Beefsteak Again,,

[Lickey]

After numerous times of trying to tenderise steak ive all but given up, Mrs bought of the market yesterday the most expensive cut, nua son nok, nua san nai, or words like that? supposed to be equivilant to sirloin or fillet.

So i chopped up a papaya, covered the steak with it after kneading it into the steak for 10 mins, left it 24 hours in the fridge and pan fried it like you do, and have now got a contract with Dunlop !!!

What do you steak eaters think of the idea below? after doing this, then flash fry to make it look good or flash fry to seal it before?

Thanks, Lickey.

PS, i need an edible steak, my muscles are wasting!!

Another way to work with tough meat, is a slow simmer in a crock pot. Use enough water to cover, add onion, your choice of seasoning and let it sit on slow heat at least 4 hours (depending upon the size of the steak) or until it falls apart with a fork.

[Swanky]

Try marinating overnight in lemon or lime juice, garlic, soy, chilli, dash of honey, olive oil.

Here's a good website for many more ideas http://www.cooks.com/rec/search/0,1-0,stea...rinades,FF.html

Edited October 30, 2008 by Swanky

[JohnBKKK]

Hi,

beef from the market is not aged at all and you will not succeed in tenderising it short of hanging it in your fridge for 4-6 weeks to age - but I would not recommend this since the meat will have been exposed to god knows what conditions and flies will most likely have already infested the meat which will result in a healthy breed of maggots after a coupple of weeks....

Thai French is your alternative for relatively low priced Beef but even this gains a lot from an ev olive oil + course black pepper marinade for a coupple of days in your fridge after which you can treat it like an imported steak - I use TF for our Goulash but for this I choose shank or brisket for flavor -after searing it it takes about 3 hours (already cut into chunks) to be tender in a sealed container in stock in the oven

Edited October 30, 2008 by JohnBKKK

[zorro1]

After numerous times of trying to tenderise steak ive all but given up, Mrs bought of the market yesterday the most expensive cut, nua son nok, nua san nai, or words like that? supposed to be equivilant to sirloin or fillet.

So i chopped up a papaya, covered the steak with it after kneading it into the steak for 10 mins, left it 24 hours in the fridge and pan fried it like you do, and have now got a contract with Dunlop !!!

What do you steak eaters think of the idea below? after doing this, then flash fry to make it look good or flash fry to seal it before?

Thanks, Lickey.

PS, i need an edible steak, my muscles are wasting!!

Another way to work with tough meat, is a slow simmer in a crock pot. Use enough water to cover, add onion, your choice of seasoning and let it sit on slow heat at least 4 hours (depending upon the size of the steak) or until it falls apart with a fork.

yep this happened by accident last week. Threw a lump of meat into the crock pot that was full of cabbage and it came out sooo tender and sweet after 10 hrs, amazing really

Edited October 30, 2008 by zorro1

[Tatler]

I heard off my mate who is a chef, that if you take this un-aged meat from the market and freeze it for a month or 2 this helps!! Any one else heard that?? i have tried it and the meat does seem a lot tender than before....

[JohnBKKK]

I heard off my mate who is a chef, that if you take this un-aged meat from the market and freeze it for a month or 2 this helps!! Any one else heard that?? i have tried it and the meat does seem a lot tender than before....

Nope, if the meat is defrosted quickly, ice crystals will destroy the cells and the meat will get "softer" but in a mushy kind of way, not really the desired effect - he was probably talking about pork which when frozen below -30C for one month or below -20C for 2 months can be called trycinosis free without the need of testing

Hi Zorro, the op was talking about steaks though ... of course if you slow cook meat and to top it with ph low cabbage the slow cooking and the acid in the cabbage will brake down any cut of meet, aged or not - but you do not have a steak - when preparing meat fr a stew the cutting of themeat is very importand .. make sure you cut through the grain and not with the grain, otherwise you end up with lots of strings but no chunks of meat

Edited October 31, 2008 by JohnBKKK

[sceadugenga]

I slice it really thin and bash it flat with the back of a cleaver.

This is then seared quickly and can be eaten with fried onions in a sandwich or served normally.

I buy my beef freshly killed and sort and slice it myself. Anything that looks tough goes for stews or braising.

[bkkjames]

Pretty easy actually - you want good steak, spend a little more on good beef.

I like the Australian Rib Eyes from Tops Central Chidlom or Villa / Foodland. Yes, not cheap but worth the price difference of one bottle of beer in a pub.

This is how I justify as I am standing in front of them drooling..expensive whooo but if I drink one less beer tonight it works out the same.

[junkofdavid2]

yep this happened by accident last week. Threw a lump of meat into the crock pot that was full of cabbage and it came out sooo tender and sweet after 10 hrs, amazing really

I've been wanting to do that but it's simply not safe to leave an electrical cooking appliance unattended... and I don't think I could actually "attend" to it for even 5 hours...

[Samuian]

Can't complain about TF beef, sirloin, rib eye, name it.

And yes, agree very much with bkkjames, he got a point there somewhere!

[zorro1]

I heard off my mate who is a chef, that if you take this un-aged meat from the market and freeze it for a month or 2 this helps!! Any one else heard that?? i have tried it and the meat does seem a lot tender than before....

Nope, if the meat is defrosted quickly, ice crystals will destroy the cells and the meat will get "softer" but in a mushy kind of way, not really the desired effect - he was probably talking about pork which when frozen below -30C for one month or below -20C for 2 months can be called trycinosis free without the need of testing

Hi Zorro, the op was talking about steaks though ... of course if you slow cook meat and to top it with ph low cabbage the slow cooking and the acid in the cabbage will brake down any cut of meet, aged or not - but you do not have a steak - when preparing meat fr a stew the cutting of themeat is very importand .. make sure you cut through the grain and not with the grain, otherwise you end up with lots of strings but no chunks of meat

Thanks John

that info 20 years ago would have been really handy Oh well of to villa to make up for lost time

[zorro1]

yep this happened by accident last week. Threw a lump of meat into the crock pot that was full of cabbage and it came out sooo tender and sweet after 10 hrs, amazing really

I've been wanting to do that but it's simply not safe to leave an electrical cooking appliance unattended... and I don't think I could actually "attend" to it for even 5 hours...

Its slow cooker set on low. It doesnt get hot enough to start a fire (in theory)

[bkkjames]

Can't complain about TF beef, sirloin, rib eye, name it.

And yes, agree very much with bkkjames, he got a point there somewhere!

Thanks for the vote of confidence there Samui Man.

The pen fed TF is not bad but avoid the regular stuff in my opinion. Can't confirm it but the regular variety of beef has been aged all of 2 hours between the rendering plant and the back of the Toyota pick-up on the way to the market.

[bonobo]

Papaya has been used as a meat tenderizer for ages, and yes, it does work.  But it will impart a taste to the meat.  I don't mind a little olive oil, wine, or garlic tates to my steaks, but I am not sure I want a panalopy of fruits tastes on them.

Slow cooking can make any cut of meat tender, as will BBQ.  Cuts like brisket are very popular for BBQs as those were the cheaper cuts given to gauchos/cowboys and a BBQ was a way to make the tough cuts like this tender and palatable.  But once again, this may be delicious, but it is not a steak.

I have to agree with the other posters who posit that in order to have a good steak, you need to buy a good steak. The Thai-French are acceptable, or you can pay more for some of the imported brands. I don't know of a way to take a cheap Thai steak and make it into a good steak. (You can slow cook it or braise it to make it taste good, but not as a "steak.")

(And I leave for Chicago for a trade show in a week, and for the ten days or so I will be there, I will have steak, steak, and more steak (with a little Fogo de Chao beef thrown in for variety).)

[Samuian]

Can't complain about TF beef, sirloin, rib eye, name it.

And yes, agree very much with bkkjames, he got a point there somewhere!

Thanks for the vote of confidence there Samui Man.

The pen fed TF is not bad but avoid the regular stuff in my opinion. Can't confirm it but the regular variety of beef has been aged all of 2 hours between the rendering plant and the back of the Toyota pick-up on the way to the market.

No worries, it's just as is..

TF marinated and BBQ only, first seared on high heat and always "medium"... yummy!

There is a variety of fillet/tenderloin (nuea san) on the local market, makes great "tournedos" they claim it's "malaysian", Had this couple of times, not bad either!

Great Ginger Orange Marinade:

Ingredients:

2 qt. red wine

2 thyme twigs, fresh

1-1/2 bay leaf

12 peppercorn, freshly crushed

10 juniper berries, crushed (optional)

3 cloves (optional)

2 pinches of rosemary

1 clove of garlic, crushed

1/2 cup oil

Instructions:

Combine all ingredients and pour over meat. Marinate 3 to 4 days, turning meat once every day.

Yield: 2 quarts

[russianrobert]

I'm a chef and have been for 34 years.

In my experience there is not much you can do with poor quality meat. If that's what it is. For grilling, roasting and frying you really need Sirloin (striploin) Filet (tenderloin) or Rump. Other cuts will do sometimes but depends on their quality.

If you want to use a another cut of meat (cheaper) and don't mind eating it well done try this:

Season the meat with salt and pepper. Heat a little oil in a frying pan until hot. Fry the meat on both sides to browm. Remove the meat. Add a little more oil if required and add chopped onions or shallots and chopped garlic. Fry gently to colour. Add chopped fresh tarragon (or basil) and thickly sliced button mushrooms. Fry for a few minutes more.In restaurants at this point we would add demi glace. You wont have that at home so use gravy mix (granules) Mix with boiling water in the usual way and then pour in. Add chopped tomatoes.

Return the meat to the pan and cover with the sauce. Cover the pan and simmer gently for about an hour or alternatively place in the oven. Make sure the pan is oven proof.

When cooked remove meat to a warm plate. Stir in freshly chopped parsley to thee sauce and check seasoning. Pour over the meat.

Serve with fresh mashed potatoes or boiled potatoes.

Enjoy

[bonobo]

...In restaurants at this point we would add demi glace. You wont have that at home so use gravy mix ... 

While it is not quite the same as making demi glace at home, I use Gateway Gourmet's condensed demi glace and stocks.  They make the demi glace and then reduce it down until it becomes solid and somewhat hard.  You merely spoon it out and either add boiling water to make it like normal demi glace or just add the condensed demi glace right to the pan.

This stuff is really quite good, and it is the best I have found to make sauces other than to go through the labor to make the demi glace yourself.  It has a rather long shelf life, and even once opened, it can last a long, long time in the refridgerator.

I usually get it and bring it with me from the US, but it can be shipped as well.

[Lickey]

Thanks for all the tips and advice posters,

Heres what happened today with the remainder or the uncooked steak,,

Mrs gently thrashed it and forked it, then soaked it in thai oyster sauce for 10 hours, I also remembered something from a UK cooking programme years ago not to add the meat to a hot pan, the pan was oiled, steak added, then put on a low gas heat for a few mins a side, then up full to sear it.

The result was edible in small sliced pieces, although a bit salty, but some horseradish and colemans mustard sorted that out, and it did taste like beefsteak too!

We live 100ks from the nearest city [udon} and i am not sure where is a good place to buy imported beef there is? anybody know please?

Thanks, Lickey.

[suegha]

If you can leave a 'cheaper' cut of meat soaking in pineapple juice for 12-24 hours it will be really tender when cooked, it does taste a bit sweet though so use a strong peppercorn sauce or something similar.