"Sarah Gray" > wrote in message
...
> Kent wrote:
>> "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.
>>
>>
>
>
> searing a piece of meat does not keep the juices in. It does, however,
> cause a Maillard reaction, which makes it tastier.
>
> Sarah Gray
>
>
One could argue that either way. However, I think a very thing coating of
fat on the meat surface seals and keeps juices inside. I do this with steak
grilled directly, always with fish or chicken.

Kent