I Heart Steak Recipes

“It’s all about the beef, babe,” my husband says. “Especially, a good, thick, cook-just-right steak.” Our two boys eagerly concur. So what’s the sole female in a houseful of men supposed to say? Well, I wholeheartedly agree with them. I love steak, too.

“The only time to eat diet food is while you are waiting for the steak to cook.” Julia Child (1912-2004)

Who can argue with Julia? I'll tell you it's not Americans. All-time beef consumption peaked in 1976 with Americans eating 94.3 pounds of beef per capita. Although that figure has come down considerably, thanks to chicken consumption, Americans still eat over 33.5 pounds of beef per capita, that according to U.S. Department of Agriculture.

And one of the favorite beef cuts is steak.

The best steak recipes start with the best cuts of steak. But do you know which one?

• T-Bone Steak: Identified by the T-shaped bone. It is cute from the center section of the short lion.
• Porterhouse Steak: This steak comes from the short lion, as well, near the silion. Falvorful and tender, it’s is one of the most popular steaks.
• Filet Mignon (sometimes called Tenderloin Steak): This popular steak choice comes from the tenderloin, the tenderest part of the cow.
• Sirloin Steak: Sirloins come from the bottom tip of the sirloin section. It sometimes comes with bones and in large pieces, but always with a delicious flavor.
• Strip Steak: (also known as New York Strip, Kansas City Strip or Shell Steak): This piece is what remains after the tenderloin is removed.
• Rib Steak: These steaks are from the rib section. They can be less tender and more fatty, but full of flavor.

My favorite… New York Steaks (at the moment). I buy a whole piece of strip, but it takes more than just cutting in up to make a great steak recipe.

Why Dry Age Steak?

When you go to a good steakhouse, like Ruths Christ Steak House or Morton's Steakhouse, not only to you get the best grade of meat, but it’s been aged to perfection. Dry aging accomplished two things for a piece of meat, according to Merl Ellis, the Nation’s Best Know Butcher.

• 1. Moisture evaporates from the muscle and produces a beefier flavor
• 2. The natural enzymes break down, making the meat tenderer.

How to Dry Age Steak

Dry Aging was once the norm, but today’s fast-paced, economy seeking supermarkets used vacuum pack aging… if they age meat at all. That’s leave drying beef up to the rest of us. I’ve been drying my beef at home for years, following Ellis’ techniques. I’ve never had a problem, but then I follow the steps exactly.

Drying Aging Beef Technique (this technique only works on whole pieces of meat, not individual steaks)

1. Use only the top grades of beef – Prime or heavy Choice (the highest quality of Choice). These have a thick layer of fat on the outside to protect the meat from spoiling during the aging process.

2. Buy a whole rib-eye or loin strip. Unwrap and rinse well with cold water, allow it to drain; then pat very dry with paper towels.

3. Wrap the meat in immaculately clean, large, plain white cotton dish towel(s) and place it on the bottom shelf of the refrigerator - which is the coldest spot.

4. Change the towel(s) each day, replacing the moisture-soiled towel(s) with fresh. Continue to change towels as needed for 10 days, to 2 weeks. (See Step #7 for cleaning towels.)

5. After the desired aging time, you're ready to cut off steaks from each end, trim as desired, (enjoy!) and allow the rest to continue to age in the refrigerator.

6. If, after 21 days, you have not eaten all the meat, cut the remaining piece into steaks, wrap each steak in freezer-proof, heavy-duty plastic wrap, and freeze. The steaks will keep for several months in the freezer.

7. To clean the towels for re-use, soak the soiled towels, immediately upon removing them from the meat, in cold water overnight. Next, soak them in cold, salted water for 2-3 hours to remove any bloodstains. Then launder as usual.

I have a set of old cotton dishtowels that I use just for this purpose. I put them away and don’t use them for daily clean up.

Simple is best when it comes to cooking steaks... lightly covered lightly with good olive oil and a sprinkling of sea salt and pepper. Then throw in on the grill!

I always use an instant meat thermometer to test the doneness of my steaks.

• 145 degrees F – medium rare
• 160 degrees F – medium
• 170 degrees F – well done

Remember to take it the steaks rest for about five minutes let the juices settle.

Sometimes there’s just not enough time to fire up the grill. In that case, steaks cooked in a cast iron pan can work just as well. Take a look at this pan-broiled steak recipe.

Is your mouth watering yet?

If you have Filet Mignon taste on a Chuck Steak budget, here's a recipe that might turn the tide in you favor... or is that flavor.

Marinated Chuck Steak

Ingredients:

2 lbs of boneless beef chuck steak, trim off excess fat
1/3 cup of red wine vinegar
1/3 cup of water
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 tablespoon of minced thyme (fresh is always better)
½ teaspoon of sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except the steaks in a large bowl to make the marinade.
2. Add the steak to the marinade. Let set in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.
   
3. Remove steak from marinade and pat dry.
4. Grill, turning the steak over once. Baste with leftover marinade. Cook until steak reaches the desired doneness (see chart above).
5. Slice on the diagonal into thin slices
   
6. Enjoy!

Unless you will be eating your steak caveman style, a good steak knife is essential.

J.A. Henckels and Wusthof are two of the largest and oldest manufacturers of knives and cutlery. Their names are synonymous with "quality" so you can be assured knives from either of these companies will last a lifetime if properly cared for.

• Wash the knifes in warm, soapy water by hand and dry immediately
  
• Never... NEVER put a knife in the dishwasher