Putting more salt on meat doesn't make it better quality meat. And you shouldn't over season things, you should properly season things.

i get it. you are an incredible cook. happy?

i don't really know if anyone ever claimed that using this salting technique "turned cheap meat in to expensive meat" ?

there are multiple vectors or qualities which contribute (in various peoples' minds) to a steak being "good." the salting technique is a cooking technique, which many people think is a good cooking technique to make the finished steak taste good, and possibly (i don't know?) improve the tenderness. it's not going to alter the fat content, marbling, any effect of the cow's diet/care/etc. from what i understand of what most people are talking about, they are basically just using the salt as a dessicating agent, which in theory would make there be a more "intense meat flavor" because you've removed water weight while leaving all the "meat weight" behind. if done in the appropriate amount of time and rinsed properly, this shouldn't leave the meat notably saltier. alternatively some have mentioned much longer resting times for a brining effect, but i don't think that's what most are talking about.

obviously using some random cooking method doesn't turn tri tip or chuck or whatever in to filet. the question posed by the thread was how to take a given steak and cook it so that it tastes the best, not "how to make a $4 steak taste like a $10 steak." =(

personally i still hold with the idea that starting with good product is the way to go. i've never experimented with the "use a huge amount of salt etc" method, and probably won't, who knows. i just do a rest to room temperature combined with a nice amount of salt to allow it to have time to be absorbed in to the meat.

the article that was linked earlier in the thread was titled: "How To Turn Cheap "Choice" Steak Into "Gucci" Prime Steak"

anyway, if others have a different opinion than me and the salting method makes a difference to them than more power to them.

my 2c

salt trick before hand
cast iron pan, as hot as you can get it, I like to do 1:30 on each side and 30 sec on the skinny sides for most cuts, then throw soem butter on the top and broil in 500 degree for 2-3 minutes

Agree with citanul, the best possible thing you can do to have a good steak is to buy a good piece of meat.

There are a few things I've tried to do to make a really good steak. I really like the method of sear on both sides then pop the whole thing in the oven to finish it off. I've also done the ducasse method on my steak recently as well which gives a really nice flavor but can be a bit buttery. To those of you who don't know what it is, it's basically butter basting the steak constantly in a pan while it cooks to make sure the crust is really thick and it develops a really nice color on it.



It's absurdly rich (for obvious reasons) but worth a try and definitely easy to do.

I also urge you guys to use sea salt. It's really worth the extra money on just about everything actually.

The butter basting is simply too much for me. I think it really detracts from the flavor of the steak.

A box of Morton's kosher salt costs almost nothing, and will last a long time. If anyone here is still stealing the salt and pepper from McDonald's for use in their home kitchen, I challenge you...TO A DUEL!

I know 3 people IRL who have followed this example and it worked perfectly. More tender, Not salty. I've read a dozen testimonials on this thread alone that it worked great.

Now we come to you and you can't get it to work after a week of experimenting. What other conclusion should I come to other than that you are a cooking donkey that doesn't know how to follow instructions properly.

lol, i didn't say that i tried the salt method for an entire week. i tried it a couple times. when i tried it on a good cut it tasted great. when i tried it on a cheaper cut it still tasted like a cheaper cut. draw your own conclusions.

but by all means keep throwing insults my way if it makes you feel better. why this is such a big deal to you i'm not sure.

anyone panfry steaks in ghee (indian clarified butter)?

it should have a higher smoke point and is more mute in flavor

might try it w/ a thin ribeye, prob really tasty with lobster poached in butter

I tried it on a cheap cut and it tasted great. I know others that tried it on a cheap cut, it tasted great for them too. Again, you aren't following instructions properly.

that's great. i already said:
you care way too much about my opinion of the salting method. it works for you and everyone else you know (allegedly). congrats. i don't care.

Cooking methods aside, one of the best ways to get a good steak is to find a good butcher. Some butchers love it when you show a real interest in their products. I know mine by name and ask him what is good at the moment, and take a bit of what he suggests. I have to pay a little more but imo its well worth it. last week when I went into the store he said "hey steve I have some great t bones out back, you want some?" He knows where his meat comes from and only deals with a few suppliers that the has personally seen their farms. At a supermarket this can not happen.

He also does great sausages and smokes his own bacon and makes his own salami etc. . I love it when people are really into what they do and supporting businesses like this is great.

Life is too short for bad coffee and tough steak.

A good butcher is hard to find. In a lot of places it isn't really an option. All good butchers in NYC are too expensive

I reckon the reason for that is that they were not supported enough. These small artisan business went under as people started going to supermarkets because they thought all meat was the same. But I do seethis changing as people get more and more into cooking and realize the importance of quality ingredients and movements like farmers markets are becoming more popular.

Sure you have to pay more but is it really that much more considering the quality difference? Granted in these tough times allot of people struggle to put food on the table but supporting small businesses if we can is a good thing, you get better service and quality of products, and if we all do it, in the long run prices may come down.

i think he meant "butcher" as in "the guy who actually cuts the meat" not "butcher shop"

even most basic chain grocery stores like albertsons/randalls/aldi/etc have a butcher on staff. go during normal business hours (before 5pm) and the butcher himself will usually cut you a piece of meat to order, and if you're friendly with him he'll prob find you a nice piece.

sometimes you can find a usda choice steak that's better then some prime cuts

on a semirelated note the albertson's store by my house usually has beef tenderloins on sale for $8.88/lb after mothers day and valentines day in vacpacks. i buy them all on the spot and put them in the deep freeze at home. nice to do a quick beef wellington or somesuch for unexpected guests.

Jason,

He clearly does not mean that.

He specifically says that the guy at a supermarket cannot provide the service he is talking about.

He is quite obviously talking about a butcher shop or at least a butcher in a nonsupermarket store.

Obviously there are benefits to talking to or knowing the butcher even at a supermarket, but he is very clearly not talking about that.

Iggy,

In my opinion people who choose to live in NYC don't get to also complain about how expensive things are. I'm sure it depends on what part of the city you are in and I'd assume like everything else manhattan is the worst. Is it actually more expensive than other products in NYC?

Yeah, because once you get to know your Aldi's "butcher," you have to pay a bit more. You are truly, astoundingly stupid.

Fantastic thread.

I'm in the choose decent meat camp. Quality bernaise and pepper sauces are excellent, can't understand why anyone thinks all steaks should be naked though that's how I go most of the time.

Also love weeping tiger type dishes as well - thai marinaded rare steak with very hot light chilli sauce. Damn wish I has some now.

In the UK supermarkets frequently have a butcher type meat counter as well as the pre-packaged stuff and even within the same shop the counter meat is far superior.

OK nevermind, JasonInDallas is an idiot.

NYC is just another place to live and work, it's not an amusement park. Any butcher that has prime cuts is way way expensive anywhere in NYC. The best place to go for meat is whole foods hands down. The best place, disregarding your wallet, is probably marlow and daughters. You can get a bag of beef hearts and testicles there if you like. Also, all you people buying choice cuts in super markets: look up some good marinades online. Thank me later. If you're gonna go cheap, don't buy cheap ribeyes and t-bones. That defeats the purpose of grilling economically. Buy chuck or new york strip and marinade it so that it becomes more tender. Things like citrus, oil, and vinegar will tenderize beef. To the guy that bought vacuum sealed meet and froze it, it's probably not even worth 8 dollars/lb.

holy jeebus, guys, i missed the one sentence where he said not a supermarket. sorry i doidn't read the entire thread like a GRE reading comprehension test question my future depended on. i also said "i think he meant "butcher" as in "the guy who actually cuts the meat" not "butcher shop"".

but regardless, even at a craptastic chain grocery store the butcher can and will hook you up if you're polite and show an interest in the product. lol @ anyone who debates that.

and wtf is wrong with buying beef tenderloin on sale for 8.88/lb and freezing it? aside from the fact "that's not baller, yo"

jason,

you missed one sentence apparently... sure. the entire rest of the post makes it incredibly clear he's talking about an actual butcher. not sure how many supermarket guys know where their product comes from or have been to the farms, let alone make the salami or smoke the bacon.

regardless! while you might get the best of the selection at your local supermarket by friending the guy behind the counter (who could be very good at being a butcher), they don't have access to product their store does not provide. that both includes house-made products he will not be paid to produce and simply better raw product. the guy at aldis/jewel/etc can't run in back and get you a steak from a local producer from an organic, grass fed farm or whatever because no one paid to put it out back for him.

You're already buying beef that has been mistreated, and then you'r freezing it. That ruins the texture. That you're buying tenerloin shows that you're trying to be baller. Buy a cheap cut and do something cool with it, don't waste your money.

NY Strip =/= cheap cut that should be marinated. It's the good half of a porterhouse, fwiw.