Tender Steaks

[nonthaburial]

For all the years I have lived in Asia, I have never ever been able to cook a steak myself that I would consider to be tender and lovely to the taste.

All my efforts tend to end up with a piece of cow whose texture is about the same as a flip flop.

I had a friend in Manila who used to serve the most elicious steaks and he used to say its in the "hanging" that makes it so good.

I never really fathomed that one out, but can anyone here explain how a steak is prepared. Should it be left in the fridge for 3-4 days to ripen or whatever. And when ready for the cooking, whats the best way to cook it ? Quickly seared or slowly fried etc

[Tywais]

I've always had the same problem until Buckwheat came along and straightened me out. Sprinkle the spices you want on it - salt, pepper, garlic, etc.. Sprinkle some MSG (if tolerant to it) then rub it in. Take a fork (if you don't have a meat tenderizer mallet) and thoroughly poke it passing all the way through. Do the same with the other side. Place in plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge over night. Take it out about 30 minutes before you want to cook it. I always charcoal grill mine, so the grill is very hot when it is put on it. Finally a steak that I can cut and chew easily.

Suspect Buckwheat will be around to correct my 'technique' and/or add his own.

[thaigerd]

I've always had the same problem until Buckwheat came along and straightened me out. Sprinkle the spices you want on it - salt, pepper, garlic, etc.. Sprinkle some MSG (if tolerant to it) then rub it in. Take a fork (if you don't have a meat tenderizer mallet) and thoroughly poke it passing all the way through. Do the same with the other side. Place in plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge over night. Take it out about 30 minutes before you want to cook it. I always charcoal grill mine, so the grill is very hot when it is put on it. Finally a steak that I can cut and chew easily.

Suspect Buckwheat will be around to correct my 'technique' and/or add his own.

Don't want to correct Buckwheat but this kind of "technique" I would call "abusing" a steak, sorry.

Gerd

[Tywais]

Don't want to correct Buckwheat but this kind of "technique" I would call "abusing" a steak, sorry.

Gerd

With Thai beef, sometimes abusing is the only way. However thaigerd I'm sure you must have a technique you can share other then the above. Would appreciate any other methods, though the one I did does work. What about long marinate times? Tenderizer recipes? What about slow baking it first sealed in foil with some type of sauce before sticking it on the grill/skillet?

[Pink Mist]

I've always had the same problem until Buckwheat came along and straightened me out. Sprinkle the spices you want on it - salt, pepper, garlic, etc.. Sprinkle some MSG (if tolerant to it) then rub it in. Take a fork (if you don't have a meat tenderizer mallet) and thoroughly poke it passing all the way through. Do the same with the other side. Place in plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge over night. Take it out about 30 minutes before you want to cook it. I always charcoal grill mine, so the grill is very hot when it is put on it. Finally a steak that I can cut and chew easily.

Suspect Buckwheat will be around to correct my 'technique' and/or add his own.

Don't want to correct Buckwheat but this kind of "technique" I would call "abusing" a steak, sorry.

Gerd

gotta agree, Gerd, if you wanna eat and taste steak you dont want it tasting like a Pizza, marinating meat is a good way to use the poorer cuts of beef that dont fry or BBQ well, but in the end selection of the meat and cooking technique is the answer

[thaigerd]

When I'm doing a steak there's one priority:

QUALITY!!!

There's no way to turn a Thai beef steak into a piece of meat with the taste and tenderness of an imported and riped meat from Argentina, Brasil or the famous beef from Aberdeen.

Only cracked black pepper and salt short before frying or grilling.

Start with a very high temperature at both sides. Than he most important point:

Let your beef rest at a very lower temperature at the side of your grill or when in a pan, turn down the heat and let it rest, please!!!

The same procedure applies to lamb or pork.

There's one Phuket member who has had such a steak from the grill in my garden, may be he can confirm.

Gerd

[gennisis]

For all the years I have lived in Asia, I have never ever been able to cook a steak myself that I would consider to be tender and lovely to the taste.

All my efforts tend to end up with a piece of cow whose texture is about the same as a flip flop.

I had a friend in Manila who used to serve the most elicious steaks and he used to say its in the "hanging" that makes it so good.

I never really fathomed that one out, but can anyone here explain how a steak is prepared. Should it be left in the fridge for 3-4 days to ripen or whatever. And when ready for the cooking, whats the best way to cook it ? Quickly seared or slowly fried etc

It obviously helps if you have 'decent" steaks to start.....USA..New Zealand..Australia certainly the Thai meat is more of a chalenge.Steak with a 'marbling' of fat is usualy tastier and more tender.

My way is to use some Meat Tenderizer powder.. obtainable from the 'spices' section of the better supermarkets .it contains Papain from the Papaya Melon and breaks down the meat tissue.Dont use too much or else the texture isnt good...you still want something to chew,not just swallow.Then Just before cooking give it a good bash on both sides to flatten it.I use a castiron plate.. over the gas ring, red hot for steak cooking..it seals the surface and keeps in the juices.

Salt tends to toughen meat so dont add salt until its cooked.Marinade in my opinion just adds the taste of the marinade I dont see how it 'tenderizes'.

Incidentaly if you take meat and wrap it in Paw Paw leaves ,the enzyme papain tenderizes it! ready for cooking.

You can of course cook in a very low oven or slow cooker,but to my mind this method doesnt give a true 'steak' taste.

Lastly of course...just sharpen you knashers!!!

[Tywais]

Don't want to correct Buckwheat but this kind of "technique" I would call "abusing" a steak, sorry.

To be honest, I've never, ever done the above with steaks I made in the US -never was necessary. Proper quality choice cuts were easy to find, here not so easy so have to use what works for the choice of beef I have available.

[thaigerd]

Don't want to correct Buckwheat but this kind of "technique" I would call "abusing" a steak, sorry.

To be honest, I've never, ever done the above with steaks I made in the US -never was necessary. Proper quality choice cuts were easy to find, here not so easy so have to use what works for the choice of beef I have available.

Agree!

That's wh you have o spend between 1500-3000.-Baht per kilo for that imported stuff.

My wife never ate beef before she meet(or meat)me. Now she likes a nice grilled steak(medium) or other beef dishes from imported beef.

Tonight we'll gonna have a nice beef goulash with noodles.

Gerd

[Pink Mist]

porterhouse (sirloin) , fillet or "T" bone mmmmm what a choice, go with a rump

[Buckwheat]

I've always had the same problem until Buckwheat came along and straightened me out. Sprinkle the spices you want on it - salt, pepper, garlic, etc.. Sprinkle some MSG (if tolerant to it) then rub it in. Take a fork (if you don't have a meat tenderizer mallet) and thoroughly poke it passing all the way through. Do the same with the other side. Place in plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge over night. Take it out about 30 minutes before you want to cook it. I always charcoal grill mine, so the grill is very hot when it is put on it. Finally a steak that I can cut and chew easily.

Suspect Buckwheat will be around to correct my 'technique' and/or add his own.

Nope,

Spot on Ty. This works well for those who do not have access to, or the desire to buy "grain fed beef" (ie. imported beef)

Of course, I agree that quality is important, but Thai beef can be delightful if you prep it prior to cooking.

One mans abused steak is another mans tender steak, I suppose

[ratchabuild]

I've always had the same problem until Buckwheat came along and straightened me out. Sprinkle the spices you want on it - salt, pepper, garlic, etc.. Sprinkle some MSG (if tolerant to it) then rub it in. Take a fork (if you don't have a meat tenderizer mallet) and thoroughly poke it passing all the way through. Do the same with the other side. Place in plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge over night. Take it out about 30 minutes before you want to cook it. I always charcoal grill mine, so the grill is very hot when it is put on it. Finally a steak that I can cut and chew easily.

Suspect Buckwheat will be around to correct my 'technique' and/or add his own.

Nope,

Spot on Ty. This works well for those who do not have access to, or the desire to buy "grain fed beef" (ie. imported beef)

Of course, I agree that quality is important, but Thai beef can be delightful if you prep it prior to cooking.

One mans abused steak is another mans tender steak, I suppose

Just ate some beef cooked for 14 hrs at 80 degrees C rest a knife on it and it cuts right through. Otherwise for blue should be flash fried in hot pan. of the two I think I prefer long cooking with onions but who has the time to cook slowly....the fad is for fast food

[Austhaied]

Don't want to correct Buckwheat but this kind of "technique" I would call "abusing" a steak, sorry.

To be honest, I've never, ever done the above with steaks I made in the US -never was necessary. Proper quality choice cuts were easy to find, here not so easy so have to use what works for the choice of beef I have available.

Agree!

That's wh you have o spend between 1500-3000.-Baht per kilo for that imported stuff.

My wife never ate beef before she meet(or meat)me. Now she likes a nice grilled steak(medium) or other beef dishes from imported beef.

Tonight we'll gonna have a nice beef goulash with noodles.

Gerd

Wrong. Decent Thai / French beef (Rib eye) available in Chiangmai at Northern Farm at around 350 baht per kilo. Superb quality as well. Steaks are cut around 1.5 inches thick, throw em on a hot BBQ grill, let them seal before turning then keep em moving around so as not to burn. Viola, charcoal-ish outside , tender and pink on the inside, superb. No tenderizing or additives required.

Edited August 5, 2007 by Austhaied

[Thaddeus]

Here is a small point, small but quite important.

That imported beef, did it get slaughtered and then cut into nice little pieces before it boarded the ship just to sit back in a hammock and sample a few pina coladas.

NO..... it was frozen, the formation of ice crystals within fatty tissue causes the tenderising, the reason why most Thai beef is stringy is because the cow dies and it's on you plate in a matter of hours.

You can add spices if you like and poke it with a fork until you are blue in the face .... but freeze it for a few days first..... it's much easier.

//edit/I like to edit

Edited August 5, 2007 by Thaddeus

[jazzbo]

I have never gotten around to playing with papayas as I cannot grill at my current location... service apartment.

But papain is used in Adolph's Meat tenderizer.

Long ago natives learned that papaya latex is a very effective meat tenderizer. Tough meat was wrapped in fresh leaves for several hours to make it tender. The active tenderizing ingredient is a protein-digesting enzyme called papain, which is very similar to human stomach pepsin. Interestingly, some of the early, crude studies of plant protein structure were made by digesting the proteins into pieces with the use of papain. Papain has been commercially produced by scoring unripened fruits with longitudinal cuts and then collecting the copious latex in containers set on the ground below. The latex is sun- or oven-dried into a powder; the papain powder most commonly is marketed in the United States as Adolph's Meat Tenderizer. Much of the papain is produced in Tanzania. There are a variety of other uses for this interesting enzyme, which is fairly similar to another protolytic enzyme found in pineapple, bromelin.

"Papaya is the greatest natural tenderizer. Sandwiching the flank steak between papaya slices will make this the most tender flank steak you have ever eaten:

INGREDIENTS:

1 1 to 2 pound flank steak

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons black pepper

1 tablespoon salt (kosher)

1 papaya, peeled and seeded

PREPARATION:

Slice papaya into thin slices. Combine sugar, soy sauce, black pepper and salt into a paste and rub over the surface of the flank steak. Place half the papaya slices on a plate. Place steak on papaya and cover top with remaining slices. Place another plate on top and press together. Refrigerate overnight. Remove steak and grill to desired doneness."

[UnknownPoster]

I've always had the same problem until Buckwheat came along and straightened me out. Sprinkle the spices you want on it - salt, pepper, garlic, etc.. Sprinkle some MSG (if tolerant to it) then rub it in. Take a fork (if you don't have a meat tenderizer mallet) and thoroughly poke it passing all the way through. Do the same with the other side. Place in plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge over night. Take it out about 30 minutes before you want to cook it. I always charcoal grill mine, so the grill is very hot when it is put on it. Finally a steak that I can cut and chew easily.

Suspect Buckwheat will be around to correct my 'technique' and/or add his own.

Poking holes in the steak with a fork?

[sceadugenga]

In another life I had a meat hammer. Small hammer with many points on the face. Great for making schnitzels out of cheap beef, flattened out and tenderized a chunk of mystery cut in seconds.

[JR Texas]

In another life I had a meat hammer. Small hammer with many points on the face. Great for making schnitzels out of cheap beef, flattened out and tenderized a chunk of mystery cut in seconds.

Good advice above.......if it a genuine "Thai steak," made from who knows what, take a "meat hammer" and pound the hel_l out it. Then, put garlic and salt and pepper on it.........and rub some red wine on it......put it all in a plastic bag and add some more wine and let it sit overnight in the refrigerator. Take out and cook it on a grill........then slice it across the grain (very important). This will produce something that can be eaten.

[Furbie]

Here is a small point, small but quite important.

That imported beef, did it get slaughtered and then cut into nice little pieces before it boarded the ship just to sit back in a hammock and sample a few pina coladas.

NO..... it was frozen, the formation of ice crystals within fatty tissue causes the tenderising, the reason why most Thai beef is stringy is because the cow dies and it's on you plate in a matter of hours.

You can add spices if you like and poke it with a fork until you are blue in the face .... but freeze it for a few days first..... it's much easier.

//edit/I like to edit

I never heard the theory about ice crystals breaking down fatty tissue, but what I do know is that high quality aged beef goes through a very controlled aging process (essentially rotting the beef) before it is sold, which accounts for its tenderness.

The most important thing to remember in cooking a good steak is the cut of meat – the cheaper the meat, the more help it needs.

For cheaper cuts of meat – here is a marinade I use, it is very easy to add or subtract ingredients. Sorry, but I do this on sight, not to measurement.

Finely chopped garlic

Finely chopped onion

Salt

Pepper

Worcestershire sauce

Steak sauce (A1 or HP are both fine)

Step one, beat the hel_l out of your steak – meat hammer works best (the poking holes fork method is ok, but hammers works better)

Mix it all up the above ingredients (not the steak) into a bowl really, really well. I have even used a food processor instead – great results. Next, get a re-sealable plastic bag and add the steak(s) and a generous amount of the marinade (the bag needs to be big enough that the steak is not folded or laying on top of another steak in the bag. Seal the bag and put it in the 'fridge for 12-24 hours depending on how strong you want it – be sure to flip the bag over about half way through your desired time. This will allow the marinade to permeate the steak.

Cook the steak on a BBQ grill – put the heat up super high and do one-two minutes a side on the steak to sear it (depends on thickness) – this will seal in the juices. Then reduce heat, and cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side. The timing really depends on thickness and how rare you want it. Trial and error folks, trial and error.

Edited August 7, 2007 by Furbie

[nonthaburial]

RIGHT THEN ...................

[nonthaburial]

................... Last night, took a piece of aformentioned cow. Stabbed the beast to death (both sides) with a fork. Then took all spices required and spent 20 mins massaging these in. Just to make sure I am onto a winner went out and picked a papaya leave, wrapped it all up and placed into recommended plastic bag and put into the fridge.

Just now, decided to check it out, looked good so placed it out in the atmosphere to let it settle. MISTAKE, turned my back - steak disappeared but dog got a nice smile on her face.

Operation to be repeated at a later date and dog now banished to the garden !!!!

[Tywais]

Just now, decided to check it out, looked good so placed it out in the atmosphere to let it settle. MISTAKE, turned my back - steak disappeared but dog got a nice smile on her face.

Operation to be repeated at a later date and dog now banished to the garden !!!!

[gennisis]

................... Last night, took a piece of aformentioned cow. Stabbed the beast to death (both sides) with a fork. Then took all spices required and spent 20 mins massaging these in. Just to make sure I am onto a winner went out and picked a papaya leave, wrapped it all up and placed into recommended plastic bag and put into the fridge.

Just now, decided to check it out, looked good so placed it out in the atmosphere to let it settle. MISTAKE, turned my back - steak disappeared but dog got a nice smile on her face.

Operation to be repeated at a later date and dog now banished to the garden !!!!

But did the dog find it tasty and Tender!!??

[percy2]

When I'm doing a steak there's one priority:

QUALITY!!!

There's no way to turn a Thai beef steak into a piece of meat with the taste and tenderness of an imported and riped meat from Argentina, Brasil or the famous beef from Aberdeen.

Only cracked black pepper and salt short before frying or grilling.

Start with a very high temperature at both sides. Than he most important point:

Let your beef rest at a very lower temperature at the side of your grill or when in a pan, turn down the heat and let it rest, please!!!

Gerd

Errmmmm.... I'm with the chef on this one

400g of Ozzy grain fed last night was fantastic.

Cheers

[oswaldcassidy]

For all the years I have lived in Asia, I have never ever been able to cook a steak myself that I would consider to be tender and lovely to the taste.

All my efforts tend to end up with a piece of cow whose texture is about the same as a flip flop.

I had a friend in Manila who used to serve the most elicious steaks and he used to say its in the "hanging" that makes it so good.

I never really fathomed that one out, but can anyone here explain how a steak is prepared. Should it be left in the fridge for 3-4 days to ripen or whatever. And when ready for the cooking, whats the best way to cook it ? Quickly seared or slowly fried etc

1st thing to do is make sure you buy proper steak when I say this I mean that the steak should be cut to the grain and not against it . In the UK we can buy tenderising salt don't know if its available over here if not can i suggest you try the following.

2 carefully tenderise the steak by using a tenderising hammer or a medium size meat cleaver you should hit the steak several times to break down the sinew. ( no need to batter the hel_l out of it )

3 It is advised to marinade the meat several hours prior to cooking there are many methods but wine ,onion, garlic and cracked pepper combined together would in my view be perfect.

4 Place in fridge until required.

5 there are many ways to cook steak my preferred method is to heat a skillet oil is not required when you see a blue haze remove steak from marinade and place into the hot skillet leave on full heat and after 2 minutes turn the steak over and repeat the steak is cooked in its own juice

6 Remove steak from skillet place on kitchen roll pour the remaining marinade into the hot skillet and cook until it is reduced by 50% place steak on plate and pour over the reduced marinade .

7 ENJOY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[percy2]

1st thing to do is make sure you buy proper steak when I say this I mean that the steak should be cut to the grain and not against it . In the UK we can buy tenderising salt don't know if its available over here if not can i suggest you try the following.

2 carefully tenderise the steak by using a tenderising hammer or a medium size meat cleaver you should hit the steak several times to break down the sinew. ( no need to batter the hel_l out of it )

3 It is advised to marinade the meat several hours prior to cooking there are many methods but wine ,onion, garlic and cracked pepper combined together would in my view be perfect.

4 Place in fridge until required.

5 there are many ways to cook steak my preferred method is to heat a skillet oil is not required when you see a blue haze remove steak from marinade and place into the hot skillet leave on full heat and after 2 minutes turn the steak over and repeat the steak is cooked in its own juice

6 Remove steak from skillet place on kitchen roll pour the remaining marinade into the hot skillet and cook until it is reduced by 50% place steak on plate and pour over the reduced marinade .

7 ENJOY !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I always got best results letting a chilled steak attain room temperature before cooking.

Cheers

[UnknownPoster]

Ah, let the dog chew it first. Should be tender now.

[Clipped]

select a cut that has fat on it ... simple

lean beef = tough beef

anyone know how they make filet mignon?

Edited August 9, 2007 by Clipped

[AlexLah]

Kobe beef.

By it cook it and eat your fingers off.

You will instantly forget your Argentinian, Scottish, Australian whatever other beef steak you ever had.

[gennisis]

Kobe beef.

By it cook it and eat your fingers off.

You will instantly forget your Argentinian, Scottish, Australian whatever other beef steak you ever had.

Yes you are right...but at a price