Epicness incoming... will post the after picture: [UPDATED with final PICS!]

[Ns1]

30 minutes is way to long to rest imo

who the fuck rests a steak for 30 minutes? that = cold steak

 

[yuchai]

If we are going to go with anecdotal evidence, I'd have to honestly say I've only once gotten a medium rare steak with a rare center. Maybe it's different in the US. But, with so many steakhouses now going to sous vide - and let's face it, every steakhouse should be - it doesn't make sense to base doneness on a flawed cooking method rather than a scientific, repeatable method.

And heck, even if low-temp cooking doesn't even come into play, it still makes no sense to me how you can order a medium rare steak and get part of it rare. Does nobody care about salmonella or e. coli anymore? True, pathogens aren't usually inside a cut of meat, but accidental perforations or cuts do occur (bringing in the pathogens from the surface of the meat), and in a rare center you will NOT kill the bacteria.

Thanks... I think.

I am very surprised about your mentioning that most steaks are sous vide these days - this may be the real source of disagreement here. Most steaks I get do not appear to be sous vide (or cooked in any other type of super even heating methods). This is why it is necessary to have a bit of a red center, because if your steak is pink in the very middle, it is almost guaranteed to be overcooked everywhere else. That would be called a medium steak, by the way, and I'm not sure how you can argue with that.

I am also not sure that sous vide is the way to go when it comes to steaks. I would definitely disagree that it is the norm currently, and I have a feeling that it may never become mainstream.

Terminology doesn't have to make sense - the only thing that matters is that most people mean the same thing. Bacteria risk? Sure, it may be slightly riskier but there are many other riskier foods out there than steak with a red center.

 

[Ns1]

I am very surprised about your mentioning that most steaks are sous vide these days - this may be the real source of disagreement here. Most steaks I get do not appear to be sous vide (or cooked in any other type of super even heating methods). This is why it is necessary to have a bit of a red center, because if your steak is pink in the very middle, it is almost guaranteed to be overcooked everywhere else. That would be called a medium steak, by the way, and I'm not sure how you can argue with that.

I am also not sure that sous vide is the way to go when it comes to steaks. I would definitely disagree that it is the norm currently, and I have a feeling that it may never become mainstream.

Terminology doesn't have to make sense - the only thing that matters is that most people mean the same thing. Bacteria risk? Sure, it may be slightly riskier but there are many other riskier foods out there than steak with a red center.

The alternative to sous vide is sear then throw it in the oven, which is the method employed by many steakhouses.

I know a few restaurants with tasting menu type programs are using sous-vide, but I don't know of any serious steakhouse (craft/cut/mortons come to mind) using sous-vide and I'm all ears to hear which ones are.

 

[Howard]

I am very surprised about your mentioning that most steaks are sous vide these days - this may be the real source of disagreement here. Most steaks I get do not appear to be sous vide (or cooked in any other type of super even heating methods). This is why it is necessary to have a bit of a red center, because if your steak is pink in the very middle, it is almost guaranteed to be overcooked everywhere else. That would be called a medium steak, by the way, and I'm not sure how you can argue with that.

No, it is entirely possible to get a near-constant temperature gradient without sous vide. The problem is that it takes a damn long time.

I am also not sure that sous vide is the way to go when it comes to steaks. I would definitely disagree that it is the norm currently, and I have a feeling that it may never become mainstream.

I say it will. The meat can be kept at temperature for quick service, there is no overcooked meat, consistency of cooking is taken out of the equation, etc. And teh cost of entry nowadays is extremely low - residential units can be bought for a few hundred.

Terminology doesn't have to make sense - the only thing that matters is that most people mean the same thing. Bacteria risk? Sure, it may be slightly riskier but there are many other riskier foods out there than steak with a red center.

Medium rare can kill salmonella and e. coli. Rare does not, at all.

 

[Zeze]

Never heard of eating steak sous vide style. Isn't the point of steak the charred outside and tender inside?

If it's an even-temp cooked steak.. then I see it being no more different than a roast.. like prime rib... MMMMMMMMMMMMM prime rib.

 

[Ns1]

Never heard of eating steak sous vide style. Isn't the point of steak the charred outside and tender inside?

I did some googling and yes you are correct, you lose that char when you go full-on sous vide which makes this practice somewhat polarizing.

some restaurants that I pulled up sous vide and then finish on a grill.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

I said I was done here but I guess I have to make myself a liar. What expert authority or authorities today would say that that is how medium rare is defined?

That is how I define medium rare.
/thread

 

[Howard]

I did some googling and yes you are correct, you lose that char when you go full-on sous vide which makes this practice somewhat polarizing.

some restaurants that I pulled up sous vide and then finish on a grill.

You do not lose the char. The only char you "lose" is the pre-sear, often excluded, which only serves to enhance the post-sear, which is the same as any other type of sear.

 

[Howard]

That is how I define medium rare.
/thread

Really, with a rare center?

 

[Howard]

Never heard of eating steak sous vide style. Isn't the point of steak the charred outside and tender inside?

If it's an even-temp cooked steak.. then I see it being no more different than a roast.. like prime rib... MMMMMMMMMMMMM prime rib.

Roasts too can benefit from low-temp even cooking, though not necessarily sous vide. Many roasts look like shit as well, with brown and gray everywhere except the middle... if you're lucky.

 

[Drako]

Seriously ... where is the "epicness"?

Howard trolling is not epic

 

[The_Dude8]

i thought the op propose and his gf rejected him? if she does that, why is he giving her his meat? lol

 

[MagickMan]

Steak: Just knock its horns off, wipe its nasty ass, and chunk it right here on this plate.

 

[TecHNooB]

Steak: Just knock its horns off, wipe its nasty ass, and chunk it right here on this plate.

gross

 

[Howard]

Seriously ... where is the "epicness"?

Howard trolling is not epic

I'm trolling?

 

[TecHNooB]

I agree with howard on the steak. however, to do get the medium rare that howard and I consider medium rare, you need either a thin cut or you need to lower the temp and cook it longer. otherwise you burn the outside and the inside is still raw. the 3 minutes per side thing isnt something I normally do to get a good medium rare. my definition of medium rare is a good sear on the outside and uniformly pink/bloody but not blue on the inside. to get that gradient without burning the outside, you need lower temps and a longer cooking period.

 

[Drako]

I'm trolling?

Yes

 

[Auric]

her friend is gonna throw down on a 20oz porterhouse. must be a big momma

Not porterhouse as evidenced by tiny tenderloin, but yeah I too figgered it's one thing for a fat bastard to chow down an entire t-bone but for two "ladies", well... double ugh. D:

Oh well, live and let die.

 

[Hugh Jass]

anything past medium isn't worth eating

I love folks who state their opinions as fact...it's so cute.

 

[Newbian]

I love folks who state their opinions as fact...it's so cute.

Well when it is a fact it's worth stating.

 

[Printer Bandit]

 

[El Guaraguao]

I hope the OP gets full blown AIDS for not posting pics of bday girl.

 

[BUTCH1]

Well when it is a fact it's worth stating.

Yup, anytime you cook a steak medium or well you've essentially forced out the juiciness that gives the flavor not to mention it's like chewing on a boot..

 

[Vdubchaos]

Yup, anytime you cook a steak medium or well you've essentially forced out the juiciness that gives the flavor not to mention it's like chewing on a boot..

You do realize that if you look at the history of Steak, it's always been the crappiest meat you can buy/eat until recently.

Although I do like a steak every now and then, I'm not anal about cooking it or it's juices or other BS you guys are talking about.

Med/Well and I don't mind if you happen to poke a hole in it or not let it sit for 1 min after cooking....whatever, it's a piece of f'in meat.

 

[BUTCH1]

You do realize that if you look at the history of Steak, it's always been the crappiest meat you can buy/eat until recently.

Although I do like a steak every now and then, I'm not anal about cooking it or it's juices or other BS you guys are talking about.

Med/Well and I don't mind if you happen to poke a hole in it or not let it sit for 1 min after cooking....whatever, it's a piece of f'in meat.

first of all the word "steak" has no legal definition as to exactly what it is your getting, you could call shoulder cuts "steak" if you want. How you eat it is your business, to me I'd rather cook something in a way that it tastes best since I paid for it, why not put in a little effort do do a decent job??.