How to Cook Premium Steaks

If carry-over cooking occurs as it's resting, and I want a steak done "medium-rare", should I take it out of the pan when it feels "rare"?

The feel method already takes into consideration the carry-over cooking. But remember, this only works for steaks, not roasts. Also, much depends how the carry-over cooking is done. If tented and turned occasionally on a rack (as opposed to no turning and on a plate), the doneness will be more even throughout. This means that the blood, heat, and continued coagulation has spread throughout the steak perfectly.

I was sceptical about a couple pf things on this video. One being the flip often method and the other being how to season the steak. I just tried this exact method tonight and i'm sure I don't have to tell you but I will, It Is Phenominal. I never thought a little oil salt and pepper could season so well. I found out the real mistakes I were making though was in the selection of meat cut and quality. With the right cut and quality the seasoning mentioned in this video are all you need to bring out the magnificant flavor of a beef steak!

Thanks for taking the time to comment :)

As I was learning to cook, I was lucky enough to have a butcher as a friend. He was of the "flip" school too, and that's the way I did it for years. But then, I took a cooking class in Napa CA, and the Chef said never flip a steak, and to be honest, I forget why. I was glad, when I took this class, that flipping was your method. Oh, and my brother is still talking about the steak I made him!!!

Glad you had great results.

How does one determine "rare" or "well done" for a steak that is being cooked by the flip-once method. The vidoe showed determining a medium steak, but what would I do if I wanted to cook a steak to rare only?

Hi... first of all, we recommend the flip-often method over the flip-once unless you are doing a very thin steak.

To test for doneness (for rare and well-done) using the flip-once method, you will have to rely on the touching-method demonstrated for the flip-often method (topic 4). It is the primary method, shy of cutting into the steaks to determine doness. We don't recommend cutting into the steaks as it will result in a steak that is less juicy as most of the juices will escape from the incision. But during your learning phase, don't hesitate to check by taking a peak if you need to. One other way for well-done steaks is to wait until the juices run clear (meaning no redness at all). Once the occurs, the meat will be cooked well-done throughout.

It will take time to be able to master this (many chefs take months of practice before they can tell with accuracy). So have patience. You could even start a log and record your times and then adjust on subsequent attempts until you figure out the perfect timing and the perfect indicators for your desired doness.

I have been using the flip-often method with tremendous success. I am going to my boyfriend's parents' house and they have an outdoor grill. I want to get those cross-hatch marks. That's why I asked.

Here's a little trick I employed when learning. I always wanted to make sure that the steaks I cooked for quests were cooked perfectly, so I did cut into one when learning. And this steak became mine (the "host" steak). Just keep in mind that you still need to rest it and there will be a bit of carry-over cooking so cook them a bit underdone and let them rest to the perfect doneness.

I am getting tested on Grill marks but I am only instructed in panfrying a steak ???
Am I missing something here?
Klaus S

This is a lesson on premium steaks. How to choose, what to do with them when you get them home and how to cook. We talk about panfrying and grilling within the context of this lesson.

Happy to answer any questions that you have re: the questions if the topics themselves don't cover them or if you have further questions. Just let us know what they are.

Thank you Joe,
My mistake. I don't know how I could have missed this.
Must have been the Martini! Coffee from now on.
Klaus S

When your hand is open,touch the fatty part where your palm meets your thumb. This is how a rare steak feels. Touch your pointer finger to your thumb,this is med-rare. Middle finger to thumb is medium. Ring finger to thumb is med-well. Pinky to thumb means you burnt your steak.

I just can't seem to master how to add heavy cream to pan sauce without getting white specks instead of a good uniform colour. I made two steaks today -- one with a wine and stock pan sauce, like the one shown in "Beef Tenderloin in Red Wine Sauce", and the other deglazed with wine and then adding some heavy cream to it. I got specs again (I've complained about this already on this forum, but that time I had used old cream and some half-and-half)! But this time I tried with fresh cream, but the specks still formed. Do I reduce the heat to very low when adding the cream?

If your your pan is too hot, your sauce will break. Turn the heat down and whisk the sauce to emulsify.

It's either not fresh or it's not heavy cream (like whipping cream). It needs to be 33% or greater. What kind of cream are you using?

The package said heavy whipping cream.

I *really* like this lesson and learned a lot regarding a topic I thought I was pretty good at. Thanks a lot.

I have been using the touch method since I can remember but have inconsistent results with very thick cuts of tenderloin. I find that they continue to feel "rare soft" until they are cooked to medium and I prefer medium-rare or about the middle half pink. So I find myself taking them off early and that sometimes results in inconsistent doneness. No problem with NY or ribeye (thinner) steaks by the way.

After I watched this video, I tried putting one tenderloin on a very hot grill and left a second of the same cut off. I cooked the steak for a minute then flipped and repeated 5 times, so each side had 3 minutes - this is usually good for medium rare with my infra-red barbecue.

I put the other steak on for one minute per side, pulled them both off at the same time then tested the two using the touch method. While I could easily tell which had been cooking longer (because of the crust) the difference in softness was not readily noticeable. Both seemed like the palm of my hand with thumb and pointing finger touching, or both felt rare when one should feel medium-rare.

Do you have a suggestion? If I am serving guests I may flatten the tenderloin a bit to avoid problems, but I'd rather not.

Thanks for making a great site!

Hi David. Firstly, as a teacher I absolutely love the fact that your experimenting and taking things into your own hands. For some reason people opt out when it comes to using their instincts and senses to arrive at their own conclusions.

The issue with thick steaks is that they may reach a point where they are basically a mini-roast, in which case there is no way to "feel" what activity of coagulation has occured in the middle. In these cases, and especailly becasue some steak connaiseurs love their steaks quite thick, you'll need a thermometer to test the doneness. The flipping methods still has its advantages, it's just a matter of a few more flips and longer resting period. Also, make sure to check by inserting from the side of the thickest part of the steak towards its center.

Great suggestion, thanks Tony!
Cheers, D

http://www.thermoworks.com/products/thermapen/tpen_home.html

Sorry, not currently available in our store. But I've heard great things about this one.

Thanks Joe, I didnt thik they made them so narrow, pefect for the BBQ!
Mine's orange, on its way

Let me know how it works for you...it's on my "wish list".

I have been pestering Joe with than cream-based pan sauce that I can't seem to get right. This time I looked at the fat content on the container. It says 17% fat, nowhere close to the 33% or up that Joe mentioned. And that was the highest fat content in any cream at my supermarket. Can I do anything to the cream to increase the fat content. I don't think the British "double cream" is available in US supermarkets. Is there no way I can make a good cream-based pan sauce without cream that 33% fat?

Hi Swati,

I'd suggest trying another store. I have never been in a store here in Canada or the US that doesn't have 33 M.F. Whipping (or double cream). It is what is used if you want to make whipped cream for pie. Should be able to find it almost anywhere in the world.

Third time's a charm! :)

Joe

You crazy guys with your flip often method are really trying to change the world huh! hahah I don't know if I've been converted but I'll certainly keep an open mind.

One question I do have is whether or not a professional line cook would be encouraged to use the flip-often method. I haven't worked in a professional kitchen myself but I know between the sheer number of orders and the varying requested doneness' a cook/chef could have their hands full quickly and therefore may not have time to "babysit" each steak using the flip-often method. Thoughts?

Hi Jim. Definitely no time to flip at a constant rate, but at least one or two wouldn't hurt. Don't forget, to get those perfect grill marks requires similar attention. I worked the grill station at a high volume restaurant once and wish they had encouraged the flip-at-least-often-when-possible method. The steaks would have been juicier, though not prettier. When time is an issue, it's always a compromise.

Interesting stuff, thanks very much. I'll certainly give it a try.

One thing that I thought I'd share with you Swati is that most cream containers have two fat content measurements. One in the nutritional information area but this is generally for a portion size (say 15 ml) and the other is written somewhere else on the container (usually at the top). This one says 33% M.F. This is the one you should be looking for.

Have you found one yet?

Got the thermometer, thanks, great suggestion Joe!

So what temp do you suggest for a thick tenderloin to medium rare?

Between 125-130 F...on the lower end if the steaks were tempered. And tempering the steak will produce much better results than starting with cold steaks! Hope this helps.

Thanks Joe! Now I get it. I kept looking for the Total Milk Fat and that was never higher than 10% (Saturated fat at 17%). I will look for the milk fat content at the top of the container. I just bought heavy whipping creams from two different companies to try out. Thanks for the help Joe, and I apologize for being such a pest.

You guys are doing an amazing job. Just went through this steak series, and I have to say the detail and the method of teaching is exceptional.

Gang,

I received a subscription to Rouxbe.com as a wonderful gift for Christmas. The "Beef Lessons" were some of my first. I had a chance to put the "flip often method" and "testing doneness by feel" lessons into practice while preparing steaks for a new years eve dinner celebration. There were six of us in total for dinner and I was on the grill with the following instructions for our striploin steaks: 3 medium rare, one medium and 2 medium well. I was using a friends natural gas barbecue on his patio in blizzard conditions. I used the methods taught in the lessons to nail the doneness level of all 6 steaks. The feedback from my friends was very positive. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your fantastic instructions. I am looking forward to learning more from your wonderful web-based cooking school.

Up until now, my preferred technique for thick tenderloin steaks has been to pan roast them (searing with high heat until brown on the first side, approx 2 minutes. Flipping and placing pan in a 450-500 deg oven for an additional 3 - 5minutes depending on size). Is there any reason why this option is not covered in this lesson? Also, I've owned a Thermapen for about a year now. The only true "instant read" thermometer I'd ever own and extremely accurate as well.

For an extra decadant pan sauce, try using a ruby port for the deglazing wine.

Nothing wrong with putting large thick steaks into an oven but if you sear first (which you should of course) I'd suggest a lower temperature for more even cooking (like 350). This is often how they do it in professions kitchens so the chefs can multi-task.

The reason we prefer the pan method is that you can "flip often" which is much harder in the oven as you would have to open the door all the time. It took a bit of convincing on our part with the flip often method, but now it's definitely our preferred method for premium steaks. It's also a much better way to 'protect your sucs' as you can keep an eye on it and control the temperature much better if you watching it. Sucs can easily burn in the oven, particularly with high heat.

I really like the idea behind the flip often techneque and I'll be trying this shortly. Thanks again for the speedy response!

I chose d (all of the above)
Correct answer was a (thickness of the steak)

Don't the quality of a steak and its aging process affect the cooking time? I mean.. a dry aged steak doesn't cook the same way as a fresh steak that wasn't aged, right? A well marble steak may need a little more cooking time than a lower quality steak with no marbling, no? A grass-fed steak will need less cooking time than a well marble prime steak - etc...

Perhaps, but insignificantly so. Once a steak is properly tempered (and that's the real issue that determines cooking times), and if they are of equal thickness (that too is important), the quality of the steak is much less of a factor.

I had two beautiful dry aged Hearst Ranch steaks from the local butcher. These steaks are beyond fresh as I live in Cambria CA, just minutes from Hearst Ranch.

I unwrapped the steaks, put them a rack in the fridge for a few hours. They tempered 2 hours on the counter, but after 2 hours, they were still at 56 F. (It was cold today and my counters are granite). To bring them up to temp, I put them in a 200F oven for five minutes (was this my mistake?).

They were aged, marbled and quite thick (approx 1-1/2") New York strips. I pan fried them in a cast iron skillet, using the flip often method for 6 mins. I used the much coveted Thermapen and I took them off at 125F., and they rested on a rack 15-20 mins. (I haven't got the multi-tasking bit down yet).

They were okay. They were pink in the middle, and juice was there but the texture was dry. After all this, did I make a mistake trying to temper them in the oven after two hours on the counter?

Remember that at room temperature, it would take quite a long time to temper the steaks to exact room temperature. But 56 F is still much better than fridge temp. of 35 F. Unless these steaks were really thick, it was not necessary to temper them in the oven after leaving them at room temperature. My guess is that the steaks didn't sizzle enough initially in the pan, as they may have been warm and too moist from the oven heat, so evaporated too much moisture. Sounds like they needed some basting while they were cooking with some butter. Next time I'd temper at room temperature only and proceed as usual. I'd also baste these steaks. Sometimes well aged, local, not mass produced steaks, like that extra touch. Hope this helps.

Thank you Tony for your prompt reply, you need to be grateful you don't live next door to me as I would be bothering you all the time (but I am sure I would be a better cook).

Just wondering, We love the peppercorn sauce recipe with our tenderloin, but I also love the look and smell of a grilled steak. Is it possible (without ruining a good piece of beef) to start in the pan to get the juices, and then finish it off quickly on a grill or will that dry the heck out of it?

Sure why not, just don't fully cook it in the pan (eg. if you want rare, don't cook it to rare in the pan). Also make sure your grill is good and hot before you start and then go ahead and finish on the grill.

I know what you mean about the "grilled taste" it is so yummy! I also love the pan sauce though, so this might be a good compromise.

Good luck and enjoy!

Thanks Dawn, I was a little worried about the tenderloin fillet getting tough, but I did as you suggested, cooked them to rare in the pan and then finished them off quickly on the hot grill. Let them rest while I did the sauce. They turned out great. Delicious and juicy with the little bit of grill kick to add to the taste.

When I have purchased thick cuts of steak (ie thick tenderloins) for special occasions, I would start off the steak in a low oven (200-250) and insert a instant read thermometer until a temp of 125-130, let it rest for 5-10 minutes, get my cast iron skillet extremely hott, and then sear the steak for about 1.5 mins per side. The steaks were perfectly medium rare in the middle from top to bottom, with the juices retained, and a delicious crust just at the top and bottom. Do you know of any negative aspects about this method for cooking thick cuts/ any reasons not to use this method?

If you treat a very thick piece of meat like a roast, as your are doing here, it will achieve the same results - it simply will take much more time. I have cooked thick steaks in a low oven, they're juicy and pink throughout, but I find the texture a bit too soft, much like what sous-vide produces (that would be my only negative feedback, but also one that is personal). However, I know a butcher that swears by your described method. Again, it's a matter of taste, but as long as one achives the desired doneness using the technique properly.

Hi Guys,

I loved the lesson my mouth was watering the whole time and now see the need of a keyboard cover...
When I cook meat in the pan, whether steaks, sauteed chicken or strips for a stir-fry I always hit the meat with my blow-torch. I get the caramelized "grill-taste" right there in the pan adding a lot to the taste spectrum.

PS Lovin' the school.

You could combine the flip once cross hatch method with the multi flip method by the following sequence.
Start at 10:00; flip to 10:00; flip to 2:00; flip to 10:00; done. It also provides a built in 4 minute timer:).

Ufff, this lesson it's just awesome

Premium steak are usually LARGE steaks. Does cutting a steak in half (vert or horiz) affect the flavor along the cut? What I mean is that the new cut surface hasn't been exposed to air as long as the rest of the surface of the steak. Is there anything I should do special for the new cut surface?

Good question. I like the detail of it. But once the surface of a steak hits very hot heat of a pan or grill, it doesn't make a difference whether the cut was fresh or aged dry. Simply make sure it is dry.

I cook all my filet's using the flip often method in my restaurant. Customers love the doneness and juiciness of the steak. Even those that sin and order a filet well. We also pan grill our ribeye in a cast-iron grill pan and I had a customer last night ask me how I prepared it and they were astonished as they felt it was one of the best prepared ribeyes they have ever had. I told him we keep it simple and just season with salt and pepper and grill. They were shocked by that. I am a firm believer in the KISS method (Keep it Simple Stupid). Happy Grilling!

Hey guys, thanks for all the great information!

I was going to comment on this when it came up in the video, and just saw that Diarmuid beat me to it. When I learned to make the cross-hatch pattern on the grill years ago, we flipped it 3 times. There's the initial cooking position, then after it's a quarter done you flip the steak over and cook the other side. Now both sides have one half the pattern. After a little cooking, flip again to the original side, rotating the steak 90 degrees, thereby completing the pattern on one side. On the last flip you complete the pattern on the other side.

This comes with the bonus that you don't seem to lose as much juice into the grill as you do with the flip-once method.

Of course now I mostly pan-fry, and flip every minute. :)

I noticed that when deglaze, it is taught to use cold butter before it's done. First, why we need to add butter, second, why cold butter?

Thanks

Good question, but rather than just tell you why, go ahead and watch topic 6 of How to Make a Pan Sauce and all of your questions should be clearly answered, even with video. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask.

Cheers - Happy Cooking!

I cook most of my food on a Big Green Egg (a ceramic grill/smoker/oven). It's hard to beat a steak cooked on a cast iron great over natural hardwood coals. But I really love a pan sauce.

If you hand slice & trim your own steaks from ribeye roasts or tenderloins, SAVE YOUR SCRAPS. While the steaks are grilling, cook the scraps in a pan, remove and use that pan as the base for your pan sauce for grilled steaks!

(If the scraps are decent enough like the chain of bull cut from a tenderloin it's "chef's treat". If it's more fatty, you'll make your dog very happy:) )

I hope will have a solo topic on the science of these two cooking methods.

Very briefly, it about the length of cooking time and the heat. However, this is something we will get into down the road, after we have covered a bit more of the basic cooking school curriculum.

In the meantime, here is a bit more info. You can also do a search on the internet for "what is the difference between grilling and barbecuing" - this is a rather hot topic. Cheers!

I just want to say that since I have seen the Rouxbe video on cooking steaks, my steaks come out perfect every single time. I use a well seasoned cast iron skillet and I brush both sides of the steak with olive oil and then season well with salt and pepper. I preheat the skillet on high heat for about 15 min and sear the steaks 2 min per side and then I flip every min until done, which I do by touch. Then transfer to a drying rack and cover with foil about 5 min. They come out perfect every time and dinner guests rave and cannot believe it was cooked in a skillet. Thank you Rouxbe!

Great news Bruce. Thanks so much for sharing with us. Keep up the good work! Cheers.

I tried the delicious video recipe of the tenderloin steak with the red wine reduction, but I substituted a prime dry-aged New York strip steak that the butcher cut a little thicker than I anticipated. It was probably about an inch and a half thick. I properly tempered and seasoned it exactly according to the instructions in the lesson.

I cooked it in the pan using the "flip often" method. After a while, I found that it was at the right level of internal doneness by touch and by temperature, but the side edge of the steak was still raw. The top and bottom were beautifully colored, but the side was still blood-red. I solved it by holding the steak on its side and searing it, and the steak turned out delicious. Is that the proper solution? Should the side of the steak have even failed to cook, or did I do something wrong? With a steak that thick, should I sear all sides before allowing to cook through with the flip often method?

I also found that the steak was a bit drier and tougher than I would've expected for its quality. I did let it rest a bit too long because it took longer than I expected to make the reduction -- could that have done it? Or perhaps did I let too much of the juice run out when I thermometer checked it? I'm comfortable with the touch method from prior experience, but the raw side of the steak made me doubt my judgment.

You can very quickly sear the sides of the steak at the end of cooking to take away the red color, if desired. We show the same thing in the Pan Frying Fish Lesson (Topic 4).

Regarding the quality, sometimes it's just the meat. Talk to your butcher and let him know. There have been times that we have bought quality steaks and they just weren't as good as the others; but our butcher appreciated the feedback.

By testing a steak with a thermometer, this won't let all the juices run out. If you are comfortable with the touch method, keep on using it. Cheers!

Thank you very much for your quick response! I'm glad to know what I did was acceptable. I must say, my cooking skills have improved at least tenfold in just the few days I've been a member. As many others have said, Rouxbe is truly a wonderful thing!

I didn't make the salad along with the steak, but here's how the steak in question turned out: http://drp.ly/1nfcfQ Please excuse the presentation; I'm just learning. :)

As for the meat, I got it at a higher-end grocery meat counter since it's the only place in the area that I can get dry-aged beef. It wouldn't be the first time that I've been less than impressed with their meat. It's incredibly hard to find a good butcher shop these days. The only local butcher I know doesn't sell graded beef, and I haven't seen the equivalent of USDA Prime quality in the shop. Still, their steaks are usually better than last night's was, so maybe I'll go back to the local place.

Nice work Rob - that steak looks like a delicious restaurant quality steak. In fact it looks better than some of the steaks I have been served in some higher end restaurants. Keep up the good work - cheers!

All the lessons so far covering steaks have been fantastic. Considering I had never cooked a steak 2 months ago and now getting considerable praise from customers has kept me coming back to rouxbe day after day to continue improving.

Following your methodology to first let the steak dry out a little in the fridge (especially for those vacuum packed tenderloins), then temper the steak, then cook to order using either the flip-once or continually has produced fantastic results. My concern is that in a commercial environment, what are the hazards of tempering a number of steaks and needing to refrigerate those that were not sold. I really want to offer my customers steaks cooked exceptionally well, but it seems a little more daunting to follow this procedure outside of my own home.

Great point. Having worked in many professional kitchens, happy to share a few tips.

1. At a minimum, make sure that all your steaks are out of cryovac packaging. At least do enough for a couple of days service. Letting them air dry in the fridge is completely food safe.

2. Tempering steaks is a bit trickier. Take a couple of steaks out before service and place on a rack. As soon as you sell one, take another one out and place it on the rack. If service starts to slow, only leave one out at a time. If you know you're going to sell a lot, you may need to do a few more. And remember, you can temper a steak quite quickly in most professional kitchens as there are a lot of nice warm spots to put them (e.g. you can pop it into a warm oven, beside the broiler, etc.). So if you don't want to take the risk if you have a lower volume restaurant, you can still temper in a few minutes before pan frying.

You are right... a steak left out at room temperature should not be refrigerated again. Cook it and eat it :-).

what is the best way to marinade for grilling and what is the process... Meats like tri tip, and chickens

Stay tuned. There is a lesson that will be released very soon on How to Marinate Foods. In the mean time, the most important thing to do before grilling marinated meat is to pat it dry very well to prevent flareups.

Just a note to anyone reading this. Because this question was asked in the Premium Steaks thread, we wanted to mention that we generally don't marinate premium steaks as they are already so flavorful themselves. Often just a bit of salt, pepper and oil is more than enough. Cheers!

Thank you for the lesson re: the "frequently flipping" method. I've used it often to great results. I recently saw a video on Pan-Seared Thick-Cut Strip Steaks and the instructions presented a very different approach: start the room temperature steaks on a rack in a 275* oven until an internal temp of 90-95* is reached, then transfer the steaks to a pre-heated pan for approximately 2 minutes per side. The steaks are thus seared with a nice crust. This method eliminates the gray band that typically forms just under the crust.

Any thoughts about this latter method? I tried it and found it exceptionally good.

Many thanks for your fabulous videos,
Carol

Have not tried this particular method for cooking steaks so I cannot really comment but if it works for you and you are happy with the end result that is what counts. That is the great thing about cooking there is rarely just one way to get the job done so it is never boring. Cheers!

Just wanted to drop a line to the staff to say thanks for all this awesome content, and also give my testimonial for the "flip often" method. I've stuck with the "flip once" method my whole life, but was never really satisfied with the way they came out. Tried the "flip often" method (along with tempering prior to cooking), and got the best steak I have ever cooked.

The story is here: http://bit.ly/cTMGXH

Realized after the meal that I probably should have picked a better looking end of the steak for the picture, but it still tasted good...

When I was a kid we would go to Mr Mikes for charbroiled steaks and they were great. That was the only place I knew where we could get a steak that had that unique charbroiled flavor. How can I recreate this at home. I have tried everything from steak spice to using wood chips but nothing recreates that amazing charbroiled flavor I remember as a child. Is all lost? Do I have to purchase a Mr.Mikes? Please help!

While this is a great question, it is beyond what a forum can achieve. Rather than precise methodology and a series of techniques, a forum is merely words which can create too many variables for the learner. This is why we use visual and auditory cues in our content to teach necessary skills and techniques.

Our focus is to help users by answering their questions and giving them feedback based on our content that we have published to date. While we are sensitive to helping you with your culinary education, greater research and precise details are important to properly answer your question.

We recommend that you investigate further to find a trusted source on this subject. Unfortunately, the world of food is endless, so we cannot answer every question accurately in a forum context. Hope you understand. Cheers!

p.s. We used to eat at Mr. Mikes when I was a kid and I still remember that flavor. I, personally, don't know what method they used to achieve this, but it sure was memorable :-)

I will do more research and let you know what I come up with. Thanx Dawn

When flipping meat with tongs, do you wash the tongs each time you flip? I worry about the tongs touching the raw side and the cooked side.

Thanks!

If you are concerned, give the tongs a rinse; but, generally, with steak you don't need to. Cheers!

Is it a good ideal to start the steak in a pan or on the grill, and then finish cooking them in an oven?

We cook our steaks according to the lesson on How to Cook Premium Steaks. If you have not watched the lesson yet you may want to check it out. Cheers!

I was cooking a somewhat thicker New York steak (about 1.5") in a stainless steel pan. I brought the pan up to temperature on medium high heat and used the water ball test, added the oil, then the steak, and flipped every minute until the steak was done. Once the steak was in the pan I turned the heat down to just under medium. The steak came out great, but the sucs were blackened. Not quite charcoal, but definitely looking burned. I was using a pan that was the right size for the steak.

I'm wondering what I could do differently. I've had this happen 2 or 3 times now and am a bit frustrated that I'm not doing what it sounds like most other people are doing without a hitch.

Rather than focusing on where the heat is at ie. medium, medium-high etc., pay attention to what is happening in the pan. If it looks like the sucs are taking on too much color simply turn the heat down a bit.

Out of curiosity, did you taste the sucs or use them to make a pan sauce? They can look quite dark sometimes but they may not be burnt. Keep practicing and do not be afraid to adjust the heat throughout the cooking process. Cheers!

Thanks Dawn. I actually did taste a bit of the sucs and they were somewhat burned tasting and a bit bitter in flavor. Do you think I should start with a cooler pan at the beginning?

There is not necessarily one definite answer here Ken. If your pan has been properly heated then you are likely okay to start. If however the pan starts to smoke once you add the oil and or steak then yes indeed you should turn the heat down. It comes down to paying attention to what is happening in the pan. If your instinct tells you that you might want to turn the heat down, at any point, then do so...you can always turn it back up. Keep practicing and you will get the hang of it. Also, remember you can always review the pan frying and sauteing lessons (or any other lesson for that matter) over and over again to see if there is something that you may have missed or perhaps you just might want a refresher. Hope this helps - cheers!

I watched the lesson and I know you can use a pan or a skillet to cook, but don't see much cooking method explained by using a skillet. Unfortunately that's the only thing i have at hand - a Le Creuset skillet grill. Do the pan frying method for testing temperature (and applying oil) work the same way on the skillet? or do i have to follow the grill way (saw you guys oil it by using kitchen towel on the video)? and also since it's a skillet grill, do i have to use the flip-once method? because i think the flip-often method seems better? or should i just give up using the skillet grill and change to a normal pan (which "used to be" a non-stick pan) instead? really nervous right now as i'm gonna cook it tonight (which is 7 hours later in my time zone). thank you so much!

I forgot to mention, my meat is pretty thick (around 1 1/2), and I forgot what kind of meat it is (bought it a while ago and stored it with a zip-loc bag in the freezer...), so i guess i should stick with the flip-often method?

If you are talking about a cast-iron grill, you can't perform the water test on this. Just heat it slowly over medium heat or so until it is hot. You can also brush the grates with a light coating of oil once it is hot and even apply a thin layer to the steak & season. You can try the flip often method, but you'll have to line up the grill marks each time you flip it. I can't tell you what the results will be if you don't even know what cut of meat you are cooking, but give it a shot. A good, stainless-steel pan is worth the investment as there are so many things you can cook in it. Good luck! Hope this helps!

when cooking your steak on the grill, can you use hickery chips to flavor thesteak

When cooking steaks on a grill you can use which ever flavored chips suits your fancy. Cheers!

I've done tenderloin steak twice with the "flip often" method and I am really impressed. It was the best steak I ever cooked in 49 years and my husband loved the pan sauce. Love this school!

I'm really enjoying being a member here. I have never loved my kitchen before and I'm loving it now and the recipes here are great! I'm learning and loving it at the same time!
I got so excited with the tenderloin steak with red wine sauce that I served it when we had company between Christmas and New Year's. I cooked for 6 and did it prior to them coming in. I was done with the 6th one just before 6 30 and started making the sauce in time for their arrival at 7. Well as expected we didn't have dinner till 40 minutes later coz of the appies and drinks. I've never enjoyed entertaining because it stresses me out to even plan it. I stepped out of my comfort zone that night. The sauce and the steak were good except for one thing....it was cold. What should I do next time. I didn't microwave it or even put it in the oven as I was afraid it'll be so hard to chew.
I really want to be confident with my cooking skills then the entertaining part of it next. I'm positive it's achievable with your help!
Will there be teaching videos on how to entertain a party of 6-12? Planning and preparing for it makes me not want to invite people over. This is probably a stupid question for some of you but I need help!
I hope to hear from you soon!

Joyce, there is a discussion tab for recipes (took me a while to notice it myself). For the Beef Tenderloin recipe there is an answer by Joe on January 02, 2010 that seems to address this.

Thanks Ken I found it. I'll try it next time.

This is the best yet as i don't like steak. Maybe I can cook a better steak for my family.

I was glad to see this, because it always made sense to me that the flipping often gave more control to the cooking process.

My friends usually ask me to cook the steaks because I always get them done correctly. I've been reading the blood and using the flip once method for years, little did I know it is an actual cooking technique. I've also tried the flip often method recently on some thicker steaks and am finding it helpful since it allows me to get the proper doneness without overcooking the outside. This was always a challenge with the flip once method. Now I know how to solve it. Thanks!

I too have always used the flipping once method for years, watching for the blood to rise to the top. Now I am excited in learnning the flip often method for thicker steaks. Thanks rouxbe Cooking School.

For the longest time I would never cook steaks because they came out awful, dry and just wrong. The first question my friend asked me was I letting the steak come to room temp before cooking. My answer was no and ever since my steaks have been coming out great.

I have always grilled steaks (even today in Colorado where the temp was below zero!!!) and have never tried to make them in a pan. I shall try after this lesson.

My question is that I buy all my steaks from Omaha steaks and they stay frozen. I usually buy their sirloin cuts. I thaw for 24 hours in the fridge and then bring them up to room temp about an hour before grilling. Any comments about freezing beef? Is there a time limit to how long they should stay frozen? They ship them in vacuum sealed containers so freezer burn has never been an issue and honestly, when I do order them, they don't stay in there very long!

Also, the video says to add oil just before cooking. I prefer EVOO any other preferences out there?

Thanks!
Denise

As long as meats and fish are frozen at very low temperature, they maintain their integrity quite well. Much depends on your own freezer, but if they come to you properly frozen they should last for at least 6 months with no problem. The other key is to thaw in the fridge, so always give yourself plenty of time, and pat them dry extremely well.

EVOO has a low smoking point and if it burns it will produce off flavours. Either use another oil that has a higher smoke point or cut your EVOO, with grapeseed (preferred) or another neutral oil.

You can alwasy brush EVOO as the steaks are coming out of the pan, or baste with some butter during the last 30 seconds of cooking, off the heat.

But sounds like you're enjoying darn good steaks Denise.

My husband told me he could take this test ..no problem, so he did. He received 70% ,but I have to say our steaks that night rated a 10! Anyway as I'm the one doing the classes I'm retaking the test to go up against him. Let the competition begin.

Thanks for the response Tony. I grilled steaks again this week, thankfully it was warmer outside. I never patted my steaks dry before, I was in the mind frame of the moister the better. Well I patted these ones dry, grilled them using the flip once technique and my husband said they were the best steaks I have ever made. Great help!

Thanks so much!!!! I am really enjoying my cooking lessons!

I am testing Rouxbe for my cooking club and have tried for the first time to pan fry a steak. I followed the instructions on the video exactly from making sure my stainless steel pan was heated properly to adding the right amount of oil at the right time. Because my steak was a thinner one I chose to use the flip once method. I turned the steak just when I saw the beads of blood come to the top and was AMAZED that the steak did not stick! Clearly I have been cooking with my pan at the wrong temperature for a long time. Once again, when the blood beads appeared I removed the steak to rest on a rack, loosely covered it and proceeded to make a simple pan sauce. I don't usually cook with wine...hubby doesn't like it but as he is out of town for the night I did deglaze with a red wine, finished with a pat of butter. The steak and sauce were superb! I love this cooking school! (P.S. I've got Creme Brulee cooling in the fridge for tomorrow's dessert.)

I may have missed this in the video, but what is tempering?

In topic 3 there is a Drill-down called "What is Tempering?" that may shed some light on this for you. Cheers!

I used lots of tips from these lessons and we had the best grilled T-bones for dinner. Everyone was impressed and we could really tell the difference between the filet and strip parts of the steaks. It was great knowing what to look for. I never tempered them long enough or put oil on them before. Thanks! Should similar steps be taken to grill a roast? I have had that before and it was very tasty.

Pretty much the same principles apply to a roast, except turn every 5-10 minutes, and you'll need a thermometer to check the degree of doneness. Plus a longer resting time.

I've posted before that I always grill steaks. However, tonight I decided to make the steaks in a pan and make a simple sauce to go with it. I used the flip often method which I have never used before. I was having a hard time figuring out the done-ness so I did have to cut into it a bit a take a peak. I saved that one for me. I know it will come with practice.

I made the pan sauce by deglazing with some Marsala wine added fresh sage, thyme and rosemary and peppercorns. After reducing the sauce I removed the sprigs of sage, thyme and rosemary and finished it off with some butter. My husband is still raving about how awesome the sauce the came out!!!

Thanks again Rouxbe. Another winner winner steak dinner!!!!

I have always rested my steaks, but laid them on a plate, and then wondered why so much of the juices came out. Now I know, but don't have a rack that will fit nicely over a plate for the purpose. Any suggestions where to find one?

You will need to look in your area for restaurant supply stores. Most often these places will sell to the public. Specialty cookware stores also carry different sizes of cooling racks. They can also be ordered through many cookware stores online. Cheers!

um .. the question "You can test a prime rib roast for doneness by using the palm method" was this even covered in this lesson or the next? .. i dont remember anything about prime rib roasts in the how-to-cook-premium-steaks video.

Thanks for the catch. The glitch has been fixed and the question is no longer attached to this lesson. Cheers!

Can we use Red/white vine vinegar rather than red/white vine??

In short, the answer is generally yes. Please refer to the lesson on "How to Make a Pan Sauce" for more information on sauce making. Cheers!

In re-reading your question, if you are asking "can red or white vinegar can be substituted or used instead of red or white wine" then that answer is likely no, but it depends on what you are using it for. Again, the lesson how to make pan sauces should help you out. Cheers!

So, this was the first meal that I prepared after joining this site and I absolutely loved it. I've always seasoned my steaks exactly how you showed in the video with salt, pepper and oil, but I didn't really know about choosing premium steaks, drying the steaks prior to cooking or resting the steaks after cooking. My steak came out perfectly medium rare and I used the flip-once (in a stainless steal pan) method since it was a thinner steak. That was also the first time I made a sauce for the steak and it was great! Can't wait to continue learning and to try different techniques.

I notice in a lot of cooking recipes as well as your sauce for stake it call for wine, red and white. It dosen't say what kind of wine to use. since I dont that much about wine I dont know what kind of wine to buy. Pleans help me.

Thank you

Lewis

Typically, full-bodied or dry reds (cabernet, shiraz, , zinfandel, merlot / bordeaux, pinot noir, ) and dry, white wines (sauvignon blanc, chardonnay, chenin blanc) are used. If you go into any local wine store, ask for an inexpensive but decent-tasting wine to cook with. The staff will definitely be able to point you in the right direction. If they type of wine was really important to the dish, the recipe would state so, but almost all of the time, it doesn't matter, so don't worry too much.

There is a fabulous book called "What to Drink with What you Eat" that pairs wines with food. It lists general categories of grape varietals that will help you pair wines to drink and cook with for the type of dish you are making. Cheers!

Kimberley, thanks for the infor on what kind of wine to use for cooking. I appreciate your info.

Lewis

Question 1 on the quiz asks about what affects the cooking time of a steak. I answered #1 Thickness of the steak. Of course, the correct answer was #4 All of the above. I reviewed the topic, and it played the part about testing for doneness. Just wanted you to know so you can fix the link.

Should you keep the grill lid open or closed when cooking a steak?

Many people will say to close the lid; however, we generally leave it open when grilling steaks and other meats. The lid can be closed when you are using indirect heat to roast larger cuts of meat or if you are smoking. Cheers!

I find myself having just run out of grape seed and coconut oil, high smoke-point oils I usually like to cook with. Is it a bad idea to coat the steak with melted ghee? I'm worried the butter will not make it to the end of the cooking process without burning and hurting the flavor.

Thanks!

You should be fine with clarified butter/ghee (especially when cooking thicker steaks using the flip-often method) because the heat shouldn't be super high anyway. Make sure to monitor and control the heat during the entire cooking process. Cheers!

I had heard that it's not a good idea to use wines specifically made for cooking, e.g., the Holland House brand found in grocery stores. Is this true? If so, how long are regular wines good for use, once they are opened?

I don't drink much alcohol and would hate to open a bottle of "real" wine only to have it spoil before I've used it all!

There are several discussions in the forum on this subject. Just type in "wine" in the search bar at the top right of any page and you'll find many threads.

We do not use the type of grocery store cooking wine that you mention. They most often don't have good flavor. Any inexpensive dry white or dry red that has a decent flavor can be used. Some wine stores sell small bottles if you can't use up a regular-sized bottle within a few weeks to a month. Boxed wines are also good for longer storage. Cheers!

I have always rested my steaks and other meats, but never used a rack nor have I flipped it. Anxious to try this very soon as I just had a huge steak feed yesterday for a birthday. My husband always flips often whereas I was a flip once person - now I understand and will also be a flip often person.

This was great lesson, thanks,

Hi,

I recently cooked a thin rib eye steak for my husband and used higher (medium-high) on an electric stove. The steak was done as I liked it to be done but I did notice that the brown bits/sucs were burning. The pan was big enough really for just one steak and the the exposed parts of the pan seemed to be starting to turn black in some places. This renders the pan sauce bitter, right? So what can I do to cook my steak in a skillet and not have the brown bits burn?

Great question Swati. Really great!

You are correct, when cooking thin steaks, you do need higher heat, so you certainly got this part right. However, this does create some 'suc maintenance' issues. You need to protect the sucs! If they burn and you deglaze and then make a pan sauce with the deglazing liquid, the sauce will either be bitter or worse, burnt and not edible (as you noted).

Protecting the sucs is pretty easy given the quick cooking time.

1. Make sure you have a little excess oil in the pan. The sucs will burn much faster if they are dry.

2. Move the steaks around into the drier areas of the pan during the cooking process. If you are using the flip often method, every time you flip, just flip to another position in the pan (or more often if needed). Or slide the steak if using the flip once method.

3. And you did this part right, but highlighting for other students, make sure you select the right sized pan. To big a pan and there is just too much surface area to protect from burning.

Hope this helps. Cheers, Joe.

Do you think it's worth mentioning that one should add their steak to a preheated hot plate? My steaks tend to cool down too fast while eating it.
Thanks!

Yes, this is a general rule when plating food. Hot food should be served on warmed plates and cold food on chilled plates. Please refer to the lesson on The Basics of Plating for more information. Cheers!