A Darn Good Steak
I wanted to follow-up on in a way to Mr. Wilson’s recent listing on overrated Lincoln restaurants, particularly after an experience I had at Misty’s downtown location a few days ago. I went there for dinner and paid around $20 for a rib-eye steak. Yes, the steak was certainly good and made to the order I requested. The accompanying salad and bread was good. The service, I guess, good. But I have finally concluded that the place is very much overrated as Mr. Wilson mentions. Not so much because it’s a bad steak house per se, but because making a good steak at home is so damn easy and wayyyyyyy cheaper.
Here is my tried and true method for a great, inexpensive steak:
Take thick CHUCK steak cuts. Yes, chuck. This is considered to be one of the best tasting cuts and is also super inexpensive when compared to the ridiculous prices they charge for T-bones, NY strips, etc.. Throw the steaks in a plastic bag and marinate with BUTTERMILK. Remember, citric acid-based marinades will literally cook the steaks without heat treatment just like seafood ceviche. Dairy-based lactic acid, however, will not cook meat to the same degree, nor flavor (ie ruin) a tasty chuck in an overpowering way. A pure buttermilk (or whole milk) marinade will tenderize the meat as it is supposed to do so – by breaking down and loosening the meat fiber. Throw in the refrigerator and marinate for 24 hours. This milk marinade will tenderize the relatively tough chuck cut but maintain its natural flavors.
Prior to cooking, you have two choices after removing and washing the milk off the steaks. One, you can either cook it as is, rubbing some kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
in and letting it sit for a few minutes (remember, kosher salt sticks and absorbs better since it’s a flake and not a granule). Two, you can do a brief, completely homemade and fresh marinade to flavor. Now if you’re going to do this, one of my recent favorites is 1) olive oil base; 2) fresh chopped garlic; 3) rounded spoon of brown sugar; 4) a few drops of balsamic vinegar – too much will ruin the steak; 5) soy sauce or kosher salt for salty flavor. Skip the pre-made marinades and stuff composed of crap you can’t pronounce. Marinate for no more than an hour.
When it comes to cooking, the key is to carmelize the outside of the steak to retain the juices. Briefly pan-fry the steak on extremely high temperature to blacken (not in the Cajun use of the term, but fry until cooked for a minute or two) the outside on both sides. Depending on thickness and your desired preference, the pan-frying itself could be enough to cook the steaks to your taste if its thin and you like steak rare as I do. However, if it’s a thick cut, you’ll likely want to throw the steak in an already heated oven (like 500 degrees) for anywhere from 2-3 (medium rare) to 6-8 minutes (hockey puck), again depending on thickness on to what degree you like your meat cooked.
In the meantime, you’ve got broccoli or asparagus steaming (God asparagus is so expensive now) and also your favorite starch is ready to go.
I have been using this method now for years, and its easy on the taste buds and wallet. I wouldn’t recommend it, of course, if you’re going to go all out and invest in a better cut, but for chucks, its great.
The Comments
beerorkid November 16, 2005 at 9:13pm
he he
I am the brewmaster at misty’s downtown. I was the brewmaster for Crane River, all toghther about 7 years of making beer. My lifepartner, one server/manager and I were the only peeps who were allowed to transfer to misty’s after the switch.
I have an assistant that does 90% of the brewing now. And I am not too proud of the beer. Any way I totally agree with the whole it is not superior vibe yall be talking about. Except for a few things:
The seasoning, heck admidt it, that is what makes misty’s misty’s. That shit is good.
And they do use sterling silver for the prime rib. Also the prime rib is cooked to the temp and then cut. no making it rare and then dropping it in a vat of boiling au jous to get it to temp. So for that reason, they have killer prime rib.
Other than that, they do try to use good beef. but the price does not need to be as high. Sure they have candles, cloth napkins, and a little more service than other places. but as far as a $30 cut of meat. meh....
My lifepartner loves her steak. She is really picky though. She cuts off all the fat, including a 1/2 inch of meat next to it. She only likes steak from home, Misty’s, and the outback.
I love how you have explained the cooking of your kind of steaks. It reminds me of how Alton brown of good eats does it.
i love the crunchy charred goodness a hot iron skillet gives a steak. I use grape seed oil for it’s high smoke point when I prepare it like that.
Thanks for the info, I could not agree more.
Steve November 17, 2005 at 12:37am
Yes! Ever since I learned the Alton Brown method that’s the only way I cook steaks. My great grandma’s cast iron skillet has a big heavy lid so after I give both sides a good sear I turn the heat way down and put the lid on rather than put it in the oven.
Whenever I want steak I’ll find a nice rib eye and cook it at home. Paying a restaurant to cook your steak is not worth it.
I’ll have to try your system with the chuck steak. Your point about chuck being the one of the tastiest cuts rings true, too. The best burgers are made with chuck, not that dry 95% lean Angus stuff everyone’s trying to sell.
Mr. T November 17, 2005 at 8:30pm
Hey beerorkid - Thanks for the nice note and inner insights to the working of Misty’s. You are obviously a man with experience.
So is it a secret what kind of beef Misty’s uses? I am assuming it is USDA prime, right? If not, I would be interested in knowing what it is. I am also assuming, perhaps incorrectly, they use the fry then bake method?
I am also a fan of prime rib. Next time I go to Misty’s, I will try that one.
beerorkid November 17, 2005 at 10:55pm
Well I am not really sure. But I can tell you what I know and do some reconnisance work.
All the steaks come in frozen. In individualaly plastic wrapped portions like any other resturant.During the mad cow scare profits were really low. Food costs became a major concern and staff was trimmed to very low levels. The prime rib is sterling silver meat. That means that it is a grade above prime. Only a few resturants in a specific region are allowed to offer said meat. It does cost them a bunch. I hear that one big ass prime rib costs over $200.00 And they maybe get 10-12 king cuts out of one of them.
They cook so much prime rib. First it is rubbed with the misty spice and put in a tub to soak up the goodness. The next day it is put in a rotissorie to crisp the outside. Then it is put into an alto sham to slowly roast for many hours. When it has reached its level of cooking desired for the different temps. (remember they do not heat your cut to temp, each one is cut from a PR that is the cooking temp) Then it rests on a table for 20 or so minutes to let the juices equalize, and then put into an alto sham that holds the temp without cooking it.
As far as the cooking of the steaks. No corners are cut. All steaks are defrosted according to prep lists, they are pulled out of refrigerated drawers below the huge open flame grill that you would find at any resturant, they are grilled like any other place would grill a steak. The secret comes from a fresh sprinkeling of the seasoning right before it hits the grill.
Now I am not paid to, nor required to talk good about them. Heck it is still a resturant filled with cooks who are as experienced as any other place. I could also tell you how all the things made at Crane River were made. Same kitchen, same purpose. Heck I hardly know the menu. I eat the big red burger when I go in to work over my lunch break fomr my other job (mmmmmmmmm.... bacon). often though brewing leaves me with a lot of time to hang out while things are doing their thing. So I wonder into the kitchen or up to the bar to hang out. So I am no expert on how they do things. just an observer.
It is a little on the pricey side though. I am sure the grade of meat, rent at a large downtown location, ammount of staff, and little things you get from a “fancy eating place” do add up to the same slim profit margin that most resturants make.
Cooking a good steak at home is what I do. heck I do not even get 1/2 price on any steak there. Only 1/2 price on all other things besides drinks..
So anyway we have made the alton brown pan steak about 10 times. i must say it is really good. It does take a few times to get it right though. I once tried it on the grill. Figured I could do almost the same thing. Did not turn out to well though. I do find that coating them in grapeseed oil does keep the smoke down while you are doing the searing in the skillet.
I will look into their meat grades for ya though.