

We see that a lot in So. Cal. too. I'm single so I often want just one steak. One simple solution for me is to just rewrap one in plastic and freeze it. In fact I often wait until the supermarket has a sale on steaks and load up several, freeze them all. I think that significantly cuts steak expenses.

Wait until your store has a sale on steaks and buy three packages of pairs, cook 3 steaks and freeze the other 3.

I can't imagine what it's like living in small towns. During my camping trips in the Southwest I've resupplied in towns that don't even have fresh beef, pork or chicken. All of that is frozen! ... Package and canned goods often available in one brand. You buy that brand or do without.

Another solution is to go to a market with a live butcher behind the counter, and have him cut whatever you want, three for you or one in my case. I've noted an increasing trend in stores to do away with fresh meat or seafood service, and instead just package everything. I'm starting to see onions and potatoes unit priced, bar coded stickers attached. You go through a self service lane and scan it yourself. Your entire market trip can have zero human interaction, which means the store can run on fewer employees and make more profit. I wonder if one day that's all we'll have, automated supermarkets, everything available only in packages.

The self check out lanes are quicker...

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Greg: There is never a fine rare steak that is too big !

Buonasera, Good Evening.

I have a great suggestion, invite some good friends or family and a lovely lady to share the steak with you ... and/or, eat 1/2 one evening grilled with sea salt, and the next day, BBQ it.

Have a lovely August.
Ciao, Margaux.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

I have a great suggestion, invite some good friends or family and a lovely lady to share the steak with you ... and/or, eat 1/2 one evening grilled with sea salt, and the next day, BBQ it.

The problem is that not all steaks can be cut into two almost identical parts. For example a rib eye or t-bone steak. I have plenty of things I can cook for friends and family that allow identical servings. Or even to order like stir fries, meatloaf, tacos, lasagne.

Question for everybody:

What is the ideal amount for a serving of steak? (boneless)

I think I'd vote for 8-10 oz. although nutritionists would probably say 6 oz.

 

[Steve Kroll]

Question for everybody:

What is the ideal amount for a serving of steak? (boneless)

I think I'd vote for 8-10 oz. although nutritionists would probably say 6 oz.

I tend to go with about 5-6 ounces. DW and I both love beef, but we try to balance things by spending a little more per pound on better quality meat and eating less of it. I just can't eat like I used to. There was a time when I could easily put down a 12 oz steak (maybe bigger), but anymore something that size just leaves me feeling like a big lump of blah.

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Steve, you're such a healthful guy! I'm pretty sure that's within most accepted nutritional guidelines, perhaps 1-2 times a week.

When I'm cooking my usual routine (not the temporary situation I'm currently in) I tend to eat a lot of stir fried food, mostly shrimp, and I rarely eat beef or pork. I serve steak when I'm feeling lazy and want something I can cook in 5-10 minutes. I also eat a lot of fish, usually filleted and served with some sort of sauce. The rest of the time I eat chicken.

That's why I can afford (health wise) to eat 8-10 oz. of steak, because I rarely eat steak (pork, lamb, red meat). Particularly with such high prices.

I once cooked a 4 pound bone-in prime rib roast, and split it with a big eating friend. We ate the entire thing!!! It must have been over 24 ounces each!!! I'll never do that again but it sure was fun to have all you can eat prime rib.

Funny thing we both got served end pieces...