TOPIC:

My take is that to cook beef/steaks medium to well done they have to be well marbled. Fillet does not have enough fat at all to be cooked other than rare/medium.

The fattier cuts of steak and also beef can be cooked so that there is no blood left ( always puts off the non-carnivor <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt="" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? --> ) but then the fat melts into the meat and gives a moistness to the meat.

Remember in the good old days of frequent flying with Aer Lingus and other posh airlines? On registering there were all sorts of boxes to tick:

Vegetarian <!-- s:cry: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_cry.gif" alt="" title="Crying or Very sad" /><!-- s:cry: -->
Kosher <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt="" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->
Halal <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt="" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->
Other <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_confused.gif" alt="" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->

There was never a box for "CARNIVOR"

NJoy

Will

The blood issue in rare steak is solved by ten minutes of resting, it all leaches out onto the resting plate, then you throw those juices into the pan when deglazing to make your sauce. In a pro restaurant it would be flash grilled under a salamander (large pro grill) and that rewarms it after the resting period, but it's short sharp heat, so it's not starting cooking again.

Oh and don't forget liberal seasoning before cooking and a small bit afterwards also.

So much about good cooking is proper seasoning, I recommend Maldon sea salt, although recently I've tried some very expensive stuff from Beara in Cork and it's tasty but the crystal is not as nice as the Maldon. I have it in a salt pig beside my cooker as well as a pot of crushed black pepper, allows you to throw in a large pinch whenever you need it.

its not blood. blood would coagulate its just red juices.

if you have blood in your steak change butchers.
<!-- s:twisted: --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_twisted.gif" alt="" title="Twisted Evil" /><!-- s:twisted: -->

Hey Eoin as I was first reading your heading for this thread "as I've been a bad blogger" the impulse in me taught it should continue "for many's the year" and sang to the tune of "the wild rover".
"I've been a bad blogger for many's the year,I've spent all me money on good cra-aft beer,and now I'm returning with new's of me steaks,in a kitchen like mine I dont make mistakes",

chorus
all together now
"and it's no nay never,
no nay never no more,
will I be a bad blogger,
no never no more",

&amp;quot;emmetg&amp;quot;:1vtxp6wt wrote: its not blood. blood would coagulate its just red juices.[/quote:1vtxp6wt]

correct, it's myoglobin

Best way to cook a fillet steak.
Steak should be at least 40mm thick.
Oil the steak, not the pan with something that won't burn, not olive oil.
Season well with loads of salt and black pepper and cook in the hottest pan in the world for about a minute a side.
Put it on a plate, cover with foil and chuck it into the oven at 40c. You must use a good digital thermometer and keep an eye on it. Don't let it get above 45c or it will be ruined.
It can sit there for up to half an hour or more while you make your bernaise or whatever.
This rests the meat and warms it just enough so you get very rare fillet but not cold in the middle.
It's taken me years to figure this out. Can'y belive it took so long.
Yes, the French no nothing about cooking steak. In fact I've never had any nice food in France, you have to go to Italy.