at Wed, 29 Dec 2004 21:49:44 GMT in <1104356984.172960.107990
@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups.com>, (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...
>
>HOWEVER...
>
>The one thing I have yet to figure out is, how do they get a restaurant
>steak to have "that taste"? ...
>
>Your comments please? Does anyone *know* for sure what specific
>spice, procedure, etc. is needed to produce "that taste"?
>Thanks in advance!

I think part of the problem here is that you're describing a subjective
experience. If something has a quality that is elusive enough that you
can't really describe it in any way other than saying "that taste", then
essentially by definition nobody can give a definitive answer because you
haven't posed a definitive question. You can only "know" things about
something for which you can get a factual description.

However, if there is one constant I've observed in restaurants, regardless
of quality level, it's salting. Specifically, virtually all restaurants
salt steaks heavily. To me the level of salt is extreme - far larger than
anything I'd do at home. But then again, I find that restaurants salt
*everything* to excess IMHO. And I suspect that may be what you're
referring to.

Try salting your steaks very heavily before cooking and see if that
reproduces the flavour you're thinking of. Don't dismiss the idea ahead of
time with a "no, it's not a salty flavour I'm tasting". Salt is one of
those seasonings that can alter the flavour of food in ways you wouldn't
necessarily imagine were attributable to it.


--
Alex Rast

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