I feel your pain! Thanks for asking the question. You have a lot of good responses.
Nothing beats a Delmonico. I've never ruined one or had a bad one. You can't go wrong with a Delmonico!
We eat steak a lot. I love it. My favorite is top sirloin. Black Angus sirloin is also good. Sorry, I don't cook it so I can't help with that one. I do know that cooking too long makes it tough and not very good.
Marinate the steak for 1 hour before you cook it. you can get great recipes for marinate at allrecipes.com. we even marinate our steakes for 4-6 hours before cooking. it makes them very tender.
When you flip it don't stab it with anything. Use tongs. Stabbing lets out all the juice which is what you want! I don't get the pricey cuts and I just cook them med rare or med and then they will never be chewy. Marinating helps, but it doesn't add to the juice inside.
We like ribeye. It all depends on hwo you want to cook it. We don't marinate ours, just rub it down with seasoning, sear it on the grill on both sides, then turn the heat down, keep it there for a few minutes and its done. Of course its medium rare - medium, butthats how we like it. Good Luck!
Good steak does not have to be expensive steak. You can make any cut taste great or you can screw up an expensive cut. First, you need to choose the correct cooking method for the cut of steak (some cuts are best suited for pan-frying, broiling, grilling, etc.). Second, be careful with how you season it. Steak should be seasoned with salt either long before cooking (1/2 hour to an hour to bring the juices to the top) and seared to lock in the juice or after it has been browned. If you salt it while or just before cooking, you will lose a lot of moisture. Third, try to avoid constant turning. Get it browned on one side and flip it until done. Lastly, because steaks should be cooked at a high temperature they will continue to cook after they are removed from the heat source. I always slightly undercook it, remove it from the heat and cover with foil for 10 minutes of additional cooking until we are ready to eat. I hope this helps. Steak really is not tricky, you just need to develop some confidence in working with it.
Bon Apetit
Ha! I had to answer this. I vote for ribeye too as a good, descent, but not the most expensive cut. There is always a filet mignon but that will put you out $17-$20/lb and you will be kicking yourself if you don't cook it right.
We cook one medium sized ribeye for two adults and nibbles for the 4 year old (we try to stick to a serving size that fits in the palm of your hand).
You can use all kinds of spices, but keep it simple while you figure it out: salt and cracked black pepper sprinkled all over, then rub it into the steak with your fingers.
The easiest method is to pan fry your steak. Get the pan nice and hot, then about 6 minutes on one side, 4 on the other for medium rare. Depends on how thick your steak is (~1/2" to 3/4"). We use the broiler on high and sear steak 5 min on one side, 3 on the other, then take it out and let it rest (like a turkey) for a minute or two before cutting in. We like our steak tender and pink though so you may want a minute longer (but every extra minute toughens it up).
I love marinades but sometimes meat gets tough with the wrong marinade cooked wrong. Go for the rub first. Generic ingredients needed in combo for a good marinade: salt, sour (wine or vinegar), bitter (peper or other herbs) and sometimes sweet (sugar or honey). Look on epicurious.com for 100s of rub and marinade recipes. Good recipes include cooking times and cut of the steak.
Good luck!
I like top sirloin. Take out of fridge about 30 min before grilling. Rub with salt/pepper or other spices and let sit on counter. Heat up the grill to high. Grill on high 2 min, flip w/tongs (not pierce like someone else said), high again 2 min, then turn off the section of the grill where the steak is and turn the other section(s) to low for 2 more min (depending on thickness...2 min is good for 3/4 inch or so). Use a timer. Remove from grill to plate and cover with foil. Rest 2-5 min. (ALWAYS works when I follow it...especially using the timer, because we mamas get distracted by our kiddos and other dinner tasks....directions came with my grill!!) Cut and eat!!
If time allows, marinade the less expensive steak cuts. Even if you don't marinade it, pan sear the meat (about 2 minutes on each side), then put the steaks on a sheet pan and bake at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes. Check for doneness to your liking (medium, rare, welldone, etc). Pan searing the meat will help retain the natural juices. Baking will cook the meat without drying out as it's a fairly low temperature and a short baking time.
I, too, have had my share of dry, chewy steak. we played around with it different ways (grilling & frying).
Give it another shot....happy cooking :)
Alison
a lot of times people try to cook it too fast. it takes a lot of practice to get it right
I myself used to enjoy top sirloin, until I found strip loin. It is more expensive but oh so worth it. Let it marinate in a flavor you like (4-24 hrs) then bake it (yes I said bake it) at 325 for about 20-25 minutes depending on the size flipping it over half way through. I find baking it keeps the taste & moisture in. I hope this helps.
I’m so excited for all the tips I got here! I feel like trying steak again instead of giving up on it forever. I could live without it but my husband may get depressed, or start sneaking off to the steakhouse restaurants. I think I will try the ribeye, it seems to be pretty popular. I realize it is the cut and my cooking method which is at fault for my leathery steak. Thanks everyone!