Where I am at the moment in sunny Spain but colder than good old blighty in the evening , the steaks UNFORTUNATELY, I have eaten recently have been nothing like good steaks. It seems to be almost impossible for most restaurants and especially even at friends BBQ to get a good one. Even at the last meet the steak that was ordered was not to the standard that they wanted . So what makes the perfect steak and who should the prize for the best steak be awarded to?
Contender No1 The Farmer, in whichever country who, subject to demand, selects not only the breed such as Black Angus, Aberdeen Angus, Dexter, Welsh Black, Charalais, Kobe and Highland to name but a few. Then there’s the feed - either grass fed or Corn fed (with all the associated digestion problems) even the occasional pint of beer for Kobe Contender .
No2 The Wholesaler who decides on the importance of traceability issues, age and sex of the animal as well as the type and duration of the aging process. Dry aged on-the-bone, wet aged in the bag or even not aged at all. They all have their supporters of being the best.
Contender No3 The Butcher who decides on the best cuts to sell to you or the restaurant.
Before you decide who should win there still are many factors to consider which can muck up a steak. Wet aged or poor quality steak needs cooking longer than dry aged. Ask anyone who asks for a well done steak why they want it well done and the answer is usually “I don’t like blood” either visually by running out on the plate or genuine bad taste of it.
It’s just a communication thing finding out what you really like and what you really don’t like, starting with someone willing to ask you. Are you going to smother it with your own seasoning afterwards? Are you more interested in the chips than the steak?
I was in a well known supermarket here there are a few , no Tesco or Asda but the same style with a different name even Iceland overseas are here and I was discussing the steaks with the manager who said “All of our steaks are crap, but if they were any better then we would lose sales on the spice rubs and tenderizers that people buy to improve it.” So if you are thinking of a steak and I have been told Prime,Aberdeen Angus Rump steak ,15-18 months old, dry aged for at least 4 weeks, cut really, really thick and cooked on a very hot furnace grill , just under medium rare, crusty on the outside but still rare in the centre but still juicy, not bloody, served with chips is ideal and make your mouth water. I agree anyone with a bit of training, perhaps even a monkey can cook a good steak, but don’t expect it at the next meet.
Well I hope this keeps you going as next month I will be out of action for my eye op so I’ll keep at it so you can keep putting the clicks up for Mick .
Toodle pip from sunny Spain Magic
P.s that jacket smells like a Q.M store think it will have to go .
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