Thread: Brines??

honestly I don't bother trying to calculate such things...IMO only those that need to diet down for bb comps need to be so accurate when it comes to counting cals. you'll drive yourself crazy trying to add up all that stuff every time you cook this meal or that.

I have never added herbs and spices, but just pondered this because of the large amount of sugar. I was pretty sure I was over thinking as usual.

My guess would be that I need to get the 95% of my diet in check before I worry about this last 5%.

Brine as in something you soak meat in before cooking or smoking? Nah I wouldn't worry about it. Nominal.

Brining meat is a way of adding moisture and flavor to the middle of the meat keeping it flavorful and from drying out. Chicken, and chicken breasts to be exact are big culprits of this.

Thanks Merkaba and Lam.
kris

Yea I had to look back, I thought that was you with the BBQ thread....

....still jealous

That is me.

So you looked at my meat and i looked at yours. we are both jealous. wtf.

Wow thanks!

I wouldn't bother adding the sugar to the brine then you don't need to worry about at all. I use kosher salt, couple slashes of apple cider vinegar, black peppercorns, a sprig of rosemary and sage.

not to highjack this thread, but, how do u get steak to be real tender. just a brief decription as to what i need to by from the store. meat tenderizer isnt working and my wife dont cook at all shes to busy already. thoughts?

Easy choose an already tender cut of steak. Most people refer to any cut of beef as a steak so this where we must start, but be prepared to pay more than 2.00/lb.

I am, and just about everyone else that ques is a huge fan of rib eyes. I find your choice(this is also a crucial part in selecting beef, by the usda grading system) cuts in the 5.99 to 11.99 per pound range. Might seem like a lot but these are the same exact steak the average steak house will sell you for 18.99 for a 12 ounce cut. New yorks(kansas city) strips are good, as are porterhouse/tbones.

Now the next part is preparing it. KISS(keep is simple stupid). a very light coating of the steak with olive oil, kosher salt or sea salts are fine with a dash of CBP(crushed black pepper). I love me some garlic too so throw it on. You need to let it come to temp(do not throw a fridge cold "steak" onto a very hot grill. The outside will cook way too fast and the middle will still be raw. I do not mean undercooked like rare, medium rare, i mean raw. After seasoning the steak let it sit and let the internal temp raise about 30-45 minutes. do not worry, unless you live in iraq your house will not allow it to raise too quick and you are still in the usda guidelines of being safe.

prepare your fire in the meantime. charcoal, gas, whatever. make sure it is hot(around the 500-600 degree range at the grate). after it has settled in, and the 30 or so minutes have passed, throw that baby on. here is the tricky part, LEAVE IT THE FUCK ALONE. This isnt a clit, there is no reason to play with it. About three to four minutes in, give it a 30 to 45 degree turn(not flip, turn). This is only for grill marks, nothing more. About two minutes after that, flip. this will be the only time to flip, we are not playing pogs in junior high. At this point you will get the temp of the steak to your liking(125 is a good medium rare because there is a temp rise after pulling it, i will explain below).

Now, the last and most crucial part will be a two part explanation(because I have not gone into enough detail yet). Part one is how do you like your meat? Do not say bloody because there is no blood in the meat(they are hemoglobins). the closer to medium rare that you keep it the juicier it will be. Under that and the steak doesn't really have a chance to break down in the tissue. Over medium and the juices start going bye bye and it will become drier than a desert and the tissues will start to toughen up. This is why everyone says medium rare is the perfect steak(although people will argue preferences). One word is stay away from WELL THE FUCK DONE. Carcinogens have been associated with over cooking steaks, I could be wrong though as I live in CA and everything in this state causes cancer.
Two parts you say. After you get the steak to your final product put it on a plate and let it REST. I was once told, why should it rest, i have done all the work and i am hungry. Let it rest for 10 minutes or so allowing the juices to redistribute. if you cut into it early all the juices will be lost on your plate and the steak will dry out. While it is resting you can give it a nice shot of butter(you heard it butter). This will act as a flavor seal on the outside. Just take the stick and pretend it is an ear of corn. Trace the whole steak and wait, wait, wait.

Its time, eat it, feel fat, and repeat 9 times a week.

All this only applies to already tender cuts of meat. London broils, etc... are tough cuts that need to be slow cooked some how(smoker, crock pot, oven) to make tender.

Here are some USDA prime courtesy of Costco
















Now that is medium rare. If you do it right, there is ZERO need for any crazy sauces, a-1's are anything. The meat will be so juicy that you would need a cigarette even if you didn't smoke after making sweet love to it.

You bastid!

Now I think I'm gonna have to throw a steak on the Grill. Ok I'm realizing I don't think I've been getting my grill hot enough. Throws off my timing and I ended up getting over done steak. How about burgers, same temp for the grill? I know the meat needs to get to 160 on the inside. I just bought a digital thermometer yesterday.

Suprfast, have you ever tried cooking a steak using a charcoal starter? You put the charcoal in the starter, light it up, and then place the steak underneath the charcoal starter. It puts the coals a few inches above the steak and creates a broiling effect. After about a minute and a half on each side, the steak is seared. To finish the steak, one puts a grate on top of the starter, put the steak on the grate (over the coals) and then covers it with a bowl. It basically creates a convection effect. You leave it in there until the proper done-ness and it creates some of the best cooked steaks that I've had.

Here: I found an article where Alton Brown lists the process. He does this process in an episode of Good Eats. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a video. I also really like the way he prepped the steaks -- the first time I do it this way, I was shocked at how good the steaks tasted compared to cooking them the day they are purchased.

Originally Posted by Marat

Suprfast, have you ever tried cooking a steak using a charcoal starter? You put the charcoal in the starter, light it up, and then place the steak underneath the charcoal starter. It puts the coals a few inches above the steak and creates a broiling effect. After about a minute and a half on each side, the steak is seared. To finish the steak, one puts a grate on top of the starter, put the steak on the grate (over the coals) and then covers it with a bowl. It basically creates a convection effect. You leave it in there until the proper done-ness and it creates some of the best cooked steaks that I've had.

Here: I found an article where Alton Brown lists the process. He does this process in an episode of Good Eats. Unfortunately, I couldn't find a video. I also really like the way he prepped the steaks -- the first time I do it this way, I was shocked at how good the steaks tasted compared to cooking them the day they are purchased.

I saw that episode. Crazy technical show on authenticity.

never thought about cooking a steak in a chimney(charcoal starter i assume). I usually cook too much. Some foil put foil or a dome to all the meat to come up to temp. I like the idea of a grate on top of the chimney though for a single steak. might save you some charcoal.

Digital thermometer is needed unless you are a pro that has done it for 20 years. they can do the push test on the steak. Steaks I am not too critical about, but I do cook my ground beef/sirloin whatever to a higher internal temp just to make sure all the bacteria that got mixed around is killed. Steaks do not have the issue as much since all the bacteria sits on the top layers and are killed roughly 10 seconds after it hits the grill.

Chicken I take all the way to temps.

lamb shanks

Looks delicious!!!!

I've been trying brisket but its just not coming out good yet. I'm definitely a poultry expert on the smoker now though.

Originally Posted by Merkaba

You bastid!

Now I think I'm gonna have to throw a steak on the Grill. Ok I'm realizing I don't think I've been getting my grill hot enough. Throws off my timing and I ended up getting over done steak. How about burgers, same temp for the grill? I know the meat needs to get to 160 on the inside. I just bought a digital thermometer yesterday.

Steaks absolutely High heat. Internal temp 140.

Burgers I do high heat as well. If you trust your meat source you can cook to medium rare. If not, then 160 internal temp.

Digital thermometers are the shit when it comes to BBQin. I cringe when I see people cut into meat to see how ready it is.