Chef Do's and don'ts???

[Bella_Vixen]

Sure.



Funny story: A bunch of years ago, two friends and I went to the Brewers' annual awards dinner. The entree was beef tips. Cooked medium rare-ish. I ate them, no problems, even though I prefer my beef cooked extremely well done. My friends gagged and ate a lot of bread.

[Peppergirl]

I guess I won't be stopping by for dinner any time soon.

Welllllll....for YOU, I'd make an exception. Could we compromise at Medium-Well?

[Bella_Vixen]

Same rules apply at my house, but I tend not to have people over who don't already know this - so people who only eat well-done wouldn't come to my house anyway. Hell, I don't even think I'd have *friends* like that.

*shudder*

I guess I won't be stopping by for dinner any time soon.

[Whiskey]

My dad used to know a guy who ordered his steak blue: "Just run the cow by the table and I'll take a bite."

this is me every time. dont even bother killing it first, ill just attack it with my face and eat.

[BookstoreEscapee]

Speaking of A1.. I heard that a chef considers it an insult if you put A1 (or some other kind of sauce) on a steak prepared by them..Don't know if it's true or not.

My dad says "steak sauce is for people who don't like steak"

I can't stand steak sauce. I like my steak medium; I don't like it blood red but I don't want shoe leather either. A little salt and baked potato with butter is all that goes on it. Yum. (Burgers, on the other hand, I get well done. I once got a really thick burger that was so red in the middle I still can't eat it if it's pink.)

My dad used to know a guy who ordered his steak blue: "Just run the cow by the table and I'll take a bite."

[drunkenwildmage]

*ahem* I think you might not understand the difference between "blue" and "rare". I like my steak rare (actually at a steakhouse apparently I like medium-rare). I'm wussy enough to want it blood-heat all the way through.

I know the difference , I just don't hear the term enough for it to really stick in my head.. Normally around here anything between raw and medium rare is considered just "rare"

[Magpie]

My FIL keeps offering my steak rarish. I just eat it anyhow. Actually (after three-four years) he's gotten to the point where he can cook what Whiskey's chart says is rare but steakhouses say is medium-rare. And most of us prefer it that way, not just me . I guess I should be impressed that he figured it out after maybe four tries to cook steak when I was there. Especially given that he was raised in a house where they ate steak medium or better.

[Peppergirl]

Your dad is the most amazing man. My kind of man. Tell dad a chick on the internet says he's amazing.

He does rock. And i'll tell him - it wouldn't be the first time.

Same rules apply at my house, but I tend not to have people over who don't already know this - so people who only eat well-done wouldn't come to my house anyway. Hell, I don't even think I'd have *friends* like that.

*shudder*

[Whiskey]

Your dad is the most amazing man. My kind of man. Tell dad a chick on the internet says he's amazing.

[Peppergirl]

My ex-husband was raised in a 'well done' house.

When we first got married my parents had us over and grilled steaks. Dad doesn't ask anyone how they want their steak done, his house, his rules. If he's feeling generous he MIGHT do medium-rare, but it's mostly rare.

You should have seen my ex-husband's face when he cut into this steak. 21 years later and I *STILL* laugh when I think about it.

Good part is, he was trained right then and there that steak is to only be enjoyed at medium-rare at the most, and to this day can no longer tolerate a steak cooked by *his* dad.

[Whiskey]

For things like a hamburger I prefer it medium-well, just because with ground meat you do need to ensure that the entire thing is cooked, whereas with a steak only the exterior needs to be cooked for it to be safe to eat.

I will agree with this. My hamburgers are medium at the most rare.

[Hyndis]

For a steak or other single-cut of meat like that I prefer it medium. Deliciously tender while the outside has that cooked flavor. No steak sauce.

For things like a hamburger I prefer it medium-well, just because with ground meat you do need to ensure that the entire thing is cooked, whereas with a steak only the exterior needs to be cooked for it to be safe to eat.




Hamburgers may get the steak sauce, depending on the hamburger. Its cheap meat though, just simple ground meat, and so the flavor of the meat is a much lesser quality than a nice cut of steak.

The best use of steak sauce though? Hashbrowns and/or scrambled eggs. Delicious!

[Whiskey]

*ahem* I think you might not understand the difference between "blue" and "rare".

and I thought I was a steak elitist. Blue and rare are quite different at home. In a restaurant (not including legit steakhouses with haughty cooks that wont cook past medium), I would say blue is rare unless they have you sign a waiver

for the uninitiated:

[Magpie]

With me, you just to have to threaten to grill it, and it's done enough, altho my dad would still bitch about it being over cooked..Basically with him, just cut it off the cow and toss it on the place.

When I first started going out with me wife, she was horrified because everyone in my family eats their steak rare.. her family all eats it well done and that was how she ate it growing up.

*ahem* I think you might not understand the difference between "blue" and "rare". I like my steak rare (actually at a steakhouse apparently I like medium-rare). I'm wussy enough to want it blood-heat all the way through.

[Whiskey]

You should see me with tuna steaks.

I get the grill as hot as it will go. I drop the steak on the grill, as soon as it lands I scoop it off and flip it.

As soon as that side lands, it's done.

thats me too. I cook my steaks 30 seconds per side, pull them, let them sit for five minutes and boom, perfect meat. It makes me feel like a dick in restaurants though.

Me: can I get my steak rare?
Waitress: Sure
Me: you know i mean RARE rare right?
Waitress: Oh yeah sure!
Me: like 'if that thing comes out of the kitchen and isn't mooing its not rare' rare, right?
Waitress: ohhh.. okay..
Me: Awesome!

Everytime I ask for rare (or blue) and dont elaborate extensively, I get medium. :| If its only 2% pink, it isnt rare! I dont even bother trying to order blue anymore. I dont eat out if I want steak now.

edit: rare tuna steaks are a god send. Cool Hand Lukes does an AMAZING rare ahi steak.