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Everything You Need to Know About Steak

esquire.com — A man should know his meat. We can help. We tell you everything you need to know on steak types, grades and cooking times.

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  • DiggChairman, on 09/02/2008, -21/+16Grilling is the only way to go.
    • gquaglia, on 09/02/2008, -3/+11Cast iron works well too.
      • ricksite, on 09/02/2008, -2/+3When I seared steak the first time (earlier this year), I got the skillet way too hot. The house filled with smoke and I burned the seasoning off my skillet. :( The steak was amazing though. :)
      • hater2win, on 09/02/2008, -1/+3I did that too just yesterday ricksite. My wife was pissed for like an hour. The steak turned out to be fantastic, the house still smells like burning though.
    • kent1146, on 09/02/2008, -3/+9Gotta disagree with you there. Grilling is awesome, yes. But sometimes I'm in the mood for that nice crust that forms when you sear it in a cast-iron pan. And sometimes I'm in the mood for a prime rib roast (yes, technically that's a roast beef, and not a steak, but it's still friggin delicious).
    • Otto, on 09/02/2008, -4/+3Sorry, but that's simply wrong. It highly depends on the type of steak and the cut, among other factors. The best steak you can possibly make is not one that is made on a grill.

      However, grilling can produce superior flavor from inferior cuts, so it's always a good idea if you're not willing to spend the extra cash on the good stuff.
    • Tomchei, on 09/02/2008, -4/+8Actually you're wrong.
      Top Steakhouses use a 1600 degree oven.
      http://www.google.com/search?q=1600+degree+steak+o ...

      • cathpah, on 09/02/2008, -1/+6i like how the top search result is now a link to your comment here.
    • Jsmuli2, on 09/02/2008, -7/+5Hunting/killing it and then sharing with your pride is the only way to go.

    • Stavrosian, on 09/02/2008, -1/+7Searing in a cast-iron pan, adding butter halfway through and rapidly spooning it over the meat before transferring the pan to an oven to rest is the way.

      I mean, if you're going to be exclusive about how you cook a steak you may as well do it properly.
      • Otto, on 09/02/2008, -2/+3Butter is one way to go, but I prefer to let it sit in salt for a while beforehand instead. The salt starts breaking down the tissues before searing, giving you a better sear and sealing it in more. This prevents the dehydration without adding a butter flavor, letting you taste the meat better.
  • metapop, on 09/02/2008, -5/+20here's a tip on temperature- simultaneously with your left hand touch your tip of your thumb to the tip of the following finger, and with your right hand squeeze the meat beneath your thumb with your right hand. this will demonstrate how firm the meat of the following temperatures are-
    thumb/pointer finger: rare
    thumb/middle finger: med rare
    thumb/ring finger: med
    thumb/pinkie: med well

    being gentle is the key, don't squeeze the fingers too hard. it's a pretty helpful trick in determining steak temperature. don't listen to the "cartilage on the tip of your nose" nonsense.
    • gquaglia, on 09/02/2008, -4/+13Medium Well might as well be Well done. Anything longer then medium and the steaks ruined.
      • nepidae, on 09/02/2008, -6/+2Medium Rare might as well be Well done. Anything longer than rare and the steaks ruined.
      • Zundapp, on 09/02/2008, -1/+12I used to work cooking steaks in a pretty nice steakhouse. We cut our own meat there. Here's the thing, when you cut a sirloin butt or strips (MMM NY Strips) there are good steaks, not so good steaks, and what we called gristle bombs. People who order rare get the best steaks, mediums are the not so good steaks, and guess what the guy who orders well done gets. If you ever send out a gristle bomb as a rare or medium rare, you're sure to get it back. Let that be a lesson you you medium and up eaters, No matter what you pay, you're getting crap. But I guess it's OK since you won't be able to tell the difference anyway.
      • skyteria, on 09/02/2008, -0/+4@Zundapp I've heard the same story from two of my friends who work(ed) at steakhouses. Basically, why waste good meat on those who like the flavour burnt out of it?
    • Pandatot, on 09/02/2008, -4/+19Am I the only one who has no idea what you're trying to say here?

      Make an 'ok' sign with your left hand with various fingers and then squeeze the meat with your right hands thumb?

      What?

      • enclaved, on 09/02/2008, -0/+22http://www.elise.com/recipes/archives/007259the_fi ...
      • Pandatot, on 09/02/2008, -0/+16I'm sorry, but the website is like 1 million times better at explaining it then the parents post.

        Thanks for the site though.
      • vuthy, on 09/02/2008, -0/+7Oh man, the "squeeze the meat beneath your thumb with your right hand" part totally threw me off.

        For others who were confused, "meat" there means "fleshy part of your hand below your left thumb" not the steak.
      • metapop, on 09/02/2008, -1/+1sorry, that was a bit unclear, wasn't it... thanks for posting the website, enclaved.
    • rald84, on 09/02/2008, -0/+5oh he's not talking about touching the meat. just giving a comparison as to what the meat should feel like.
    • RevAradia, on 09/02/2008, -2/+2Wow. Thanks for that information. I'm not a big meat eater but my husband is and I'll definitely share that with him.
  • lukemorris, on 09/02/2008, -6/+43Everything you need to know about steak:
    1) Grill it
    2) Eat it
  • dave122, on 09/02/2008, -13/+22If it's not still bleeding it's too well-done.
    • Otto, on 09/02/2008, -2/+6If it's still bleeding, then you seared it incorrectly and are losing all the flavor.
      • dave122, on 09/02/2008, -3/+6yeah, black on the outside bloody on the inside is the way I do it, nothing annoys me more than someone that orders a steak well done - ruins a perfectly good piece of meat.
      • Dante2005, on 09/03/2008, -0/+2I like mine nice and red too.

        But if it is bleeding, it means you have not left it to rest for long enough.

        When the fibres of the meet get a chance to relax, they pull the juices back into the meat. This gives it a more succulent and tender om nom nom.
    • psibladeZX, on 09/02/2008, -2/+1abso-*****-lutely!

      it's GOT to bleed to be good
  • BXRWXR, on 09/02/2008, -2/+82They left out the fact that you NEVER put ketchup on a steak.
    • macweirdo42, on 09/02/2008, -0/+46If you need to be told that, you're beyond help.
    • Br3ach, on 09/02/2008, -0/+32I think there is a special place in Hell for people who do that
    • DrunkenPirate34, on 09/02/2008, -6/+15Ketchup is OK on a terribly overcooked and dry steak.
      • macweirdo42, on 09/02/2008, -1/+15Ah, but then you have committed the even greater sin of allowing a steak to become dry and overcooked.
      • nbcaffeine, on 09/02/2008, -1/+4Maybe, but there are other sauces that would work, none of which you should use on a properly cooked steak, mind you.
    • SexyFarts, on 09/02/2008, -2/+17I've never even heard of that. Who the ***** puts ketchup on steak?
    • yojiffyskippy, on 09/02/2008, -4/+14or steak sauce!
      • ravage86, on 09/02/2008, -2/+7Now to be fair, I go to Morton's every once in a while for a good filet mignon and they have the most amazing sauce they serve with it. I don't think I'd call it "steak sauce", it doesn't come in a bottle or anything, but its just the best. I recommend you go try it sometime.
      • bpm2000, on 09/02/2008, -4/+3filet mignon is a flavorless cut of meat - get a real cut that doesn't need sauce. (fat+salt/pepper)
      • kent1146, on 09/02/2008, -2/+3If the steakhouse provides some sauce like a horseradish sauce, bernaise sauce, or au jus, then it is acceptable to put that on your steak.

        But it is generally considered a no-no to put anything like ketchup or steak sauce on your steak. I think Morton would kick you out if you asked for either of those and you do not have a vagina.
      • ricksite, on 09/02/2008, -2/+3Filet mignon is all about texture. It too can be ruined by using sauce.
    • Alli3388, on 09/02/2008, -3/+2Or anything other than salt, pepper, and butter. Yes, butter. It helps to sear the surface shut and hold in all the juices. :-)
      • macweirdo42, on 09/02/2008, -1/+7Searing the surface does not hold in juices. It is a very useful cooking technique, but that's an urban legend.
    • SoundJudgment, on 09/02/2008, -0/+9Da True! Everyone knows the ketchup is meant for the potatoes!
    • slvrbullet87, on 09/02/2008, -3/+2horseradish is the only choice for a good steak
    • Tylerbinski, on 09/02/2008, -3/+1Franks Hot Sauce is king on steaks...

      I eat 2/3 without sauce, then I add some Frank's

      • dkybruce, on 09/02/2008, -1/+4If you need a sauce, the steak is no good.
  • ieee, on 09/02/2008, -39/+7The American Dietetic Association states that vegetarians have
    "lower rates of death from ischemic heart disease, lower blood cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, and lower rates of hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and prostate and colon cancer and that vegetarians are less likely than meat-eaters to be obese.

    Ann Mangels, Virginia Messina, and Vesanto Melina,
    "Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: Vegetarian Diets,"
    Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Jun. 2003, pp. 748-65.

    Go vegan:
    http://www.chooseveg.com

    • TomT223, on 09/02/2008, -2/+11But no life.
    • ninjadave, on 09/02/2008, -3/+23Vegans experiences higher rates of annoying everyone at parties, wedding receptions, get-togethers.

      They also experience lower rates of fun.
      • TheMoniker, on 09/02/2008, -6/+1While I realize that you're trying to be funny, I hope that you don't actually believe any of that.
    • Stemnin, on 09/02/2008, -3/+5Oh, hell no!
    • BadseedJR, on 09/02/2008, -3/+33I don't hassle you to eat meat, don't hassle me to be a pussy.
      • TheMoniker, on 09/02/2008, -7/+1Not killing sentient beings for flavour doesn't make you a pussy anymore than not being a racist makes you a pussy, or not being pro slave trade makes you a pussy. It's kind of sad that your argument boils down to ad hominems.
      • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -2/+5I don't think the animals we eat can be classified as sentient. Humans are sentient. Animals aren't.
      • TheMoniker, on 09/03/2008, -2/+2Are you suggesting by that that animals are some sort of automatons? We know (to the degree to which these things can be known) that animals are conscious and capable of internal states such as suffering. Having grown up around animals in the prairies, having pets, enjoying the outdoors and knowing people who study primatology, it's clear. They get scared, hungry, excited, suffer while injured, or mistreated.... They're obviously sentient.

        Why do you assert that they are not?
    • SkippyDoorknob, on 09/02/2008, -2/+12We don't want yer kind here!
    • shutaro, on 09/02/2008, -4/+8Get a job, hippie!
    • brownsound00, on 09/02/2008, -4/+3:(
    • Cenobite, on 09/02/2008, -3/+6Being a vegan carries the risk of developing acute vaginitis.
      • TheMoniker, on 09/02/2008, -7/+1{sarcasm}That's right, carefully considering where your food came from and making the decision not to kill sentient beings for flavour* makes you more likely to be feminine, in the same way that understanding evolution or not being a sexist bigot makes you feminine.
        {/sarcasm}

        *Given that all of the major dietetic associations are agreed that vegans have a perfectly healthy diet, at least equally as healthy as any meat-based diet, this means that one doesn't need to eat meat in order to have a healthy diet. This leaves flavour as the remaining reason for killing the animals.
    • mike17032, on 09/02/2008, -2/+4Go to hell ***** stick. Take your pasty pale ass and go ***** a carrot or something, men are talking about what they eat for dinner.
    • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -3/+5Hmm...let's see...

      Live longer as a slave

      or

      live shorter as a king.

      Guess which I choose.
      • TheMoniker, on 09/02/2008, -5/+1That's a non-sequitur. You aren't a slave for choosing to not kill sentient beings for flavour anymore than you're a slave for avoiding sweatshop goods or avoiding buying stolen electronics.
      • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -3/+6But I'd be a slave to eating something I don't want to eat. Vegetables. So, it's not a non sequitor.
      • TheMoniker, on 09/02/2008, -5/+2Not any more than you'd be a slave to not buying stolen goods or a slave to not purchasing sweatshop child labour goods. You're using the phrase, "I'd be a slave to not eating meat" where really you mean, "I'd be slightly inconvenienced by not eating meat." It's a little melodramatic.
      • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -2/+4Hmm...let's try this again. I'd be a slave to eating nothing but vegetables. Not slightly inconvenienced. Vegan lifestyle (which is what it is, not just a choice of what you eat) makes me a slave to giving up just about everything I enjoy on my palette. I have more respect for vegetarians, since some of them will eat eggs or drink milk, but the militant vegan lifestyle would be living a life of slavery, IMO.

        Things I refuse to give up:

        Beef
        Milk
        Cheese
        Bacon
        Cream
        Ice Cream
        Sausage
        Scrapple (Yes...pig eyes, brains, and assholes)

        So, take your pompous vegan ***** and shove it up your ass. As the saying goes:

        "For every animal you don't eat, I'll eat three."
      • TheMoniker, on 09/02/2008, -4/+2People have a tendency to be overly dramatic on the internet, if I had a dollar for every time I've seen someone compare someone else to Hitler for not agreeing with them on (pick one: religion, politics, lifestyle choice, music taste, the clothes that they're wearing) I'd be able to retire early.

        I understand also that you're being dramatic to make a point, but it seems really whiny and emo to be comparing cutting out meat from your diet to slavery. I just wish that more people could discuss these things like grown men (or women) without grade school name calling, telling people to stuff things up their ass or resorting to gross hyperbole.

        The point still stands that cutting out meat from your diet, or stolen goods, or any other consumable for ethical reasons is slavery in exactly the same way that a paper cut is a grievous injury, or disagreeing with your politics/religion/taste in music makes someone "like Hitler": it's hyperbole and childish at that.
      • BadseedJR, on 09/02/2008, -3/+4@TheMoniker
        My comment was not an argument for or against Veganism, it was chastising ieee for coming into a discussion about a beef related article and preaching Veganism to a crowd that obviously has no interest in being Vegan. The "being a pussy" portion was simply to add an insult I believe was deserved for pushing the pro-vegan garbage on me without my consent. It reminds me of tactics used by religion to promote their own agenda. As far as I'm concerned, you can do whatever you want with your food, but don't come tell me what you think I should be doing. If I wanted to know, I'd ask.
      • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -3/+3@theMoniker...

        It's called "Hyperbole". Nice try calling me emo and whiny. You wanna discuss things like grown men and women, don't shove your agenda down my throat.

        Now, since vegans tend to classify sentience as an ability to feel suffering, let me ask you this...

        Killing is killing, right?

        Well, every vegetable you've eaten has either been killed (like the animals), or has been dismembered (something we don't do to animals because it's inhumane), or we eat its seeds (like eggs). No one has been able to prove or disprove that plants can or cannot feel. We only personify our own feelings on animals, because we relate to them. We sympathize with them.

        What would you do one day if it is discovered that plants feel pain? Would you starve to death knowing that you can't eat ANYTHING?

        That being said, there ARE certain things a person like me won't touch. I refuse to eat veal, and I will not eat Foie Gras. Those are foods that are borne out of suffering. So, yeah, I do have a heart.
      • TheMoniker, on 09/03/2008, -2/+2@BadSeedJR:
        I can see where you’re coming from, though I don’t feel that posting his point of view in a public forum was out of place. It wasn’t as though he followed people around after every post typing, “MURDERER!!1!” after everything they said. I think that, so long as you aren’t harassing people, it seems reasonable to speak your mind on a given subject in a public forum. If it is not shared by the majority, or patently absurd, you will pay the price of being marginalized during conversation (being dug down on Digg).

        @Kronos6948:
        1. I understand that it was hyperbole and I mentioned as much several times above, which you’d know if you’d bothered to read what I wrote. It doesn’t change the fact that it was untrue.

        2. I’d rather we stick to a standard dictionary definition of sentience, unless you disagree: conscious and able to feel/perceive subjectively (which subsumes your above definition).

        3. I’ll grant you that “killing is killing” as a tautology, but the moral implications of killing aren’t so cut and dry: killing someone who is trying to kill you, or molesting your child, etc. is different ethically than killing someone on the street without provocation.

        4. The onus for demonstration lies on the person making the claim. We don’t assume that plants are sentient for the same reason that we don’t assume that diseases are caused by demons and witchcraft: we have a well-developed knowledge of the biology involved and have no reason to believe these propositions. We know a fair amount about nociception and understand that plants lack the prerequisites to feel pain. The rational decision is to act on the best available knowledge, which rules out sentient plants. (Unless you buy into really poorly researched New Age Pablum and the work of obvious charlatans like, Psychic Discoveries Behind the Iron Curtain and The Secret Life of Plants, in which case we should be discussing critical reasoning skills instead of vegetarianism.)

        5. There is a clear difference between killing sentient beings for flavour and killing them for survival, in the same way that there is a difference between killing someone in self defense and killing someone for fun (though I don’t mean to imply by this that I give the same moral weight to killing an animal as a person). If I found out that plants could suffer, then I would continue to eat because I need to in order to survive.

        6. You surely are aware that battery chickens suffer horribly, that slaughterhouses are generally inhumane, that the animals live to only a fraction of their natural lifespans and that (owing to the fact that every major dietetic association has released statements explaining that vegetarian & vegan diets are at least as healthy as their meat-based counterparts) this suffering is not a matter of nutrition and survival. Why then do you avoid veal as being borne out of suffering, and eat bacon, beef, etc.?
      • Kronos6948, on 09/03/2008, -0/+1Ok...since you've been more civil than I have, I guess it's time for me to apologize for being an asshat. I just get furious when people try to jam their vegan lifestyle down my throat.

        When I made my hyperbolic statement, I did so to show how I personally feel if I am relegated to eating nothing but plant life. Eating meat makes me feel like a king, while having only vegetables makes me feel as if I'm a slave to a diet.

        I know that the moral implications of killing differ depending on the situation, but when it comes to killing for food, it's just that...killing for food.

        I definitely do NOT prescribe to new age pseudo-science, my statement about plants feeling was strictly hypothetical. As far as science shows today, there is no proof that plants feel the way that other organisms do.

        I worked at Whole Foods as a meat cutter. I've learned about all different types of conditions that animals live in. It's nothing like the way it used to be when our parents were children (although cattle are basically the only animals that really get any grazing time throughout their life in comparison to other factory farms). I know how inhumane most factory farms are. I don't want the animal to suffer throughout it's life, which is why I don't eat foie gras or veal.

        It's definitely a shame that I can't get a stewing hen nowadays (which is a chicken that's lived a full life) unless I go to my local farm out on 232. I steer away from cornish hens (which are basically baby chickens). To be honest, I don't eat much chicken at all. I prefer pork and beef.

        If you did find out that plants did suffer, would you then start eating meat since the playing field would be level?
      • TheMoniker, on 09/03/2008, -0/+1Apology accepted, though I didn't really feel like you owed me one. I can understand your getting upset when others throw their views in your face (though I can't say that I feel the same; I really enjoy discussing these things with people, even if they show up on my doorstep to preach--which would probably annoy most people).

        I'm sorry that you feel that way about a vegetarian diet. I can't say that, aside from the occasional hankering for Parmesan on my pasta, I've really missed meat all that much--and I used to be a, "serve me two king-sized ribs at one sitting" kind of guy. I think the fact that both my girlfriend and I enjoy cooking contributes to this.

        I would still hold that, so long as the vegetarian diet is as healthy as the meat-based diet (the positions of the major dietetics associations), and possible (read: in the 1st and 2nd world), then it's more a matter of flavour than nutrition and killing for food is really mostly killing for flavour. So it boils down to the question: is the fact that I want a tasty steak/ribs/etc. more important than a sentient being's life? At least, that's how I see it.

        I'm glad to hear that you don't prescribe to New Age nonsense; critical reasoning skills are some of the most important things to have in this world.

        If I found out that plants suffered, I probably wouldn't eat meat just because I'm used to cooking without it and there are some health benefits to being vegetarian. Of course, it depends how well-developed intellectually we were find out the plants are: if they were intelligent creatures with language, articulate thoughts, or smarter than humans, etc. I don't know if I could bring myself to eat them. If they were dumber than insects it would probably be easier.
  • Fatcheeseguy, on 09/02/2008, -7/+11I'm a meatavore.. it's a personal choice...
    • bentman78, on 09/02/2008, -4/+7It's meatarian...
      • churler, on 09/02/2008, -2/+13... Meatatarian...
      • npsken, on 09/02/2008, -8/+3It's carnivore...

        And by the way, the Wendy's Baconator is the saddest sandwich I've ever seen; the bacon doesn't even make a difference in the taste of the sandwich because of how incredibly small it is.
      • shutaro, on 09/02/2008, -1/+5Omnomnomitarian...
      • Halsfield, on 09/02/2008, -1/+2i had a baconator the other day and it was a sad version of a double bacon cheeseburger that was more expensive.
      • ghank, on 09/02/2008, -0/+2Is it just my local Wendy's or are the burgers at ALL Wendy's flavorless? Best description would be like boiled/steamed meat.
    • charliebucketts, on 09/02/2008, -3/+2Brought to you by "Fatcheeseguy"

      "I'm a meatavore.. it's a personal choice..."

      Classic

    • metapop, on 09/02/2008, -1/+1or carnivore. would have worked too.
    • DeuceDiggalow, on 09/02/2008, -7/+2Wow way to be a sheep. Go vegan, you sell-out.
    • wagadugo, on 09/02/2008, -2/+1But what about the Bun?

      This "bread' thing confuses and scares me.

      I want my burgers wrapped in bacon which is then wrapped in condor wings
  • partyoverhaul, on 09/02/2008, -19/+3i know my meat very well enough thank you. specifically through my hand.


    that was a masturbation joke.
    • PullingTeeth, on 09/02/2008, -0/+6That was awful.
    • grail1973, on 09/02/2008, -0/+5That's terrible... I'm sorry.
    • Sherman901, on 09/02/2008, -1/+3yeah, that was a super ***** joke. A for effort though
  • TomT223, on 09/02/2008, -17/+4Ahhh. A properly aged and cooked steak is better then sex.
    • kent1146, on 09/02/2008, -1/+11No. No.

      I can have a delicious steak, with before and after-dinner drinks, some fine single-malt scotch and a cigar, and I'll still want pussy after all that.
    • DeuceDiggalow, on 09/02/2008, -5/+1I feel the same way about properly cooked tofu. Go vegan you pigs.
  • dekuscrub, on 09/02/2008, -7/+8The redder the better. That's all I need to know.
    • jpop, on 09/02/2008, -6/+5Red's good, but I prefer my steaks not still mooing...
    • DeuceDiggalow, on 09/02/2008, -9/+1Gross, as if cooked meat isn't bad enough for you. Go vegan!!!!
  • themarq, on 09/02/2008, -4/+24"Remove steaks from the heat when a meat thermometer reads 115 to 125 degrees. "

    Uhh what? The second you poke my steak with a thermometer is the second before I poke out your freaking eyes with my steak knife.

    No holes... jeez
    • jpop, on 09/02/2008, -3/+5If you want accurately cooked steaks, you use thermometers. If you want a guesstimate you don't. It's fine either way, unless you're really picky on how you want the steak cooked.
      • bpm2000, on 09/02/2008, -1/+7or you can cook enough steaks to know how a steak feels at certain levels of "doneness". Thermos are fine for starting out on that path however.
    • tjex, on 09/02/2008, -2/+6You'll have to use a laser thermometer then, though it will only give you surface temp. But it's fun to use!!
  • Lula87, on 09/02/2008, -18/+5All I know is that heavy, red meat CAN be healthy for you if you are going out, running around, catching, killing, and cooking it for yourself.
    Driving your SUV to the steakhouse parking lot, eating, and going home to watch TV is NOT a healthy lifestyle and it's not the way our bodies were made to process or digest food.
    • Br3ach, on 09/02/2008, -2/+8Go back to veggie town
    • dan222555, on 09/02/2008, -1/+3Screw you hippie....don't tell me what's healthy.
    • slvrbullet87, on 09/02/2008, -1/+1I have to thank people like you, i burn more calories screaming at you while I eat my animal flesh than are in the meat to start with
  • SkippyDoorknob, on 09/02/2008, -5/+73Meat is murder!



    Delicious, delicious murder!
    • DrunkenPirate34, on 09/02/2008, -2/+17Hey, the way I see it is: If god didn't want us to eat them, why did he make them so damn tasty?
      • Linkin4, on 09/02/2008, -8/+2god?
      • snurfle, on 09/02/2008, -2/+5Just like the family that used to live in my apartment.
        I mean... a little cilantro, some chives, and

        oh wait... did I say that out loud?

        I meant... YEAH! Murder is wrong!
        (slurp)
      • Cenobite, on 09/02/2008, -1/+6And... why did he make them out of FOOD?
    • maxmccabe, on 09/02/2008, -0/+7I love The Smiths.


    • DeuceDiggalow, on 09/02/2008, -13/+1Meat IS murder. Keep telling yourself it's not. Go vegan!!
      • SkippyDoorknob, on 09/02/2008, -1/+4You're killing innocent plants who can't even run away or defend themselves!
  • BillE3, on 09/02/2008, -2/+18A Certified Diabetic Educator will not tell you to go "vegan". They will tell you the recommended portion amounts of anything you want to eat including meat, poultry or fish and how to count carbohydrates. Even some of the vegetables and fruits are high in carbohydrates which can overtax the beta cells in the pancreas. Attend a "dietary medicine class" taught by a CDE, even if you are not pre-diabetic.
    • drez24, on 09/02/2008, -0/+2Do you have a link for me to check out? A Google search for dietary medicine class CDE and different combinations of that yielded no relevant results. Thanks.
      • BillE3, on 09/02/2008, -0/+2I was refer ed by my doctor, after I requested it.
        Try this site for information; www.sutterphysiciansalliance.org
  • daebhid, on 09/02/2008, -4/+29Hitler was a vegetarian and Burt Reynolds is not. One of many reasons to eat steak.
    • hamishmacdonald, on 09/02/2008, -3/+0And today's worst (but funniest) syllogism award goes to...
    • solboldi, on 09/02/2008, -1/+3Hitler was not a vegetarian. You are spreading misinformation.

      ""Hitler's asceticism played an important part in the image he projected over Germany. According to the widely believed legend, he neither smoked nor drank, nor did he eat meat or have anything to do with women. Only the first was true. He drank beer and diluted wine frequently, had a special fondness for Bavarian sausages and kept a mistress, Eva Braun, who lived with him quietly in the Berghof. There had been other discreet affairs with women. His asceticism was fiction invented by Goebbels to emphasize his total dedication, his self-control, the distance that separated him from other men. By this outward show of asceticism, he could claim that he was dedicated to the service of his people."

      http://www.vegsource.com/berry/hitler.html


    • DeuceDiggalow, on 09/02/2008, -11/+1STFU with that *****!!! Meat is murder! Go vegan!!
  • fhernand, on 09/02/2008, -1/+13"Beef must be aged to allow natural enzymes to break down fibrous connective tissue that holds the muscle together" == it has to rot a little?
    • nbcaffeine, on 09/02/2008, -0/+13Yup. There is a very fine line between age and rot.
    • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -0/+4Dry aging = controlled rotting.
  • jhourcle, on 09/02/2008, -1/+5"Everything"?

    Not even close, without talking about different cuts of meat. I've been trying to drill into my neighbor's head that not every cut of meat is good for grilling -- just last week, he asked me to grill some steaks for his dad's birthday. He got one pack of top sirloin (decent for grilling), and one pack of chuck (good for braising).
    • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -0/+2Sirloin's decent, but it still has a bit of connective tissue. It's an in-betweener steak as I like to call 'em. You want good steak? Get whatever's furthest from the horns or the hooves. That includes:

      Filet Mignon (tenderloin)
      Ribeye (delmonico)-my personal favorite
      New York Strip (shell steak).
  • airencracken, on 09/02/2008, -6/+15Charcoal >> Propane
    • shutaro, on 09/02/2008, -1/+9Taste the meat, not the heat!
    • magusg, on 09/02/2008, -1/+6Tell that to Hank Hill... taste the meat not the heat... LOL
    • maxer64, on 09/02/2008, -1/+1As long as you're not using butane.. the bastard gas.
    • texpundit, on 09/02/2008, -2/+5Mesquite > Charcoal > Gas

      You've never had a grilled steak until you've had one cooked over real Mesquite wood.
  • hokie47, on 09/02/2008, -2/+15I like steak too, but I don't understand all the hype about cooking it. Compared to other food steak is rather easy to cook. Basically you get a good cut of beef, season it if you want to, sear it, then cook it to taste, rest it, then eat it. It's very easy.
    • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -0/+3You'd be surprised how many people ***** up a steak.
  • Erythroxylum, on 09/02/2008, -6/+15In your face, Hindus.
  • tjex, on 09/02/2008, -1/+9What about covering the steak in foil and resting it for 5-10 minutes?
    • Alli3388, on 09/02/2008, -8/+3NO! That works for pork only. For pork, COVERING (not wrapping) in foil allows the meat to relax and become more tender, ASSUMING you cook it right, which means somewhat pink in the middle, NOT cooked through like many think. For steak, putting foil on it will just make it cook more, making beef tougher, not more tender.
  • stopsucking, on 09/02/2008, -4/+4That's what she said.
  • serif69, on 09/02/2008, -1/+10They forgot rule #1 of cooking steak: LEAVE IT ALONE. Don't poke it, prod it, stick anything in it, or move it excessively. Turn it only up to 3 times once it's on the grill/pan: halfway through the first side, turn it 30°; turn over; halfway through second side, turn it 30°. Remove. If it's in a pan, only turn it ONCE. And use tongs for God's sake.

    And rule #2: let it rest. I give mine about 15 minutes to settle. Sure it won't be piping hot, but it'll be nice and juicy, and that's the whole point, isn't it?
    • psibladeZX, on 09/02/2008, -2/+1I got a friend that turns all types of meat (beef, chicken, etc) about 20 times once it's on the grill... drives me ***** CRAZY. turn it only ***** once... if you turn it more than once, you're a lousy cook... case in point, my friend's grilling sucks...
  • shutaro, on 09/02/2008, -6/+6OM NOM NOM!
  • grendel, on 09/02/2008, -9/+5Oh, I know MY MEAT!
  • j3ff86, on 09/02/2008, -5/+32Michael: Guys! Beef: it's what's for dinner! Who wants some man meat?
    Dwight: I do! I want some man meat!
    Jim: Michael, Dwight would like your man meat.
    Michael: Well then, my man meat he shall have.
    • mofw, on 09/02/2008, -3/+1Make sure it's dripping with man sauce!
  • mcbain7484, on 09/02/2008, -1/+2There was a good article similar to this over at Primer Magazine called "Know Thing Bovine," for further beefy reading.
  • Erythroxylum, on 09/02/2008, -3/+3My recipe for success is: 1) Get a good cut of marbled meat; 2) Get the pan/griddle/whatever hot enough so it's beginning to smoke; 3) Slap the meat on it and leave it for three minutes; 4) Turn it over and leave it for another three minutes; 5) Eat it with liberal doses of strong English mustard.
    • Alli3388, on 09/02/2008, -5/+1What the F are you doing frying a steak???!?! Grilling is the only way to cook a steak!
      • mcbunn, on 09/02/2008, -0/+1He's not frying it. You need oil to fry.

        ...but with mustard? What the ***** is wrong with you?
      • Erythroxylum, on 09/02/2008, -0/+4Give it a try sometime, you might be pleasantly surprised.
      • Tylerbinski, on 09/02/2008, -1/+3....besides frying the steak What the F are you doing putting mustard on it!????
  • ConanTL, on 09/02/2008, -5/+4If you really want to be a man... eat it raw like nature intended. In fact, rather than going to a store and buying a packaged steak, why not head out into nature and kill a bear with nothing but a swiss army knife. Then you'll be a man.
    • shutaro, on 09/02/2008, -5/+2Stake is cow... Not bear. Step one is knowing the right animal to hunt/kill.
    • SomeDrunk, on 09/02/2008, -3/+3And your name, Ms?
    • DeuceDiggalow, on 09/02/2008, -8/+1Yea if humans were designed to eat meat, we'd have the enzymes to eat raw meat, but we don't... proof we were intended to be vegetarians! Go vegan!
      • alarion, on 09/02/2008, -0/+3I don't care who you are, that's ***** blasphemy right there
      • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -1/+4So, we have canine teeth, specifically designed for eating meat, yet we have no enzymes to eat raw meat?

        Wow, I guess a lot of people die from eating carpaccio. Wait, shouldn't I be dead too?

        Read a book on biology, moron. We don't eat raw meat because of the bacteria that tends to congregate on it which is toxic. Red meat is edible because the hemoglobin tends to keep the bacteria only at the surface, and at low levels while the meat is still fresh.

        Oh, and Sushi's another animal that we eat raw. I guess that's another thing that should've killed me.
      • JigoroKano, on 09/03/2008, -0/+2I don't know what you are talking about, I eat raw fish all the time.

        Man wasn't intended to fly either, so I guess we shouldn't use airplanes.
    • AnarkeIncarnate, on 09/02/2008, -2/+3I tried that once. The knife got stuck in his fur and he was about to maul me, but I still held on to the plastic toothpick and stabbed him to death with it.
  • jehan60188, on 09/02/2008, -3/+6is this like a guide for the mentally handicapped, or do people really not know the basics of cooking?
    • monkeysama, on 09/02/2008, -0/+4Who's this "Pan" they keep referencing in the article?
    • ldkronos, on 09/02/2008, -1/+3So you were born with an innate ability to know how to cook steak? Nobody ever told you anything about how to do so? Well, if so then good for you. Otherwise, everyone has to learn it some time, and just because you learned it earlier than others doesn't make you superior.
  • ShooterMcGavin, on 09/02/2008, -3/+3Here is my fool proof recipe, from the fine folks at Americas Test Kitchen:

    Take room temperature steaks and dust each side with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
    Put on a rack in the oven set to 250 degrees, until the inside is around 90 degrees (between 15-25 minutes depending on thickness)
    Remove from oven and seer over high heat (in a pan or on the grill) for a few minutes a side (3-to 4).
    Remove from heat, and let rest 5-10 minutes.

    Serve and enjoy.
    • DrunkenPirate34, on 09/02/2008, -3/+4Dude no, your cooking all the juices out of the meat when you put it in the oven before searing...
    • shutaro, on 09/02/2008, -1/+3That guy from Americas Test Kitchen inspires in me a fierce and irrational anger...
    • kayfouroh, on 09/02/2008, -2/+1Cooking fail.

      Best way to do a steak inside:

      Take steaks out of fridge for half an hour
      Season with (rough grain, Kosher if possible) salt and pepper (freshly ground, please).
      Heat up a cast iron grill pan.
      Lightly drizzle a high-heat (canola, soybean, etc.) oil onto the meat (will help with getting a nice browning on the steak).
      Gently place the steak on the grill pan (with tongs!). Be sure to put the presentation side down (which ever side has the nicest marblization).
      Sear for two minutes.
      Turn 90 degrees.
      Sear for two minutes.
      Flip steak over.
      Sear for two minutes.
      Turn 90 degrees.
      Sear for two minutes.
      Let the steak rest for a good 15-20 minutes.

      Your steak should now be sufficiently cooked. For a little more doneness, pop the steak (after resting for 15-20 minutes!) into a 350 degree oven to allow the inside to get more cooked. Depends on how you like your steaks though.
    • psibladeZX, on 09/02/2008, -8/+2you NEVER put salt on steak before cooking it... salt sucks all the juicy goodness from the steak... sheesh... learn how to cook man
      • ShooterMcGavin, on 09/02/2008, -2/+5No offense, but I trust Alton Brown and/or America's Test Kitchen (I've seen it on both) WAY more than I do some anonymous Digg user. You know... people who can back up what they say.

        Sorry.
      • kayfouroh, on 09/02/2008, -2/+5Learn to cook? The point IS for the salt to suck some of the proteins out of the steak -- give it a nice outer crust.

        Srsly..
      • psibladeZX, on 09/03/2008, -1/+1you guys are ***** morons, besides that, salt takes away the natural flavors... cook your ***** how you want, but I cook fairly well according to everyone I know...
        another thing about salt is it drives your blood pressure up like a *****, so I cook without it and guess what? I can taste the natural flavors of everything I eat... while all you know how to taste is salt.
      • kayfouroh, on 09/03/2008, -1/+0I'll take my knowledge from someone who is actually going to culinary school, thank you very much. He says to do it that way and I sure as hell will.

        Salt enhances the flavors of the food it is in contact with.
  • Zihuatanejo, on 09/02/2008, -1/+3I followed these directions when grilling a porterhouse and it came out great. But this guy is hilariously profane and a great writer:
    http://everything2.com/index.pl?node_id=1502979
    • alarion, on 09/02/2008, -1/+2I found this read to be entirely entertaining. Thanks for the link :)
  • cubicrystal, on 09/02/2008, -12/+2From a spiritual aspect - because what you eat becomes your biology and soul - here is the low-down of what this article did not encompass - and what every sentient being on this earth needs to know before they consume food like robots.. From a compassionate stance based on the Old Testament - here is the info you really do need to know about what you feed yourself - http://www.jewishveg.com/ja.html#veg
    • fejjfunklamella, on 09/02/2008, -1/+5Consume food like robots? What is this robot food? Is it like meat? If it is, sign me up...my incisors and eye teeth can always use more exercise...
      • Tylerbinski, on 09/02/2008, -2/+2dude, you're hilarious... ".my incisors and eye teeth can always use more exercise..." :)
    • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -1/+4I have no soul. I must fill the emptiness with beef.
  • airencracken, on 09/02/2008, -0/+2Propane creates water when it burns, makes it harder to sear the steak.
  • alwaysthere, on 09/02/2008, -2/+13Alton Brown will tell you how to cook a steak.
    Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KrjeJDNKUA&feature ...
    Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PiQ0VOJmCbg&feature ...
  • ShooterMcGavin, on 09/02/2008, -0/+7For the thousandth time... searing has nothing to do with "sealing juices in"... it really does nothing to keep juices in.

    It's all about flavor. Bottom line.

    Alton Brown tells us so:
    http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/Season8/myths/myth_ ...
  • kroni, on 09/02/2008, -8/+4that article is pure *****.
    kobe beef and texan beef tastes like fresh ***** if you compare it to argentina's meat.
    also, the only way to properly eat met is to cook it in a "asado" like done, again, in argentina.
    frying beef in a *pan* with oil is a sacrilege!

    • psibladeZX, on 09/02/2008, -1/+3mi querido argentino... estos boludos no saben como cocinar nuestros churrascos.

      my dear argentinean, these morons don't know how to cook our steaks.

      he's completely right too... Argentinean beef is absolutely the BEST beef in the world. The cows don't eat corn, farmers and cowboys just let them graze on whatever's out there and the meat that comes from those cows is the best... yes, I will attest that Argentinean beef is better than Texas beef for sure (I ate beef in Dallas, Houston, and El Paso), and I ate Kobe beef in Tokyo... Argentina wins hands down... cows from la pampa baby! with asados... these americans know NOTHING about barbequeing.
      • kroni, on 09/05/2008, -0/+1of course, americans never tasted any real beef... their barbeque sucks ass at such a level that is a shame to think about it... and kobe beef?? japan meat is a bad sad joke
  • solboldi, on 09/02/2008, -14/+2Article omits all the important information about the health consequences of eating beef.

    • DeuceDiggalow, on 09/02/2008, -6/+1Don't forget animal cruelty and the damage factory farming does to our environment
  • DeuceDiggalow, on 09/02/2008, -17/+1Go vegan you disgusting cavemen. Last time I checked we didn't have to hunt to survive anymore. Your cruel cow factory farming creates more CO2 than driving too. When all of you are dying of clogged arteries and heart disease, I'll be 95 years old and healthy as ever.
    • mogebier, on 09/02/2008, -1/+10But you will be an unhappy veggie-eating anemic ass hole.... WHOOPS TOO LATE!
    • Kronos6948, on 09/02/2008, -1/+5Every day that I see some self righteous vegan ***** pushing his ***** agenda, I keep looking forward to the day when we finally separate like morlocks and eloi. Guess who's getting eaten.
  • DeuceDiggalow, on 09/02/2008, -12/+1Cattle raised for their flesh spend the first year of their lives grazing. In fact, they are the only farmed animals other than sheep who are ever allowed to do anything natural, like breathe fresh air or feel sun on their backs.

    However, cattle are still subjected to abuses that would warrant felony cruelty-to-animals charges if they were dogs or cats. To mark cows for identification, ranchers restrain the animals and push hot fire irons into their flesh, causing third degree burns, as they bellow in pain and attempt to escape. Male calves’ testicles are ripped from their scrotums without pain relievers, and the horns of cows raised for beef are cut or burned off.

    While “on the range,” most cows receive inadequate veterinary care, and as a result, many die from infection and injury. Every winter, cattle freeze to death in states like Montana, Nebraska, and North Dakota. And every summer, cows collapse from heat stroke in states like Texas and Arizona. After about a year of facing the elements, cows are shipped to an auction lot and then across hundreds of miles to massive feedlots—feces- and mud-filled holding pens where they are crammed together by the thousands. Many arrive crippled or dead from the journey.

    Cattle on feedlots are fed a very unnatural diet to fatten them up. This diet causes chronic digestive pain—imagine your worst case of gastritis never going away—and some of their innards actually become ulcerated and eventually rupture (the industry calls this condition “bloat”). According to a study published in the Journal of Animal Science, this diet also causes potentially fatal liver abscesses in as many as 32 percent of cattle raised for beef.2

    The feedlot air is saturated with ammonia, methane, and other noxious chemicals, which build up from the huge amounts of manure, and the cows are forced to inhale these gasses constantly. These fumes can give the cows chronic respiratory problems, making breathing painful.

    Cattle raised for food are also pumped full of drugs to make them grow faster and keep them alive in these miserable conditions. Instead of taking sick cattle to see a veterinarian, many feedlot owners simply give the animals even higher doses of human-grade antibiotics in an attempt to keep them alive long enough to make it to the slaughterhouse.
    • mogebier, on 09/02/2008, -1/+5Mmmmm, meat is good.
      Yummy yummy meat.

      You do know that scientists attribute Humans having bigger brains to the fact that they started eating protein - ala MEAT?? Early cavemen only ate berries and whatever veggies they could find, and supposedly were borderline retarded in their brain functions, but then they evolved bigger brains from all the protein introduced into their diets.

      So, we wouldn't be having this conversation right now if we all still ate nothing but veggies. We would be hitting each other over the head with clubs instead.
    • alarion, on 09/02/2008, -1/+4All that said - I won't ever stop eating steak. Nice try though.
  • sarchosis, on 09/02/2008, -3/+4They don't seem to know much about meat. Corn-fed cattle makes for consistently average meat. It only gets a grade of "prime" because of the marbling, which doesn't seem to have much influence on the actual taste. Grass fed can be better, but is a bit inconsistent. Kobe beef is terrible cooked like a steak.
  • bipolarruledout, on 09/02/2008, -0/+4I for one always base my masculinity on what calories by body metabolises for energy.
  • Thundercracker, on 09/02/2008, -6/+1steak in a pan or skillet= you're doing it wrong.
  • MixMastaKooz, on 09/02/2008, -0/+2Good way to get great steaks for a good price: Costco's NY Strip bulk. For $6.50 a pound, you get an 11lb hunk of meat that can make 11 to 16 steaks (depends on how big you want them to be). Sure it costs about $70-$85, but that's what the Foodsaver (vacuum sealer) is for! You can wet age your steaks. Or, throw them in the freezer: they'll stay for a year easily. Ever since my roommate got a foodsaver, I've been tempted to go in on a 1/8 of cow for an even better deal.

    Here's how I do my steaks:
    http://steamykitchen.com/blog/2007/08/28/how-to-tu ...
    The article above has been on digg before, and it's great! I use coarse sea salt. I've used garlic and fresh rosemary as in the article. But, I've experimented with other herbs and spices like basil, curry, thyme, and parsley (usually by themselves or sometimes mixed up.). But one thing that really fascinates me is the cerrano jalapeno. I'll cut up three of them in my salt/garlic mix. But the funny thing is, after you wash off the excess salt/jalapeno rub after letting it sit for 30-40 minutes, that the steak doesn't retain any spiciness. But, it's incredibly tender and only a hint of the jalapeno stays. I'm thinking the acid from the peppers further tenderizes the steak.
  • mogebier, on 09/02/2008, -3/+2I only fry steak if there is a hurricane or tornado outside.
    I grill all year long. I am not one of those pussies that puts the grill away after labor day and takes it out after memorial day. Those types deserve to eat ***** fried crap steak all year long.
    And just aging isn't that great for flavor. MARINADE!!!!!
  • riptor666, on 09/02/2008, -1/+1Steak must be grilled I bought an electric grill just for that. This article should also go into detail about how you can make your steak and the pros and cons of such. Medium rare is the way to go the outside is cooked nicely and the inside is extremely juicy and full of flavor.
  • darny, on 09/02/2008, -1/+1this article is awesome. I rarely bookmark stuff I read on digg, but this is an exception. I usually grill on an aluminum (g-foreman-like surface) but I'm definitely gonna whip out the cast iron next time.
    • Acqua206, on 09/02/2008, -2/+2I really hope you're not cooking decent steaks on a George Foreman like contraption.It is a sin.
      • darny, on 09/03/2008, -1/+1it's a big piece of metal you put over your stove burners. one side is flat (for pancakes or whatever) and the other side has grill ridges. The ridged side cooks up a great burger, steak, fish, etc. Most apartments are not barbecue friendly.

        http://cdn.overstock.com/images/products/L11128084 ...

        I recommend.
  • RevAradia, on 09/02/2008, -1/+1This is actually very interesting. My husband follows these rules and he says his steaks are always perfect for him, but since I'm kind of "meat-ignorant" I'm not a good judge and probably should never cook the stuff.
  • asnider, on 09/02/2008, -1/+2I'd say that grass-fed beef is usually more flavourful than grain-fed, not less. It is, however, not as tender, partly because of the feed, and partly because grass-fed beef is generally pasture-raised. Because of this, they tend to develop their muscles more than pen-raised, grain-fed beef. But, as long as it's well prepared, the difference in tenderness shouldn't be much of an issue.
  • chaos7, on 09/03/2008, -4/+1stop eating it
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