What shall I cook tonight?

[jumpinjackflash]

if like me you can't cook the perfect steak...

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1365140793/bclid1368763979/bctid1373284088

[KalamityKel]

Wot is the perfect steak tho?

Will someone cook for me 2nite? Pleeeeeeease!

[jumpinjackflash]

juicy and bloody in the middle - like the one Gordon cooks in that vid

[SteveT]

Easy peasy jumpinjack, full heat under the pan add a little oil and when it smokes drop in the steak and let it spit fat spray all over the hob unless you have a gauze wire thingy to put on to the pan. When 2 minutes have passed turn down the heat to about half wait 1 minute and turn the heat full on, turn the steak with your fork let it spit hot fat again and smoke the kitchen out and in a minute or two, remove and eat. It will be burned both sides and remain red in the middle.

The hob will need hosing down the kitchen and your clothes will now stink of burnt steak and you will have to open the window to see, but you will eat like a king. Good man;-)

[jumpinjackflash]

SteveT Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Easy peasy jumpinjack, full heat under the pan add

> a little oil and when it smokes drop in the steak

> and let it spit fat spray all over the hob unless

> you have a gauze wire thingy to put on to the pan.

> When 2 minutes have passed turn down the heat to

> about half wait 1 minute and turn the heat full

> on, turn the steak with your fork let it spit hot

> fat again and smoke the kitchen out and in a

> minute or two, remove and eat. It will be burned

> both sides and remain red in the middle.

> The hob will need hosing down the kitchen and your

> clothes will now stink of burnt steak and you will

> have to open the window to see, but you will eat

> like a king. Good man;-)

excellent, will try that tonight. will also let you know if my house burns down!

[Marmora Man]

SteveT Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

> Easy peasy jumpinjack, full heat under the pan add

> a little oil and when it smokes drop in the steak

> and let it spit fat spray all over the hob unless

> you have a gauze wire thingy to put on to the pan.

> When 2 minutes have passed turn down the heat to

> about half wait 1 minute and turn the heat full

> on, turn the steak with your fork let it spit hot

> fat again and smoke the kitchen out and in a

> minute or two, remove and eat. It will be burned

> both sides and remain red in the middle.

> The hob will need hosing down the kitchen and your

> clothes will now stink of burnt steak and you will

> have to open the window to see, but you will eat

> like a king. Good man;-)

Agree the cooking technique but you need a good steak to start with - my preference being for an aged (30+ days) well marbled sirloin. Anything that was once wrapped in cling film and sold by a supermarket won't respond too well.

Bye the bye - my sister, a professional chef gave me the following tip to test for "doneness":

Put tip of little finger and thumb together and press ball of thumb - this is how a well done steak feels.

Ring finger & thumb - ball of thumb feels like medium steak

Next finger & thumb - ball feels like medium / rare

First finger & thumb - ball feels like rare / blue

[lozzyloz]

With you there on the main ingredient MM. However, your sisters test could explain why guitarists under cook steaks.

[SteveT]

My steak is lying in the fridge for almost week and just before it goes off, then cook it, and yes the quality does matter I prefer a sirloin too.

[LibraCarr]

Hi,

If anyone wants a free cookery lesson or advice, I am only to happy to offer. Cooking a steak is easy but get ten chefs together and they will all disagree.

Basically and very quickly I would suggest that you turn on the heat, put a small amount of olive oil in the pan. When the oil moves freely stick any kind of tester (chip, Carrot baton or anything edible) into the pan and if after 2-3 seconds the tester starts to sizzle the fat is hot enough. If it does'nt then the oil is not hot enough.

Place (when at the right temperature) the steak into the oil and leave for about four minutes moving the steak every minute or so. When the four minutes is up turn the steak over and leave for a further two minutes (depending on meat thickness).

Take a very sharp knife (you carry borrow one from most children in Peckham) make a small cut in the centre of the steak, if red juice flows this is rare, if white juice flows this is medium to well done, and if no juice flows at all then it is well done.

I find that this is a sure fire way to test steaks and not get them sent back, but remember the cut to test only needs to be small.

Happy eating.

Libra Carr.

[SteveT]

Cook a pack of fat removed bacon, leave to cool and then cut into twiglet size.

make a salad in a bowl.

take growing cress and cut into dish, scramble egg and mix in cress.

Place bacon twiglets on the salad, then the egg 'n cress on top of it all.

and eat quite healthily, except for the bacon and the cholesterol of yolk;-)

[david_carnell]

What's with all this olive oil nonsense for cooking steaks? Cook it in its own greatness - lard! Mmmm.

[Brendan]

Make a fire and grill the dam thing.

[Floating Onion]

Still not quite up on cooking steaks over here yet. I only learned how to cook steaks on a BBQ. In my experience the steak taste better if:

a) There's a boat

b) There's an island with no other people

c) There's a beach

d) The chef has a cold beer in hand

e) The BBQ is on one of a through c

e) Any combination of the above

But it's all a waste if you don't have a good hunk of cow to start with. On a side note, Lady Onion & I decided to have a nice Valentine's night in, with me cooking dinner. I got a couple of lovely steaks. Then on the night realised that I had no idea how to cook the damn things with a gas stove or oven! Thankfully they turned out all right in the end.

[david_carnell]

Anyone got any suggestions of what I can do for dinner with yesterday's roast belly-pork leftovers?

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

toss in chinese five spice and stir fry with veg plus bowl of rice?

[KalamityKel]

*knows whos house to go round to this evening* ;-) hehe

[KalamityKel]

So... what DID you cook then?

[CamberwellOz]

The best steak I have had in ages was at here. Their kitchen is open - so I suppose you could watch.

They only serve steak.... only steak.... hmmm my type of restaurant.

[Peckhamgatecrasher]

Reminds me of Rowley's in Mayfair. They did just steak and chips - I believe they had a fire though!

Tonight I'm doing Nigella's disconcertingly easy Chicken au Reisling ('cept I only have Pinot Grigio which will have to do) - v. yummy.

Fry lardons, add sliced leek, throw in chicken thighs or whatever's to hand, season, add mushrooms, cover with wine and cook for 40 mins. Serve with noodles or crusty bread or tonight's offering: spuds crushed with peas.

Stop press: don't use the Pinot, doesn't work half as well as Chardonnay which I tried last week.

[CamberwellOz]

Think I might have to go to Rowleys. It looks great. I too made some Nigella this evening. Scallops and chorizo with lemon and parsley. Cook sausage - take out. Cook scallops in chorizo oil left in the pan. Add the sausage back, squeeze a lemon and add some parsley.

Job done.

Now if I could just get over my hangover.

[CamberwellOz]

I just bought some beef brisket because it was on special. Any ideas?

[Marmora Man]

CamberwellOz Wrote:

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> I just bought some beef brisket because it was on

> special. Any ideas?

Pot roast.

[Asset]

just had pasta primavera after suggesting it on the asparagus thread. yummy, oooh and 'vegetarian'.

[LibraCarr]

Hi,

We use brisket a lot. We either pot roast it in the slow cooker. Place the vegetables in first, and let it cook for eight hours (good if you are going out for half a day).

Another way that we do it is season the joint, crumble two oxo cubes over it and place in the foil with a little water (2 Thbs). Turn the foil so that it seals, making sure the water cannot escape. Cook at gas mark 6 for about two hours. Separate the joint from the juices using the juice to make a gravy, put the joint back in the oven for another 20 minutes or so to brown off.

A handy tip when you are buying meat is feel the fat. The firmer it is means you are paying for the fat which sometimes can be over a quarter of an inch.

Regards,

Libra Carr.

[jumpinjackflash]

I have 2 Basa fillets (skinless) which need to be eaten tonight. (Buy one get one free in S'bos!). I have no idea how to cook them though! Anyone got any ideas?