Master Class - Steak Do's & Don'ts

Watched this video and learned some things although I already do a really good steak. I have taken notes so you don't have to watch.

Do's

• High quality meats.
• Let pan heat up all the way before putting steak on.
• Use a good high temp oil, like vegetable oil.
• Sit steak room temp before grilling.
• Pat steak dry before grilling.
• Salt & pepper before grilling.
• Filets and leaner steaks rare to medium rare.
• Fattier steaks at least medium as fat needs to render and it will be more tender than rare.
• Let steak sit to capture juices, if it drains out when cutting you are losing some of the juicy.
• Don't flip steak too much, it needs to develop a crust.
• Extra flavor only at end baste in butter and other seasonings.
• No difference to pepper before or after grilling, the pepper doesn't "bitter".
• Cast iron the best for steaks.
• Pull steak 3-5 degrees below your target temp as it will come up during rest.
• Don't rely on steak check by pushing, only a temp check is accurate as different steaks have different densities.
• Cut steak against grain to help break down fibers to make more tender vs. doing all the work with your teeth.

Don'ts

• No old school "Italian Dressing" marinating, it "cooks" the steak grey in marinate and makes sour.
• No wine reduction basting UNLESS mix half with a chicken/beef stock and tons of other seasonings. Straight red wine reduction very sour.
• No Olive Oil or Butter early as it burns.

 

I do like the charred though as personal taste, Mike Weaver calls that Pittsburg Style or maybe Black & Blue is more common. I get it by splashing oil on fire at the very end for a purpose flare up.

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I'm going to try and organize everything in exact steps, correct me if you see anything.

• buy the highest qualify filet
• let sit to room temperature
• pat steak dry
• get grill up to high temp
• if pan cast iron and high temp oil
• salt & pepper steak
• place on grill and don't flip until one side is done
• towards end optional baste butter+
• towards end optional sear with oil flash fire
• pull off temp check 120
• let steak sit 5 minutes

 

I cook steaks as much for the experience as the results. Have a drink while getting the Big Green Egg going etc. However, it would be much easier if I just turned the stove top on high and might get better results as the guy in video. The Egg is better for low and slow BBQ, but takes me an hour of work to get it super hot for steaks high and fast.