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dakota2112
 
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Default why do restaurant steaks have "that taste"?

I've searched through this forum but I'm not able to find a conclusive
answer.

Let me explain. Firstly, I'm very picky about my steaks. In fact, I
very rarely order a steak at a restaurant, because frankly they never
hold a candle to the steaks I grill at home. Of course I'm not talking
about what some people consider "real" steakhouses, I'm talking about
the standard places like Outback, Lone Star, et al.

I grill my steaks in a very particular way, with the end result being a
charred outside and VERY pink & juicy inside, and I prefer my grilled
steaks over the aforementioned restaurant steaks hands down in just
about every category (doneness, juiciness, consistency, overall taste,
etc). I can go into more detail about how I cook my steaks if
necessary, but to save space, I'll hold off for now.

HOWEVER...

The one thing I have yet to figure out is, how do they get a restaurant
steak to have "that taste"? I hope you know what I'm talking about.
There is some particular kind of flavor that is present in almost any
restaurant steak, regardless of where you get it or how you ordered it.
It even has its own aroma. I will admit, I like that aspect of
restaurant steaks. But unfortunately, it almost always comes down to a
great aroma and that great initial taste, followed by the meat turning
into a chewy, tasteless wad of rubber once you begin to chew.

I'd like to add "that taste" to my grilled steak at home, since "that
taste" is the one and only thing that's missing. I've tried, but I
cannot reproduce it. I've used a hot cast iron skillet, I've tried
numerous seasonings, liquid smoke, etc, and none of it produces that
restaurant flavor. Some people say you have to use meat from a
butcher, but I say noway, because those restaurant steaks having "that
taste" usually have very poor texture and consistency. If butcher meat
yields "that taste" + poor texture and consistency, then I'd rather
continue with what I use (typically custom cut at Krogers, 1.5-2.0"
thick). Other people say you have to cook it using methods ABC, or
XYZ, or ABX, or AYZ, or XBC, or some other very subjective combination.

Your comments please? Does anyone *know* for sure what specific
spice, procedure, etc. is needed to produce "that taste"?
Thanks in advance!