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Default I'm a lousy cook on the grill, or over-cooked bland steak

I know it isn't soup season yet but I've been having some bad luck with
cooking lately. First the pork that was completely dried out when I tried
to grill it after wet cooking it (thanks for all the pointers to my
mistakes, BTW), and the rack of ribs that I didn't cook in the oven long
enough before putting on the grill (not falling off the bones tender) and
yesterday a cut of meat I tried to grill. Ah, see, my mistakes are all
related to grilling. I just never had enough experience before about 2
years ago when I bought a new grill. Someone else was always doing the
grilling.

So the steak I cooked was very tough. I admit to overcooking it. I had a
timer on, a thermometer in the grill to make sure it wasn't too hot, and I
watched it. Just too thin a cut for me to cook right. Can't remember the
cut but it was pretty lean and thin. Looked tasty raw, and even when I took
it off the grill it had red juices sitting on top of it which made me think
I didn't over-cook it.

Anyway, I think for the leftover meat I'm going to make a beef soup out of
it in the slow cooker. It's very hot here so maybe not this week. I might
vacuum pack it and save it for fall. I'm thinking cabbage, potatoes,
carrots, onion, garlic, whatever other veggies I have on hand at the time
and some egg noodles added at the end.

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On Aug 8, 12:10*pm, "Cheryl" > wrote:

*Can't remember the
> cut but it was pretty lean and thin. *Looked tasty raw, and even when I took
> it off the grill it had red juices sitting on top of it which made me think
> I didn't over-cook it.


Lean is not the problem, thin probably was. The fact that the juices
were coming out of the steak
is the clue that it was overcooked. You want your grill screaming
hot to sear the steak on both
sides before moving it to a cooler space or turning the grill down to
finish. Searing seals the steak
and keeps it juicy. When you can see beads of blood/juice on the
surface the meat is overdone.

In your case searing the steak on both sides was probably all the
cooking it required. After taking
it off the grill and resting it for a bit it probably would have been
quite done.
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"ImStillMags" > wrote in message
...
> On Aug 8, 12:10 pm, "Cheryl" > wrote:
>
> Lean is not the problem, thin probably was. The fact that the juices
> were coming out of the steak
> is the clue that it was overcooked. You want your grill screaming
> hot to sear the steak on both
> sides before moving it to a cooler space or turning the grill down to
> finish. Searing seals the steak
> and keeps it juicy. When you can see beads of blood/juice on the
> surface the meat is overdone.
>
> In your case searing the steak on both sides was probably all the
> cooking it required. After taking
> it off the grill and resting it for a bit it probably would have been
> quite done.


Thanks! Very helpful! I never knew that tip about the sign of it being
overcooked. I knew it wouldn't take long on either side, but it probably
wasn't quite hot enough for a sear. I will try again.


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"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
>
> I'm cooking tenderloin tonight and I can guarantee you I'll see
> red juice on top long before it's overdone.


That's my favorite cut. My mom doesn't like it, but my dad was a pushover
for a good filet and was always what he got when we went out to a good
steakhouse. I've overcooked filet, too, but not by much since it's thick.
I've bought the tenderloin tips when on sale, and haven't messed them up
yet. Today I got a flat iron steak in cryovac on sale and was going to cook
it tonight but not really hungry for beef now. I froze it. I know,
everyone says buy a steak on the day you want to eat it. I just changed my
mind.


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On Aug 8, 12:10*pm, "Cheryl" > wrote:

> So the steak I cooked was very tough. *I admit to overcooking it. *I had a
> timer on, a thermometer in the grill to make sure it wasn't too hot, and I
> watched it. *Just too thin a cut for me to cook right. *Can't remember the
> cut but it was pretty lean and thin. *Looked tasty raw, and even when I took
> it off the grill it had red juices sitting on top of it which made me think
> I didn't over-cook it.
>
> Anyway, I think for the leftover meat I'm going to make a beef soup out of
> it in the slow cooker. *It's very hot here so maybe not this week. *I might
> vacuum pack it and save it for fall. *I'm thinking cabbage, potatoes,
> carrots, onion, garlic, whatever other veggies I have on hand at the time
> and some egg noodles added at the end.


A lot of things are called steak. It wasn't flank steak by any chance?
Can you describe the fat marbling and the grain? If it is flank steak,
you won't want to stew it. Chuck steak or round steak you might.

Which reminds me that slicing your steak across the grain may give the
illusion of tenderness.



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"spamtrap1888" > wrote in message
...
>
> A lot of things are called steak. It wasn't flank steak by any chance?
> Can you describe the fat marbling and the grain? If it is flank steak,
> you won't want to stew it. Chuck steak or round steak you might.
>


There was no marbling. Makes me think of round. But grilled it didn't
taste like round. Roasted it might have. I just can't remember before I
vacuum sealed it to freeze it. I'm labeling everything now.


> Which reminds me that slicing your steak across the grain may give the
> illusion of tenderness.
>

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Cheryl wrote:

> I know it isn't soup season yet but I've been having some bad luck with
> cooking lately. First the pork that was completely dried out when I tried
> to grill it after wet cooking it (thanks for all the pointers to my
> mistakes, BTW), and the rack of ribs that I didn't cook in the oven long
> enough before putting on the grill (not falling off the bones tender) and
> yesterday a cut of meat I tried to grill. Ah, see, my mistakes are all
> related to grilling. I just never had enough experience before about 2
> years ago when I bought a new grill. Someone else was always doing the
> grilling.
>
> So the steak I cooked was very tough. I admit to overcooking it. I had a
> timer on, a thermometer in the grill to make sure it wasn't too hot, and I
> watched it. Just too thin a cut for me to cook right. Can't remember the
> cut but it was pretty lean and thin. Looked tasty raw, and even when I
> took it off the grill it had red juices sitting on top of it which made me
> think I didn't over-cook it.
>
> Anyway, I think for the leftover meat I'm going to make a beef soup out of
> it in the slow cooker. It's very hot here so maybe not this week. I
> might vacuum pack it and save it for fall. I'm thinking cabbage,
> potatoes, carrots, onion, garlic, whatever other veggies I have on hand at
> the time and some egg noodles added at the end.


Commiserations on your run of bad luck! I'm sure it's only temporary.

Since it *is* so hot, I'd recommend using the steak in a salad rather than
waiting until cold weather to make soup. Here are some steak-salad ideas;
all of them assume you let the steak come to room temperature and then slice
it as thinly as possible.

* Cabbage ribbons, steak, cilantro, sriracha, lime juice, a *little* fish
sauce, and crushed peanuts

* Arugula, steak, blue cheese, and pickled beets, with a honey-red-wine
vinaigrette

* Arugula, steak, shaved Parmesan, tomatoes, and a sherry or balsamic
vinaigrette

* Lettuce, steak, onions, black olives, feta cheese, oregano, olive oil, and
lemon juice

* Shredded lettuce, bell pepper quarter-rings, steak, pineapple chunks,
shredded carrots, cucumber chunks, herbs (cilantro, mint, and/or basil) and
peanut dressing[1]

* Curly endive with steak, tomatoes, and a creamy horseradish-mustard
dressing

* Steak with thinly sliced cucumbers, carrots, tomatoes, and black olives,
with a yogurt-dill dressing

* Whole romaine leaves with sliced steak, cheddar, and pickles with a
dressing using reduced ale and Worcestershire sauce. (Eat by picking up the
whole leaf with your fingers.)

* Add steak slices to each tomato slice in a Caprese salad


Here are a few other summer-friendly things to do with leftover steak:

* Mix sliced steak with soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar, onions, and
bean sprouts. Serve with stacked lettuce leaves; the idea being that each
person will mound the meat mixture on the lettuce, wrap the lettuce around,
and eat by hand.

* Another lettuce-wrap idea; this time mix the steak with shredded carrots,
black olives, and a cinnamon-honey-cumin vinaigrette

* Summer rolls: lettuce, steak, tomato, zucchini julienne, raw corn kernels,
and shredded jícama rolled in softened rice paper with a chile-lime dipping
sauce

Steak sushi rolls with cucumber, zucchini, and carrots


Bob

[1] I recently posted the recipe for peanut salad dressing as part of the
Moosewood Thai Salad; the title of the post is " Too hot for cookin' -
Moosewood Thai Salad".



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On Aug 8, 3:05*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:

> I wouldn't put too much money on that tip. *Red juices on the meat
> are no indication that it's being overcooked. *It is dependant on
> the heat being used, the thickness, and the cut. *
>
> I'm cooking tenderloin tonight and I can guarantee you I'll see
> red juice on top long before it's overdone.
>
> -sw


I based my answer on her post, which said it was a THIN cut . A
tenderloin is probaby way thicker than what she was grilling.

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On Aug 9, 6:10*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
> On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 12:26:46 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags wrote:
> > On Aug 8, 3:05*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:

>
> >> I wouldn't put too much money on that tip. *Red juices on the meat
> >> are no indication that it's being overcooked. *It is dependant on
> >> the heat being used, the thickness, and the cut. *

>
> >> I'm cooking tenderloin tonight and I can guarantee you I'll see
> >> red juice on top long before it's overdone.

>
> > I based my answer on her post, which said it was a THIN cut . * *A
> > tenderloin is probaby way thicker than what she was grilling.

>
> Well, reading it again, it sure appears as if you're applying that
> theory to all steaks since that is the theme of that paragraph.
> And then the next paragraph you refer to her particular steak.
>
> Also, while searing is necessary, it does nothing to "seal in the
> juices". *This was a very short-lived theory a half a century ago
> that was quickly debunked, but the lie lives on.
>
> Searing meat actually causes *more* moisture loss than if you
> hadn't seared it.
>
> -sw


Welp.........maybe it was a short-lived theory 50 years ago.......but
I prefer my steaks seared to the point
of black on the outside and medium rare on the inside. When I cook
them in that manner they are always
juicy.

I guess it all goes back to personal preference.

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On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 18:41:25 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
> wrote:

> Welp.........maybe it was a short-lived theory 50 years ago.......but
> I prefer my steaks seared to the point
> of black on the outside and medium rare on the inside. When I cook
> them in that manner they are always
> juicy.


I agree with you. I like my steak black outside and red inside. Who
cares if it loses a drop or two of juice? There's plenty left.

--

Forget the health food. I need all the preservatives I can get.


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On Aug 9, 6:10*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:

> Also, while searing is necessary, it does nothing to "seal in the
> juices". *This was a very short-lived theory a half a century ago
> that was quickly debunked, but the lie lives on.
>
> Searing meat actually causes *more* moisture loss than if you
> hadn't seared it.
>


So why are there still a kajillion recipes requiring meat to be
floured and browned before stewing?
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On Aug 9, 11:32*pm, spamtrap1888 > wrote:
> On Aug 9, 6:10*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:
>
> > Also, while searing is necessary, it does nothing to "seal in the
> > juices". *This was a very short-lived theory a half a century ago
> > that was quickly debunked, but the lie lives on.

>
> > Searing meat actually causes *more* moisture loss than if you
> > hadn't seared it.

>
> So why are there still a kajillion recipes requiring meat to be
> floured and browned before stewing?


Because it makes the meat taste better. Otherwise you've
got grey, boiled beef.

Actually, I don't flour my beef first; I brown it, sautee the
mirepoix in the same pan, and then add flour.

Cindy Hamilton
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Cheryl wrote:

>> Here are a few other summer-friendly things to do with leftover steak:
>>
>> * Mix sliced steak with soy sauce, mirin, rice wine vinegar, onions, and
>> bean sprouts. Serve with stacked lettuce leaves; the idea being that each
>> person will mound the meat mixture on the lettuce, wrap the lettuce
>> around, and eat by hand.
>>
>> * Another lettuce-wrap idea; this time mix the steak with shredded
>> carrots, black olives, and a cinnamon-honey-cumin vinaigrette
>>
>> * Summer rolls: lettuce, steak, tomato, zucchini julienne, raw corn
>> kernels, and shredded jícama rolled in softened rice paper with a
>> chile-lime dipping sauce
>>
>> Steak sushi rolls with cucumber, zucchini, and carrots

>
> Thanks for these. I really like the idea of the lettuce wraps!


You're welcome. I hope you get *some* enjoyment out of your steak! I hate
the idea of waste.

Bob



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On Aug 10, 6:55*am, Cindy Hamilton >
wrote:
> On Aug 9, 11:32*pm, spamtrap1888 > wrote:
>
> > On Aug 9, 6:10*pm, Sqwertz > wrote:

>
> > > Also, while searing is necessary, it does nothing to "seal in the
> > > juices". *This was a very short-lived theory a half a century ago
> > > that was quickly debunked, but the lie lives on.

>
> > > Searing meat actually causes *more* moisture loss than if you
> > > hadn't seared it.

>
> > So why are there still a kajillion recipes requiring meat to be
> > floured and browned before stewing?

>
> Because it makes the meat taste better. *Otherwise you've
> got grey, boiled beef.
>
> Actually, I don't flour my beef first; I brown it, sautee the
> mirepoix in the same pan, and then add flour.
>


I thought "sealing the pores" during searing was the rationale behind
flouring the meat. If it's just to thicken the resulting juices,
that's different.
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On Wed, 11 Aug 2010 07:33:24 -0700 (PDT), spamtrap1888
> wrote:

>I thought "sealing the pores" during searing was the rationale behind
>flouring the meat. If it's just to thicken the resulting juices,
>that's different.


It also makes the exterior crust more pronounced.

-- Larry


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On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 21:14:58 -0500, Skwerpz wrote:

> On Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:49:20 -0700, sf wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 18:41:25 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
>> > wrote:
>>
>>> Welp.........maybe it was a short-lived theory 50 years
>>> ago.......but I prefer my steaks seared to the point
>>> of black on the outside and medium rare on the inside. When I cook
>>> them in that manner they are always
>>> juicy.

>>
>> I agree with you. I like my steak black outside and red inside. Who
>> cares if it loses a drop or two of juice? There's plenty left.

>
> That's true. Same with salt. There's still going to be plenty of
> moisture left in that steak even with the slight moisture loss of
> pre-salting (another myth) and searing.
>
> -sw



It's a new record... six nameshifts in two days, just so people who I've
abused can't kill file me. I'm a real piece of shit. It's against my news
server TOS, but if the bust me I'll just go pay good money for another
server. It's worth paying so I can continue to heap irrational abuse on the
undeserving.

Off I go to create another nameshift, just so I can avoiid killfiles of
people I need to irritate and insult. This is a compulsive need of mine,
part of my delusional Usenet obsession.

It helps that I'm a coward, like all name shifters, and don't give a shit.

I am so desperate for attention that the best way to prove I'm a turd to
the world is to ignore me. Trust me, I'll act out every time until you
notice me. If I pretend to be your friend, I'm just setting you up so I can
go off on you later, out of nowhere, suddenly filled with seething
irrational anger and hatred. The nastier the turn on someone with no
provocation, the better I like it.

Want to be my friend?

Great. I'll pretend to post something useful, but it's only bait so I can
start my next shitty conflict with someone who has done nothing to me.

You're it.

I gotta go. I need a coward fix. Time to leave a bag of burning shit on my
neighbor's doorstep.

-swp ******
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"Sqwerlz" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 21:14:58 -0500, Skwerpz wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 09 Aug 2010 18:49:20 -0700, sf wrote:
>>
>>> On Mon, 9 Aug 2010 18:41:25 -0700 (PDT), ImStillMags
>>> > wrote:
>>>
>>>> Welp.........maybe it was a short-lived theory 50 years
>>>> ago.......but I prefer my steaks seared to the point
>>>> of black on the outside and medium rare on the inside. When I cook
>>>> them in that manner they are always
>>>> juicy.
>>>
>>> I agree with you. I like my steak black outside and red inside. Who
>>> cares if it loses a drop or two of juice? There's plenty left.

>>
>> That's true. Same with salt. There's still going to be plenty of
>> moisture left in that steak even with the slight moisture loss of
>> pre-salting (another myth) and searing.
>>
>> -sw

>
>
> It's a new record... six nameshifts in two days, just so people who I've
> abused can't kill file me. I'm a real piece of shit. It's against my news
> server TOS, but if the bust me I'll just go pay good money for another
> server. It's worth paying so I can continue to heap irrational abuse on
> the
> undeserving.
>
> Off I go to create another nameshift, just so I can avoiid killfiles of
> people I need to irritate and insult. This is a compulsive need of mine,
> part of my delusional Usenet obsession.
>
> It helps that I'm a coward, like all name shifters, and don't give a shit.
>
> I am so desperate for attention that the best way to prove I'm a turd to
> the world is to ignore me. Trust me, I'll act out every time until you
> notice me. If I pretend to be your friend, I'm just setting you up so I
> can
> go off on you later, out of nowhere, suddenly filled with seething
> irrational anger and hatred. The nastier the turn on someone with no
> provocation, the better I like it.
>
> Want to be my friend?
>
> Great. I'll pretend to post something useful, but it's only bait so I can
> start my next shitty conflict with someone who has done nothing to me.
>
> You're it.
>
> I gotta go. I need a coward fix. Time to leave a bag of burning shit on
> my
> neighbor's doorstep.
>
> -swp ******


Hey swp ******, you're polluting my thread.


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