How did I ruin my Filet Mignon

[mxyzptlk]

I did something horribly wrong and they came out like utter garbage. Grey, tough, dry and with very little flavor, not pink and juicy like they're supposed to be.

I bought them last monday night. They were on sale at Ralphs for like 7.77/lb. This could be the first mistake, buying inferior product. Maybe they were so cheap because they were already bad?

I didn't have time to cook them that night, so I put them in the freezer and promised myself and my family that I would make them for the weekend. I figure this could have been another mistake. Does freezing in their original packaging damage them someway?

I wanted to cook them saturday, so I took them out of the freezer friday evening and left them in the fridge to thaw. But then the weekend got hectic and they sat in the fridge until last night when I ACTUALLY had time to prepare them. Maybe I should'nt have left them sitting around in the fridge, turning brown and gross before cooking them.. They were far from the usual healthy pink I like

It was already late when I started cooking, so I didn't have time to bring them to room temperature like they're supposed to be, I just coated them in olive oil, sprinkled some salt and pepper on it and threw it on my preheated skillet to sear for 2 minutes on each side.. but they never quite seared for whatever reason.. They just got grey and crappy lookin.

I've only done this once before, but the previous time they came out fantastic. I was so proud of myself for producing something that could easily have come from a proper steakhouse. However, that time I cooked the steaks the same day I bought them, and I let them come to room temperature before I started cooking them.

 

[RadiclDreamer]

Freezing is bad

 

[Gibson486]

your fourth statement kind of explains why.....

 

[sonambulo]

I think you answered your own question. You bought some steaks that were likely going out of code, froze them in the crappy store packaging (not air tight), and let them rot in the fridge too long. I've cooked plenty of steaks straight out of the fridge and had them come out fine though.

Good luck next time

 

[mxyzptlk]

Thats what I was thinking.. Everywhere I went this weekend, in the back of my mind all I could think was, "God, I'd rather be home cooking my steaks... I hope they're ok..."

 

[mryellow2]

Hotter skillet! Cast iron if you got it. Dunno how filet could possibly come out dry and tough unless you overcooked the thing.

 

[sjwaste]

You overcooked them. If they were grey in the middle, it was overcooking and nothing else. If they didn't sear, it might've been because you didn't dry them off too well before putting in the pan, or the pan wasn't hot enough.

Everything else would've reduced the quality a bit, but if it was grey in the middle, it wasn't from any of that, you just overcooked it.

 

[thegimp03]

Whenever I buy the steaks right from the counter I always cook them within 48 hours. A couple months ago I cooked some bone-in ribeyes at the very end of the 48 hours and they turned out fine. I had one that night with some garlic bread and got real sick from it. I thought it might have been the garlic bread so the next night I had the other one and things didn't get much better.

 

[ManyBeers]

They got grey and failed to brown because the pan was too cold. Either you didn't have the pan hot enough to begin with or the meat was so cold it cooled the pan off.

 

[GuitarDaddy]

Yep, combo of problems

Questionable meat + frozen + too low temp + overcooked =

 

[Jugernot]

Errr... no they got grey from sitting in your fridge for 5 days thawed. Not healthy to eat, not even mentioning tasting like crap.

 

[sao123]

you dont cook steaks in a skillet... you must grill them.
also, dont buy them until the day you cook them, unless you plan to marinate them prior to cooking.

 

[MagnusTheBrewer]

Dear OP and thegimp03,
Please do yourself a favor and eat at restaurants. Some folk are just not up to the rigors of cooking for yourself. It's ok, really.
Da Chef has Spoken
So, let it be written.
So, let it be done.

 

[sonambulo]

Originally posted by: mxyzptlk
Thats what I was thinking.. Everywhere I went this weekend, in the back of my mind all I could think was, "God, I'd rather be home cooking my steaks... I hope they're ok..."

This.

What is it, exactly, that you were doing over the weekend that was more important than sitting at home and singing acoustic ballads to your steaks before you sent them on the s-s-s-s-sizzle express to delicious town? I want answers.

 

[BigJ]

Originally posted by: sao123
you dont cook steaks in a skillet... you must grill them.
also, dont buy them until the day you cook them, unless you plan to marinate them prior to cooking.

Steaks seared in a cast iron skillet and then thrown in the oven come out fine. It's a very simple, tasty, and quick way to cook them.

 

[rezinn]

You posted like 6 reasons your steaks sucked. What is the purpose of this thread? Pies?

I do like coconut cream pie.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Originally posted by: sonambulo

Originally posted by: mxyzptlk
Thats what I was thinking.. Everywhere I went this weekend, in the back of my mind all I could think was, "God, I'd rather be home cooking my steaks... I hope they're ok..."

This.

What is it, exactly, that you were doing over the weekend that was more important than sitting at home and singing acoustic ballads to your steaks before you sent them on the s-s-s-s-sizzle express to delicious town? I want answers.

there are no answers that would satisfy. Friends kept calling and asking me to come hang out. Vegetarian friends... I'm starting to think it was some kinda PETA conspiracy.

 

[mpitts]

Originally posted by: mxyzptlk
I cooked the steaks the same day I bought them, and I let them come to room temperature before I started cooking them.

WINNAR

 

[tHa ShIzNiT]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Dear OP and thegimp03,
Please do yourself a favor and eat at restaurants. Some folk are just not up to the rigors of cooking for yourself. It's ok, really.
Da Chef has Spoken
So, let it be written.
So, let it be done.

I read this, then read thegimp's post, and lulz followed.

 

[mpitts]

Originally posted by: sao123
you dont cook steaks in a skillet... you must grill them.
also, dont buy them until the day you cook them, unless you plan to marinate them prior to cooking.

#1 - You do sear steaks. A properly seasonsed and very hot cast iron skillet will suffice. After you sear them for a short time on each side, you can move them to a grill or oven.

#2 - Who marinates a steak? Olive oil, salt and pepper (and maybe a dry rub) are really the only things that you need to properly prepare a steak.

 

[mxyzptlk]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Dear OP and thegimp03,
Please do yourself a favor and eat at restaurants. Some folk are just not up to the rigors of cooking for yourself. It's ok, really.
Da Chef has Spoken
So, let it be written.
So, let it be done.

pfft... Like I said, I did it once to perfection. I'm no slouch in the kitchen.

I seriously fucked up the 2nd time and I'm just trying to pinpoint exactly what I did wrong. I'm sure it was a combo of all the things, but I'm not entirely sure which, if any, could've been particularly more damaging than the rest.

I'm starting to think the main culprit was the pan not being hot enough. I got scared that i was burning too much oil in the pan at some point and i turned it down from high to just med-high... I know you're actually supposed to turn it up because the steaks will cool the pan off slightly... I think forgot that step too. MAN I hosed 4 perfectly (read: sorta) good steaks

they just didn't fucking sear.. I knew right away that they weren't going to come out well.

 

[SpunkyJones]

Oh the humanity. Those poor steaks never had a chance.

 

[spidey07]

I can't really follow the events. Freezing steaks/filet properly is no big deal and they'll turn out just fine. BUT you must freeze them properly - in a bag with no air. Bonus points for wrapping in wax paper before hand.

If you just took the package from the store and tossed it into the freezer then they bled out. As for browning that is heat control and the pan. But if the meat was NOT overcooked and still grey then it bled out and all blood/juices were gone.

Don't give up, you did the right thing by thawing it for a day or two in the fridge. If they were small even less than a day will get them where they need to be. If I'm in a hurry I'll put frozen steaks in a large vessel of cold water and dethaw them that way. Freezing meat is really not a big deal, just do it properly. How do you think it is delivered to your butcher?

 

[spidey07]

Originally posted by: MagnusTheBrewer
Dear OP and thegimp03,
Please do yourself a favor and eat at restaurants. Some folk are just not up to the rigors of cooking for yourself. It's ok, really.
Da Chef has Spoken
So, let it be written.
So, let it be done.

You know, I'm glad you have a restaurant and are a professional cook.

But folks have to learn somehow and it would be better if you parted some wisdom to help all those reading. We all have to start somewhere and without trying we won't learn how to cook.

 

[mxyzptlk]

yea, I froze them right in the store packaging. Wont be making that mistake again.

Thanks for the advice everyone. If anyone else wants to criticize, go ahead. I deserve a bit more punishment for my sins against a good steak.