Best way to cook Thai beef

[Kenny202]

Bought these rib eyes from Makro today. Mate reckons they are great. Good value at under 100 bht per steak.

What is the best way to cook them? Slowly or same as back home? Thais tend to cook beef very slowly just about stewing it. I planned

to do them on the charcoal on the bbq

[tutsiwarrior]

surprisingly makro has good thai beef these days...I got some 'The Beef House' beef mince ('prakobbeef') recently and made a spaghetti sauce and it was quite good...previously I didn't think that edible local beef existed...

 

if we can presume that what you have is of a western standard (like what I got at makro) go ahead and grill as usual...maybe marinate in oil and vinegar as a precaution...

 

 

[Kenny202]

The beef had a nice flavour for a change...but still pretty tough. My friend says the tenderloins are the go. I have even had tough tenderloins here. I bought some tenderizing salt today will be interesting to see how that goes. It is a papaya based thing. I have used fresh papaya before with excellent tenderizing results...but it seems to leech any flavour from the beef as it is wet. the secret with any tenderizer leave the beef out at room temperature with tenderizer (salt, papaya, pineapple, kiwi fruit etc) for 4 hours. No good in the fridge the enzymes don't work well enough

 

[Rhys]

Drink wine while frying them up.. it will make no difference then... or shots of Whisky as you eat them....

[tutsiwarrior]

well...if despite yer best efforts the local beef is still tough then grind the mother up and make a burger...or grind and toss in some beans and tomatoes and make chilli...

 

ye can't let the bastids beat ye...

 

 

[Ron19]

On 12/17/2017 at 4:55 PM, tutsiwarrior said:

well...if despite yer best efforts the local beef is still tough then grind the mother up and make a burger...or grind and toss in some beans and tomatoes and make chilli...

 

ye can't let the bastids beat ye...

 

 

Then feed it to the dogs.

[tutsiwarrior]

9 hours ago, Ron19 said:

Then feed it to the dogs.

 

or conversely grab a stray hound and chop it up...dog burgers, dog chili, dog meatloaf, etc...I've always been a fan of being creative with local ingredients...

 

 

[Jdietz]

Cook the heck out of it, then use the water for stock. Dispose of the sediment.

[Ron19]

 
or conversely grab a stray hound and chop it up...dog burgers, dog chili, dog meatloaf, etc...I've always been a fan of being creative with local ingredients...
 
 

I couldn't do that, love my dogs. One of them a stray that I took in 7 Years ago. One of the most faithful and placid dogs you would ever see.

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[Kenny202]

I used some tenderizer powder I bought. Left on meat for 4 hours at room temperature. Moderately better but not great

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[MuntyC0re]

use alcohol while cooking

[watcharacters]

 

 

Crock pot..

 

Depending on your preferences, you may want to do a little marinating.

 

 

Please post back with your direction and satisfaction.

[wayned]

How to cook Thai beef is a real question.

 

First I am from the US where you can walk into any of the “chain” restaurants such as Black Angus and you were sure to get a good steak or slab of roast beef that was graded USDA choice.  I did raise a few cattle for years and each year we penned up and fed a yearly for 3 months before we had it butchered.  The other yearlings were sold to feed lots.  When it was time for the old cows or bulls to go they were butchered and ended up in McDonald’s hamburgers not in the market being passed off as edible beef.

 

Having said that I have lived here for 20 years and have not had a steak that matched the quality and flavor of the ones available at the local markets in the US.  I live in the boonies and have ordered online from any service that would deliver here and consider all of the products received as substandard, even the over priced Wagyu. When I buy steak I buy the prakobbeef brand filets from either Tesco or Macro but they usually cut up thin and used for stir fry.

 

I also buy large pieces of no name brand boneless sirloin and brisket from the vendor at the Wednesday walking market. I’ve tried to but ribs but they just aren’t available anywhere

 

The sirloin is used for:

1. Ground beef that I grind myself.
2. Very thinly cut slices that I either quick fry for sandwiches or use to make stuffed beef rolls.
3. Very rare roast beef, a large piece, that I cook and put in the refrigerator overnight and then slice very thin, 1.5mm, on my meat slicer for sandwiches and freeze individual portions.
4. Roast beef hash using the piece that is leftover after it is sliced for sandwiches..

 

The brisket is used for:

1. Corned beef.  I wet cure it in the fridge for 2 weeks and then wrap it in layers of cling film and in a plastic bag removing all air as possible,(I don’t have a vacuum sealer).  I then cook it for 11 hour on low in the slow cooker and put in the fried overnight.  I cut it thin, 1.5mm, and use it for sandwiches.  The piece that won’t go through the slicer is cooked with the juices reserved in the plastic bag and cabbage for a “corned beef and cabbage dinner”.
2. Brisket dinner.  I cook the brisket in the slow cooker on high for 5 hours with red wine, canned tomatoes, carrots, onions and spices, adding whole small onions ½ hour before it is finished.  At the end of 5 the beef can still be sliced so that it can be cut very thin across the grin, you don’t want it to pull apart because you then have long sinewy pieces, the trick id being able to cut it across the grain.  I use it for sandwiches and serve it over mashed potatos.

 

So, IMHO, you can get beef and cook it properly here, but not just going to the store and buying a steak and throwing it on the grill.  I gave up on that a long time ago

 

 

[cooked]

beef should have been in a freezer for at least five weeks before selling.  Just put it in the deep freeze, makes all the difference.

BigC has some decent beef these days.

[wayned]

8 hours ago, cooked said:

beef should have been in a freezer for at least five weeks before selling.

I disagree!  Beef should be hung and aged in a controlled temperature cooler, not frozen, before it is butchered into the individual cuts.  Si9once it's not done here I usually buy a large cut of sirloin or brisket, wrap it in a cotton towel and age it in the bottom of the fridge for 2-3 weeks.  Not perfect, but better than something that was walking yesterday.

[amvet]

On 12/28/2017 at 4:51 AM, wayned said:

How to cook Thai beef is a real question.

 

 

First I am from the US where you can walk into any of the “chain” restaurants such as Black Angus and you were sure to get a good steak or slab of roast beef that was graded USDA choice.  I did raise a few cattle for years and each year we penned up and fed a yearly for 3 months before we had it butchered.  The other yearlings were sold to feed lots.  When it was time for the old cows or bulls to go they were butchered and ended up in McDonald’s hamburgers not in the market being passed off as edible beef.

 

 

Having said that I have lived here for 20 years and have not had a steak that matched the quality and flavor of the ones available at the local markets in the US.  I live in the boonies and have ordered online from any service that would deliver here and consider all of the products received as substandard, even the over priced Wagyu. When I buy steak I buy the prakobbeef brand filets from either Tesco or Macro but they usually cut up thin and used for stir fry.

 

 

I also buy large pieces of no name brand boneless sirloin and brisket from the vendor at the Wednesday walking market. I’ve tried to but ribs but they just aren’t available anywhere

 

 

The sirloin is used for:

1. Ground beef that I grind myself.
2. Very thinly cut slices that I either quick fry for sandwiches or use to make stuffed beef rolls.
3. Very rare roast beef, a large piece, that I cook and put in the refrigerator overnight and then slice very thin, 1.5mm, on my meat slicer for sandwiches and freeze individual portions.
4. Roast beef hash using the piece that is leftover after it is sliced for sandwiches..

 

 

The brisket is used for:

1. Corned beef.  I wet cure it in the fridge for 2 weeks and then wrap it in layers of cling film and in a plastic bag removing all air as possible,(I don’t have a vacuum sealer).  I then cook it for 11 hour on low in the slow cooker and put in the fried overnight.  I cut it thin, 1.5mm, and use it for sandwiches.  The piece that won’t go through the slicer is cooked with the juices reserved in the plastic bag and cabbage for a “corned beef and cabbage dinner”.
2. Brisket dinner.  I cook the brisket in the slow cooker on high for 5 hours with red wine, canned tomatoes, carrots, onions and spices, adding whole small onions ½ hour before it is finished.  At the end of 5 the beef can still be sliced so that it can be cut very thin across the grin, you don’t want it to pull apart because you then have long sinewy pieces, the trick id being able to cut it across the grain.  I use it for sandwiches and serve it over mashed potatos.

 

 

So, IMHO, you can get beef and cook it properly here, but not just going to the store and buying a steak and throwing it on the grill.  I gave up on that a long time ago

 

 

 

 

Cape Grim Tenderloin Steak 

'Japanese Miyazaki Wagyu A4 Striploin x 3 steaks.

'Certified Angus Ribeye (Argentina) x 3 steaks.

'Certified U.S. Angus Tenderloin x 5 steaks

 

Are you sure you have tried all the options available in Thailand?

[cooked]

5 hours ago, wayned said:

I disagree!  Beef should be hung and aged in a controlled temperature cooler, not frozen, before it is butchered into the individual cuts.  Si9once it's not done here I usually buy a large cut of sirloin or brisket, wrap it in a cotton towel and age it in the bottom of the fridge for 2-3 weeks.  Not perfect, but better than something that was walking yesterday.

correct!

[amvet]

8 hours ago, cooked said:

correct!

Beef is aged in rooms constructed for that purpose and aged in primal cuts not steaks or roasts.  The aging rooms at a beef packing house have a temp range of a couple of degrees while your refrigerator swings 10 or 20 degrees way to far for safe aging unless you develop a taste for putrid meat.  Ever seen a good steak house aging beef in a refrigerator?  Of course not.  I posted photos above of dry aged meat available in Thailand if you can't afford it try getting used to stew.

 

http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/01/the-food-lab-dry-age-beef-at-home.html

[wayned]

41 minutes ago, amvet said:

Ever seen a good steak house aging beef in a refrigerator?  Of course not.  I posted photos above of dry aged meat available in Thailand if you can't afford it try getting used to stew.

`Actually there is a restaurant in NYC that has been open since 1933 that ages it meat in a cooler that is the front window of the restaurant.  It's called Gallager's Steak House at 228W. 52nd St.  I haven't actually been there since the mid 1960's but it's still there and the beef is absolutely superb and they won't cook it "well done'.  I do actually keep my beef sirlions wrapped in a cotton towel in the fridge doe a couple of weeks and trim off the darkened exterior before cooking and it doesn't taste "putrid"!

I am aware of the beef in your pictures that you say is available but you obviously did not read my post:

9 hours ago, amvet said:

I live in the boonies and have ordered online from any service that would deliver here

The products in your picture are available online and delivered by either Accidental Butcher or Company B.  Company B will not ship to my zip code and Accidental Butcher ships to the nearest main bus station which is 110 kilometers away so that's not an option.  When Passion Delivery consolidated and shipped direct I did order some beef from them, dry aged filet, wagyu and tomahawk steaks. The tomahawk steaks and the filet were supplied by CB,.  The Tomahawk steaks were Okay but the filets were ends tied together with butcher crd.  The Wagyu was well marbled but the flavor was not that good and it was "mushy" most likely because it had been frozen and defrosted and refrozen a couple of times and was expensive.  I didn't order any beef from them after those incidents.

[amvet]

3 hours ago, wayned said:

`Actually there is a restaurant in NYC that has been open since 1933 that ages it meat in a cooler that is the front window of the restaurant.  It's called Gallager's Steak House at 228W. 52nd St.  I haven't actually been there since the mid 1960's but it's still there and the beef is absolutely superb and they won't cook it "well done'.  I do actually keep my beef sirlions wrapped in a cotton towel in the fridge doe a couple of weeks and trim off the darkened exterior before cooking and it doesn't taste "putrid"!

I am aware of the beef in your pictures that you say is available but you obviously did not read my post:

The products in your picture are available online and delivered by either Accidental Butcher or Company B.  Company B will not ship to my zip code and Accidental Butcher ships to the nearest main bus station which is 110 kilometers away so that's not an option.  When Passion Delivery consolidated and shipped direct I did order some beef from them, dry aged filet, wagyu and tomahawk steaks. The tomahawk steaks and the filet were supplied by CB,.  The Tomahawk steaks were Okay but the filets were ends tied together with butcher crd.  The Wagyu was well marbled but the flavor was not that good and it was "mushy" most likely because it had been frozen and defrosted and refrozen a couple of times and was expensive.  I didn't order any beef from them after those incidents.

Gallagher's ages primal cuts of beef in temperature control aging rooms not steaks or small roasts (see photo of Galagher's below).  All the meat they age is around the 20 pound range and like I said in a specially constructed aging room not a home refrigerator.  They cut off the outside of the moldy beef before it is roasted in the case of prime rib or cut in the cases of strip loins.  

 

There are four essential factors to proper dry-aging:

Temperature. Temperature is essential to control the rate of chemical change in dry-aging beef. Proper dry-aging occurs between 32 F and 40 F.

Airflow. Most aging lockers use commercial-grade ventilation systems and special racks or hooks to ensure that beef is properly exposed to air.

Moisture. Moisture levels have a direct effect on bacterial growth, which affects the flavor of dry-aged beef.

Time. Proper dry-aging takes upward of two weeks. Flavors become more complex and intense over time.

Day 28 to 42. Weeks four to six are usually the sweet spot for dry-aged beef. Beef by this point has reached maximal tenderness and flavor concentration. The beef’s flavor profile, meanwhile, is well-balanced, with a depth and complexity of flavor that is robust without being overwhelming.

Day 42+. After week six, new flavors begin to overtake the original taste of the steak. Sharp, pungent aromas and flavors develop. Many compare the taste of steak aged eight weeks or longer to blue cheese. For some, these steaks are the height of luxury, but for others, the intensity and sharpness of flavor is off-putting.

 

I won't get into my experiences with Passion.  I'm trying to be nicer in the new year.  

 

[wayned]

5 hours ago, amvet said:

see photo of Galagher's below)

I don't need to see a picture, I've actually been there, have you?  And then I remembered reading some of your posts in the thread about all of the political BS regarding the POTUS and realized, like him, you are never wrong. You've just had the last word as far as I'm concerned !  Have a Happy New Year!

[amvet]

5 hours ago, wayned said:

I don't need to see a picture, I've actually been there, have you?  And then I remembered reading some of your posts in the thread about all of the political BS regarding the POTUS and realized, like him, you are never wrong. You've just had the last word as far as I'm concerned !  Have a Happy New Year!

I get it. Because of my political views my experience as a buyer for a large chain of hotels that purchased millions of pounds of beef every year is not valid.  Part of my job was to inspect meat packing plants to insure they met our high standards.  I was giving you the benefit of my years of experience as a meat buyer.  Your response is pretty typical Thaivisa.  Someone tells you that you are in error and you attack the person's character or political beliefs that have nothing to do with the issue under discussion.  I'll give it to you straight.  Trying to age beef in a refrigerator in Thailand is not sanitary and unless you cook the beef well done it will get you sick some day.  You have a Happy New Year too.  PS I'm wrong a lot and readily admit it.  If you had read all of my posts you would have known that.  Just this week I had to apologize and admit error to Asus computers and two watch face makers who I accused of all sorts of terrible things and it turns out I was wrong.  

[amvet]

Anyone with significant restaurant experience will tell you that the cooking process is far more important that aging for cooking inferior beef.  Slow cook ovens such as Alto Shaam have made it possible to make USDA choice a better alternative than prime for many cuts of meat.  In Thailand or other countries it would be better to spend time and energy finding out how to slow cook beef rather than home aging which would involve putting a fan and different thermostat in a consumer refrigeration system.  By slow cook ovens I mean 12 to 18 hours.  You can get information on techniques by looking at Alto Shaam's website.  I believe Alto Shaam created their first oven for Lawry's Prime Rib restaurant.  There is one in Singapore if you want to try it.  

 

Or you may want to Jaccard or marinate as opposed to aging again I speak from the point of view of a restaurateur who was responsible for not only tenderness but flavor and safety of his consumers.   

[overherebc]

On 28/12/2017 at 8:02 PM, wayned said:

I disagree!  Beef should be hung and aged in a controlled temperature cooler, not frozen, before it is butchered into the individual cuts.  Si9once it's not done here I usually buy a large cut of sirloin or brisket, wrap it in a cotton towel and age it in the bottom of the fridge for 2-3 weeks.  Not perfect, but better than something that was walking yesterday.

Absolute minimum is a week in the fridge. 99% of the local beef is too freshly butchered.

Cooking it any style straight after you buy it you get good quality shoe soles.

After storing it for a while cut it slightly thinner than you're used to you and flash bbq it on v v hot. Mix one teaspoon of cayanne pepper with about 200 cc of water in a squirty bottle keep shaking and wet the steak well with it while on the bbq.

[MuntyC0re]

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 brown onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons lemongrass, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1⁄2 teaspoon beef bouillon granules, concentrate (cube, powder, paste etc..)
1⁄2 cup water
3⁄4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
200 ml coconut cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1⁄4 cup fresh coriander, Chopped

 

Heat half the oil in a large fry pan and cook beef in batches until browned all over, set to one side and wipe pan clean.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan, cook onion and garlic until onion softens, add ginger, lemon grass and paste cook until fragrant. Return beef to pan with water, stock, sugar and coconut milk.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour. Uncover and cook for a further 45 Minutes or until beef is tender.
Finally add the lime juice, fish sauce, coconut cream and coriander, cook stirring until heated through.

[wayned]

9 hours ago, MuntyC0re said:

cook beef in batches

What beef?  There's no beef in your list of ingredients!

[overherebc]

10 hours ago, wayned said:

What beef?  There's no beef in your list of ingredients!

Recipe for sauce to cook the beef in mentioned as 'cook beef in half the oil'

?

[tutsiwarrior]

23 hours ago, MuntyC0re said:

2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 brown onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves
2 teaspoons ginger
2 teaspoons lemongrass, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons red curry paste
1⁄2 teaspoon beef bouillon granules, concentrate (cube, powder, paste etc..)
1⁄2 cup water
3⁄4 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon lime juice
200 ml coconut cream
1 teaspoon sugar
1⁄4 cup fresh coriander, Chopped

 

Heat half the oil in a large fry pan and cook beef in batches until browned all over, set to one side and wipe pan clean.
Heat the remaining oil in the same pan, cook onion and garlic until onion softens, add ginger, lemon grass and paste cook until fragrant. Return beef to pan with water, stock, sugar and coconut milk.
Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 hour. Uncover and cook for a further 45 Minutes or until beef is tender.
Finally add the lime juice, fish sauce, coconut cream and coriander, cook stirring until heated through.

 

looks a bit like a beef rendang...a lunch time favorite when working in Jakarta many years ago...