*burp*

[kierthos]

Well, that steak could have been a little better, but that's my own fault, I think. The baked potato and salad were decent though.

I think next time I buy steaks, I'm going to get a better cut and marinate them before cooking.

Comments

[egearman.livejournal.com]

Or try a dry rub. Depends on the cut.

What did you get?

[kierthos.livejournal.com]

Round steak. I think part of it is I didn't thaw it long enough before cooking it. It still turned out okay, though. I have some ideas for what to do better next time.

[jdack.livejournal.com]

Tough duty there bro. Round steak is pretty much stew meat. Only gets tender after 8 hours in the crock pot.

Sirloin turns out OK for a "cheap" meat but you usually have to tenderize.

Also, how did you cook it?

[kierthos.livejournal.com]

On a George Foreman grill.

What? I live in a seventh floor apartment.

[jdack.livejournal.com]

That's actually not a bad way to do it. Pan fry is ultimate fail.

I use a broiler this time of year. Works OK. Can't beat an outdoor grill but hey, it's like cold outside.

[egearman.livejournal.com]

Pan fry for round? Or pan fry in general?

'Cause I have gotten decent results with a cast iron pan and rib eye steaks. Just don't go more than 3/4 inch thick if it was frozen ('cause it's probably still a little chilly in the center).

I still haven't "mastered" the start the cook on the stovetop and finish in the oven thing yet.

[kierthos.livejournal.com]

Next time I go to the grocery store, I'm planning on getting some New York Strip or ribeye if it's not too horrificly expensive. And the way I'm cooking them on the George Foreman grill is to leave it open, not cooking both sides at the same time.

But I want to experiment with some marinades too, so I have to figure that shit out as well. (I do have some seasonings, so I might try a dry rub of lemon pepper next.)

[jimcyl.livejournal.com]

Round steak isn't the kind of steak you want to grill. You should be looking for at least a top sirloin, or preferably a ribeye or strip.

A quick and easy marinade that I use a lot is Italian salad dressing. You get spices (you can add more to your heart's content), and the combination of acid and sugar (everything has high fructose corn syrup in it) over a day or so can break down connective tissue that leads to toughness pretty damn well.

[kierthos.livejournal.com]

You marinade for a full day before cooking?

[jimcyl.livejournal.com]

If it's a tougher cut of meat, or something without a lot of flavor (like chicken breast), yeah.

[kierthos.livejournal.com]

Hrm.... may have to give that a try then. Just the salad dressing and nothing else?

[jimcyl.livejournal.com]

You can add anything that would pair well with the spices in the dressing. Garlic, paprika, lime, etc.