I work at a "name" Steakhouse. The biggest concerns are the quality of
beef that you use. Prime is the quality. Also there are wet aged and dry
aged steaks available. Both have their own flavor profile. We use dry
aged steaks. We most certainly DON'T get our steaks from Sysco. We have
our own company that we deal with. There is also a spice blend that goes
on our steak. Salt is a very little part of that seasoning. Every
steakhouse has their own version of the seasoning. Also the grill may
have something to do with it. We use 1800 degree grills that sear the
outside of the steak. It creates a "crust" that holds in all the
moisture of the steak. I'll tell you, even out well done steaks are
pretty moist!
The first thing you might want to try is getting prime steak. Generally
you can't get it in a butcher shop, but I have seen online places that
sell prime beef. It's not cheap, but it is worth every mouthful!
Good luck, and I expect an invite to your first BBQ/Grilling day next
summer!

Peter


dakota2112 wrote:
> 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!
>