Ripoffs at high end steak houses

[QueBert]

Dude. Come over to my house.

I'll cook you a better steak than most any place.

And.....if you go over to my mother's house, it'll change your mind that you need a $2k griller....You'll eat the best steak you've ever eaten in your life!

Yeap, that's just what my friend with the uber grill who drove to a different state to go to a butcher shop to get this beef he claimed was unobtainable anywhere in California said I'm sure your steaks are good, maybe even great. But I've hear the same thing from a dozen different people. And a dozen different times I felt like I had been lied to. People are generally far too proud of their own cooking skills. Although in those peoples defense I believe they were like parents who honestly believe their babie's the cutest thing in the world, even when it's borderline ugly.

 

[Markbnj]

as opposed to the Maine Lobster that Americans smother in butter or garlic butter? I can't imagine Lobster as tasting good to anyone. As I've never seen anyone eating it without a dish containing 1/2 a stick of butter which they dunked every bite in. Or some just take the whole tail and pour the butter directly on it.

Dude, if there was a seafood inquisition they'd have to burn you. Lobster should never be soused in butter, but it doesn't suffer from a little butter and garlic, and overall lobster, whether steamed, grilled, or boiled, is just awesome. Of course, too many people venerate the large 3+ pounders, and that's just stupid. Any lobsterman will tell you that it's the 1.5-2 pounders that are in the "sweet" spot for eating.

 

[dr150]

Yeap, that's just what my friend with the uber grill who drove to a different state to go to a butcher shop to get this beef he claimed was unobtainable anywhere in California said I'm sure your steaks are good, maybe even great. But I've hear the same thing from a dozen different people. And a dozen different times I felt like I had been lied to. People are generally far too proud of their own cooking skills. Although in those peoples defense I believe they were like parents who honestly believe their babie's the cutest thing in the world, even when it's borderline ugly.

Maybe you're hanging out with the wrong friends who are deluded into their own cooking or kids are the shiznit.

I have no doubt that a dude friend who works at IBM and buys a $2k weekender grille can cook worth damn. It takes more than that.

But I'm brutally objective and I've been to the very best restaurants the world has to offer, whether it be 28 rated Zagat or 3 star Michelin, so I can speak with some authority about what a good or great steak tastes like.

I admit I cannot really duplicate the "magic" my mother puts into her steaks, but I haven't eaten better. Every yuppie foodie who's tasted her steaks say the same about their awesomeness.......It is what it is.

....As far as elite restaurants are concerned, I've had better meals in "secret" foodie hole in the wall restaurants or houses (Europe/S. America) where a mama has 40+ years cooking experience (passed on from previous generations) and wakes up at 5AM to buy ingredients and spends all day concocting their masterpieces. :thumbsup:

 

[Fritzo]

as opposed to the Maine Lobster that Americans smother in butter or garlic butter? I can't imagine Lobster as tasting good to anyone. As I've never seen anyone eating it without a dish containing 1/2 a stick of butter which they dunked every bite in. Or some just take the whole tail and pour the butter directly on it.

Lobster has a mild/rich flavor that butter enhances (not seen many eat it with garlic). Fresh mayonnaise is another popular condiment for it.

Trivia: In the novels, James Bond's favorite food is lobster and mayonnaise.

 

[Anubis]

NE lobster rolls smother their lobster in butter or mayo. hmmm....



btw, lobster with siracha wtf kinda chinese lobster are you eating.

eh not really, a true lobster roll only uses a tiny bit of mayo, just enough to get it to stick to itself so it stays in the roll. a tablespoon at most, the only other ingredient in some paprika. roll gets buttered and toasted, thats about it

maybe some greenery in the bun as well

 

[MarkXIX]

Yeap, that's just what my friend with the uber grill who drove to a different state to go to a butcher shop to get this beef he claimed was unobtainable anywhere in California said I'm sure your steaks are good, maybe even great. But I've hear the same thing from a dozen different people. And a dozen different times I felt like I had been lied to. People are generally far too proud of their own cooking skills. Although in those peoples defense I believe they were like parents who honestly believe their babie's the cutest thing in the world, even when it's borderline ugly.

Weed these people out by asking them what they put on their steak before and after cooking.

If it's anything other than a good salt (Kosher, sea, etc.) and fresh cracked black pepper (coarse ground preferably), then they're lying asses.

If they say, "First, I marinate it in Italian dressing..." stop them and tell them you have other plans.

 

[uhohs]

reposting this from a previous steak thread.

http://forums.egullet.org/topic/119838-the-best-way-to-cook-a-thick-steak/

 

[Fritzo]

Weed these people out by asking them what they put on their steak before and after cooking.

If it's anything other than a good salt (Kosher, sea, etc.) and fresh cracked black pepper (coarse ground preferably), then they're lying asses.

If they say, "First, I marinate it in Italian dressing..." stop them and tell them you have other plans.

LOL- My in laws marinate EVERYTHING. It's hilarious! They think you're supposed to do it with everything too.

"I'm making ribs...want to come over?"
"Sure! Do you need something to marinade them in?"

 

[Imported]

Weed these people out by asking them what they put on their steak before and after cooking.

If it's anything other than a good salt (Kosher, sea, etc.) and fresh cracked black pepper (coarse ground preferably), then they're lying asses.

If they say, "First, I marinate it in Italian dressing..." stop them and tell them you have other plans.

I've normally only ever added salt and freshly ground pepper to my steaks.. but after having the chili-rubbed double ribeye at SW at the Wynn in Vegas, I've begun adding some freshly ground chili powder to the salt and pepper and it makes it oh so delicious.

 

[Ns1]

eh not really, a true lobster roll only uses a tiny bit of mayo, just enough to get it to stick to itself so it stays in the roll. a tablespoon at most, the only other ingredient in some paprika. roll gets buttered and toasted, thats about it

maybe some greenery in the bun as well

So what I'm hearing is, not only do you pollute the true taste of lobster with mayo, you totally fuck it up by putting it in buttered bread.



Only sort of kidding. I like lobster anyway I can get it. I love chinese/vietnamese lobster and lobster rolls (mayo or butter, doesn't matter to me). I'm not really a fan of steamed lobsters with butter.

 

[RagingBITCH]

I have been to sopposdely high end steak joints and wasn't impressed. best one i have had was texas roadhouse and even then it was ok.

though i want to go to one place in chicago. sopposed to be one of the best around

What idiot thinks Texas Roadhouse is a high end steakhouse? That's barely above a Chili's

 

[Train]

I've normally only ever added salt and freshly ground pepper to my steaks.. but after having the chili-rubbed double ribeye at SW at the Wynn in Vegas, I've begun adding some freshly ground chili powder to the salt and pepper and it makes it oh so delicious.

Ya, while the steak purists scoff at anything other than a pinch of salt & pepper, every once in a while it's ok to mix things up.

I have been known to put a shake or two of various things from onion powder, chili powder to the pre made Canadian steak seasoning mix on my steaks.

sue me.

 

[SAWYER]

Fuck steak. I'd rather have a bacon cheeseburger from the local pub. 800% of the enjoyment at 10% of the cost.

me too

 

[PowerYoga]

If you want to add stuff to your steak do it in a compound butter or something. Dry rubs are there to mask the taste of inferior meat, which is why you rarely see anything other than salt and pepper at authentic steak houses.

 

[MarkXIX]

I've normally only ever added salt and freshly ground pepper to my steaks.. but after having the chili-rubbed double ribeye at SW at the Wynn in Vegas, I've begun adding some freshly ground chili powder to the salt and pepper and it makes it oh so delicious.

I can respect that. I will season a steak based on the cuisine. If I'm grilling a steak that I'm serving with Caribbean cuisine I might grate some lime zest on it along with some cumin right before grilling.

Like I said though, you can weed out the "super steak makers" by asking them the salt and pepper question. They'll tip their cards pretty quick. "Yeah dude, totally use some seasoning salt and some BBQ sauce on mine, they're the best!"

 

[Ksyder]

Love the tip about the charcoal chimney. Definitely going to do that in the future.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

Oh, and to be fair, New Englanders have their own "down home" ways of destroying lobster as well.

The first is the so-called "lazy man's lobster", in which a lobster is cooked, the best parts removed from the shell and drowned in a garlic butter sauce and baked in a casserole until the meat turns to greasy rubber. Yum.

The second is baked stuffed lobster, which manages to not only bury the lobster under a loaf of bread crumbs, but usually dry it out as well. I used to get it this way back when I was a heathen.

 

[alkemyst]

Golden Corral <> high end steak.

 

[zinfamous]

What do you mean by "steak"? Beef was always regarded as an expensive meat and most of what you consider steaks were always expensive (sirloin, filet mignon, rib etc...) if you are talking about oxtail, hanger steak, flat iron, skirt steak etc... those have been on the cheap side but as people like them more and more is what makes them expensive.

I have heard this for lobsters. In New England, lobsters were caught and fed to the prison population. Initially regarded as ocean rats/insects. now they command a high price

this. "beefsteak" has always been considered a rather high-end, fashionable dish in this as well as other countries.

Funny thing about lobsters, you find that in the contracts of indentured servants in early colonial/USA years, they stipulated no more than one lobster meal per week or they would walk.

also, the lobster market has crashed. Wholesale prices have plummeted and many lobster farmers are struggling to keep their multi-generational businesses going. Glut of lobsters in the ocean, with so many critters up in New England being tossed back into the sea.

Of course, this hasn't changed restaurant prices. Lobster tail will always be considered high-end. If the menu prices suddenly reflected wholesale prices, customers would likely turn their noses at this sudden peasant food. (It's like trying to get someone to pay less than $2k for a Macbook. The nerve!)

However, you start finding lobster in new "value menu" items. You wills tart seeing lobster potato salad on special, or new lobster dips, or various appetizer/side dishes that would never be considered premium. And since you think of lobster as a premium dish, there is now an inherent value attached to these items.

 

[Charles Kozierok]

McDonald's has had summer lobster rolls in New England for years. Really. It's not horrible, from what I remember (not great, but at least reasonably fresh).

 

[Anubis]

Oh, and to be fair, New Englanders have their own "down home" ways of destroying lobster as well.

The first is the so-called "lazy man's lobster", in which a lobster is cooked, the best parts removed from the shell and drowned in a garlic butter sauce and baked in a casserole until the meat turns to greasy rubber. Yum.

The second is baked stuffed lobster, which manages to not only bury the lobster under a loaf of bread crumbs, but usually dry it out as well. I used to get it this way back when I was a heathen.

lol
im a new englander and i hate those 2 things

 

[Anubis]

Love the tip about the charcoal chimney. Definitely going to do that in the future.

i think Alton Brown did a good eats ep about it as well

 

[sjwaste]

Lazy Man's Lobster is just the lobster picked from the shell and presented to you. It doesn't need to be covered in anything or cooked further.

 

[Anubis]

Ya, while the steak purists scoff at anything other than a pinch of salt & pepper, every once in a while it's ok to mix things up.

I have been known to put a shake or two of various things from onion powder, chili powder to the pre made Canadian steak seasoning mix on my steaks.

sue me.

i happen to quite like the way Ramsay cooks a steak in this vid
ive done it,
very tasty

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmC9SmCBUj4

 

[Ns1]

Oh, and to be fair, New Englanders have their own "down home" ways of destroying lobster as well.

The first is the so-called "lazy man's lobster", in which a lobster is cooked, the best parts removed from the shell and drowned in a garlic butter sauce and baked in a casserole until the meat turns to greasy rubber. Yum.

The second is baked stuffed lobster, which manages to not only bury the lobster under a loaf of bread crumbs, but usually dry it out as well. I used to get it this way back when I was a heathen.

O_O

caps