"Mo" > wrote in message
...
> "Holy Moses" > wrote in message
> ...
>>I was watching Food TV the other day and came across a new show FVT
>> Canada started carrying hosted by Heston Blumenthal called In Search
>> of Perfection. In the episode I saw dealt with searching for grilling
>> the perfect steak.
>>
>> After all his research and experiments, what he recommended and showed
>> doing was that you throw in a "forerib of beef", which I think is
>> British for prime rib roast, in a 50C/122F oven for 24 hours.
>>
>> The premise of doing this is that, by cooking the meat in such a low
>> temperature, the protein strands do not contract as much. In higher
>> temperatures you normally grill your steaks will have those strands
>> contract so much that the water molecules or the juices will be
>> squeezed out too much and will dry out the meat.
>>
>> Also, at around 50C/122F, some enzymes are activated and will start
>> snipping away at the protein strands, making the meat even more tender
>> and also will generate flavour compounds which will make the meat even
>> more flavourful.
>>
>> Once you take the meat out, slice the meat off the bones, then slice
>> portion out the steaks and to give it a hot and quick sear, you throw
>> the steaks onto a very hot cast iron pan.
>>
>> I'm very tempted to give this a try, but don't want to end up with a
>> $60 chunk of mess and inedible experiment either. But what do some of
>> you think about Blumenthal's claims and method? Does it sound
>> credible or plausible? Thanks.
>>
> I'd be a bit concerned at the food safety issues with this recipe. 122F is
> not hot enough to kill bacteria, and left at that temperature for 24
> hours, you could have some significant bacterial growth. I would, at very
> least, sear the outside of the meat thoroughly, to kill any surface
> bacteria, before putting it in this low an oven. But even then this recipe
> would get you sited by the health inspector here in Virginia, USA if your
> were cooking it in a commercial environment. The health inspector requires
> food not be left in the "danger zone" of 45-140F for more than 4 hours. Of
> course home and commercial situations are different, but they make those
> rules for a reason.
>
> I also wonder how you can put a sear on the cut steaks that have been
> taken to an internal temp of 122F without cooking the steak through.
>
> If it were me, I'd give the roast a good rub of kosher salt and course
> ground pepper, and put it in a very hot oven till it's internal temp
> reaches 125 - 130F. Wonderful, crispy crust and rare center. I've always
> preferred this to the slow cooked 'prime rib' treatment of the cut.
>
> Cheers
> Mo
>
>
If you roast standing rib in a hot oven the center will be rare but most of
the roast won't. You have to do something to sear, and then drop the temp.
to roast it slowly to 115F, then rest for 30 min. while baking the Yorkshire
pudding. That will give you more end to end rare beef. You aren't really
searing, rather, just sealing the ends of the roast[slathered with bacon
fat] to keep the beef stock inside.

Cheers,
Kent