Best steak to eat while listening to your rig?

08-25-11: Trelja

My statement was not to imply you were incorrect. Just stating what works for me. I meant no disrespect.

The techinques you cite definitely are classic. Having cured my share of tenderloins and salmon and so forth I understand. One of the actions in the process is the salt draws moisture out of the product, combines with it and any aromatics and seasonings, then is re-absorbed. Thus the flavors are infused yielding a flavorful, tender product with an excellent texture. Allowed to cure long enough and it is edible being chemically cooked while appearing almost raw. It is a wonderful end result.

So I understand what you do and with how you describe your process seems you reach the time when the moisture is re-absorbed?

In fact it has been awhile since I've done some curing and as a result of your post will give your recipe a try. Thats the beauty of these forums.

08-26-11: Prpixel

Your story of your hunt reminded me of my almost first hunt. After getting my license and practising with a shotgun; in upstate NY at the time you were allowed to hunt with slugs, no rifles. Don't know if that still stands. Anyway after getting ready I thought "I'm going to be up before dawn, trudge who knows how far out into the freezing woods, sit there unmoving and silent for who knows how long and if I get lucky and bag something I'll have to string it up, clean it then drag it back to camp! This is fun?" I changed my mind right there.

I, too, have worked professionally in many different kitchens. Still am in the hospitality business in a different capacity. Don't have your experience butchering in a shop and commercial packing, but have done my fair share of busting down quarters of many a bovine, ovine, deer, pig and fowl.

Done sausage and forcemeats as well but mainly curing, smoking and drying.

08-26-11: Abucktwoeighty

Love the analogy!

Best,

Dave

A Newyork strip is my favorite cut.

Porter house steak , drip dried for three days , half glass of ice , a jigger of Crown Royal and top it up with coke . Cue up something by Eva Cassidy and your in heaven .

i watched a tv program last night, whose subject was the "last heart attack". dr. sanjay gupta was speaking to president clinton about his recent surgeries, i.e., bypass and stent.

during the conversation several surgeons and dr dean ornish were featured.

the purpose of the program was to suggest that a diet free of animal protein, including fish, was ideal for heart attack prevention. if it has a mother don't eat it eas the advise provided by several cardiologists/cardiac surgeons.

a word to the wise ?

i intend to seriously reduce meat, chicken and dairy consumption.

ideally, being a vegan is the answer, but it is not easy to attain sufficient protein, or in some cases avoid anemia, unless one is clever about the selection of vegetable protein.

I grilled 2 steaks (one for each of my date and I) on Saturday evening as we prepared to wait out Irene. (We weren't hit too badly here in Baltimore, but there was plenty of driving rain for a while.) It was raining somewhat when I was out grilling, which is actually kind of fun.

We had grilled Porterhouses (from my local Safeway, nothing fancy) at 7 minutes per side, and a juice of simmered beef broth, garlic, sage, thyme, and rosemary added while they were resting. We had a bottle of Clos Pegase Cabernet Savingon (from Napa) and it made for a great start to the wet weekend.

Rrog: It's good to hear that someone else has similar tastes as me. If you're in the Baltimore area sometime, drop me a line and we'll enjoy the steak + wine.

Trelja: Good to hear from you, Joe! And it's great that the good doctor has taught you something about cooking that you've been able to take with you. Salting steak is one of those divisive issues, but I tend to lean toward your camp.

Tmsorosk: I'm with you on the Porterhouse, but I haven't heard of drip drying. Is that how you get the steak, or is it something you need to do to it once you've purchased it?

Michael