Steak cooking question

[hookem2102]

How do really high end steak places get that delicious crust on the outisde of the steak ? It's dark and crust like but taste awesome and not like burning. Is it somehting that is put on the steak or does it simply have to do with the high temp. of the cooking surface ?


Thanks.

 

[bozo_casanova]

hotness

 

[HornsN04]

Are you asking about Pittsburgh-style? That's where they sear the outside, but the inside is generally cooked rare-med rare. Some places will hand-press peppercorns into the steak and cook it that way. That can leave a crust on the steak, too.

 

[groover]

1. rub the steak down with a mixture of garlic salt, coarse ground pepper, and extra-fine granulated sugar. add other spices if you want. just make sure you include the sugar and pepper. the searing heat will create a crust that seals in the juices.

2. quick-sear both sides on a super hot side of the grill. helps if you have a large grill surface with 3-4 burners to vary temperatures.

3. move steak to a cooler part of the grill. go 5-6 minutes a side for medium, assuming steak is 1.5" thick.

that's what i do, anyway.

 

[Randy_Allen_Fan]

I've achieved that by cooking a steak under the broiler. Gets really hot and made a great crust.

 

[NCAAFBALLROX]

For a pressed crust, I mostly use a freshly cracked pepper & sea salt mixture... just a tad little amount of coarse brown sugar.

Very lightly apply olive oil to the meat enough to make the seasoning stick, then stick it between two cutting boards. Place your sammich on a cooler & then sit on it for @ least 2 minutes.

Crust is fully impregnated... or for a long term effect, use a vac sealer & set it inside the fridge for a day or so. Make sure it rests for @ least 30 mintues @ room temperature before you cook it.

 

[TheFied]

How long is "quick sear"?

 

[Jellydonuts]

"How long is "quick sear"?"

About two minutes a side for a good thick steak (1.5 inches)

 

[Rusk]

In reply to:

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[badexcuse]

I've toured a Ruth Chris kitchen. Two things. First, they cook it insanely hot - 1200 to 1500 degrees rings a bell, but I could be way off (thanks to Makers Mark). Second, they cook it from above so that the fat/juices don't drip down and create unwanted and unever flame.

 

[TheFied]

Without a meat thermometer, how can you tell when the steak is rare or medium-rare?

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

How can you tell how well done a steak is without a thermometer? There's a quick trick that works well for me.

Take the thumb and forefinger of one hand and pinch the fleshy pad between your thumb and forefinger of the other. If the steak has that texture when you press on it, it is rare.

Next pinch the muscle on the outside of your hand (on the side of your palm directly underneath your pinky). A steak with that texture when you press on it is medium to medium rare.

Next pinch the middle of your palm (thumb on the metacarpals) with your fingers fully outstretched. This tenses the muscles in the palm, and is approximately the texture you'd feel for a steak nearing well done.

I've used this method to accurately gauge steaks for quite some time now. It may not work quite as well with very thick cut steaks, but once you're used to the feel of it you'll not have any need for thermometers, etc.