lobels/wagyu...help

[sabg]

just in>>my lobel and wagyu steaks. i did not get a cast iron as i had hoped and am cooking these test taste steaks tonight. should i us a le creuset pan ??? or a calphalon, also there is always the grill but from what i have been reading that is not the best choice

[Jinmyo]

Grill. Salt and pepper, rub with butter.

[Schielke]

Very hot grill

[Jinmyo]

Very very hot grill.

[Ruth]

Definitely the grill but, above all, keep them very rare.

[tommy]

now that it's mentioned, what's wrong with a le creuset pan? aside from the probable high sides and steaming effect.

edited because i never know which affect to use.

Edited August 1, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Jinmyo]

Well, the high sides and steaming effect.

[Jason Perlow]

Grilled is just fine, thats how Evan Lobel prepared the Wagyu at the Lobel dinner at Morrells on Wednesday.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=24824

Oil each side of the meat with canola or oilve oil, kosher salt and pepper. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, finish off in the broiler. Let rest for 5 or 10 minutes, cut into slices and top with a sprinkle of kosher salt yet again. Has to be eaten rare.

[Dave the Cook]

Grilled is just fine, thats how Evan Lobel prepared the Wagyu at the Lobel dinner at Morrells on Wednesday.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=24824

Oil each side of the meat with canola or oilve oil, salt and pepper. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, finish off in the broiler. Has to be eaten rare.

I don't understand this oil thing.

'splain, please, or I'll have to post this on the "Things I Don't Get" thread.

[Jason Perlow]

This is something I do with grilling steaks all the time (and how Evan did it at the dinner). The oil keeps the steak from sticking to the hot pan or grill and helps create that nice crust.

I am assuming the steaks he ordered are strip steaks, Lobel sells Wagyu in various forms.

[Dave the Cook]

This is something I do with grilling steaks all the time (and how Evan did it at the dinner). The oil keeps the steak from sticking to the hot pan or grill and helps create that nice crust.

Sorry, I don't buy it. I think it's one of those "it's how we've always done it" things.

The crust is not formed by oil, it's formed by coagulated proteins. Salting the meat makes perfect sense, as it draws water-soluble proteins and sugars to the surface of the meat. So in a minor way, coating with oil might actually inhibit crust formation by interposing a layer between the heat source and the meat.

When the meat has become encrusted, it releases from the cooking surface anyway, so the idea of ensuring a non-stick experience doesn't make sense to me either.

[Jason Perlow]

Well, you can propose that to Lobel in September when he does his Q&A. Thats how he told everyone do cook the meat on Wednesday, with a coating of oil. I'm not gonna question a meat genius.

I've even seen Alton Brown do it this way, and he's an armchair food scientist like yourself!

[Dave the Cook]

Well, you can propose that to Lobel in September when he does his Q&A. Thats how he told everyone do cook the meat on Wednesday, with a coating of oil. I'm not gonna question a meat genius. 

I've even seen Alton Brown do it this way, and he's an armchair food scientist like yourself!

I will, though of course I'll be nicer to him than I am to you!

BTW, AB doesn't do it any more -- check his book (page 50):

...by heavily salting the meat several minutes before cooking, water-soluble proteins had a chance to gather at the surface of the steak. As it turned out, they were all I needed to produce great color, nice grill marks, and no sticking. I won't be oiling my steaks anymore.

[tommy]

BTW, AB doesn't do it any more -- check his book (page 50):

...by heavily salting the meat several minutes before cooking, water-soluble proteins had a chance to gather at the surface of the steak. As it turned out, they were all I needed to produce great color, nice grill marks, and no sticking. I won't be oiling my steaks anymore.

drats. foiled again.

[Double 0]

I've tried two things. Place some alum foil on the grates when heating the grill, shiney side down and remove it before grilling. It seems to get the grates much hotter. Mix a little sugar in your salt and pepper seasoning and rub it on the steaks about 15 mins. before grilling. The sugar doesn't add any sweetness it just seems to help with the carmelization.

[sabg]

Grilled is just fine, thats how Evan Lobel prepared the Wagyu at the Lobel dinner at Morrells on Wednesday.

http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?act=ST&f=4&t=24824

Oil each side of the meat with canola or oilve oil, kosher salt and pepper. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side, finish off in the broiler. Let rest for 5 or 10 minutes, cut into slices and top with a sprinkle of kosher salt yet again. Has to be eaten rare.

i would have loved that dinner...how wonderful was it

[ahr]

This is something I do with grilling steaks all the time (and how Evan did it at the dinner). The oil keeps the steak from sticking to the hot pan or grill and helps create that nice crust.

Sorry, I don't buy it. I think it's one of those "it's how we've always done it" things.

The crust is not formed by oil, it's formed by coagulated proteins. Salting the meat makes perfect sense, as it draws water-soluble proteins and sugars to the surface of the meat. So in a minor way, coating with oil might actually inhibit crust formation by interposing a layer between the heat source and the meat.

When the meat has become encrusted, it releases from the cooking surface anyway, so the idea of ensuring a non-stick experience doesn't make sense to me either.

Don't the instructions accompanying a Lobel's mail-order steak suggest oiling the steak after its initial searing?

[fyfas]

ahr is absolutely right... Lobel's does suggest searing first, THEN applying a modest amount of oil.

[SteveW]

Could be mistaken, but I think I have heard that one of the tricks of the trade, for the steakhouses, is to heavily oil the steaks, before putting on the grill.

----------

Steve

[skoolpsyk]

ahr is absolutely right...  Lobel's does suggest searing first, THEN applying a modest amount of oil.

Hmm, wouldn't that soften up that nice crust you just made?

[pete ganz]

Hmm, wouldn't that soften up that nice crust you just made?

It might, but the Lobel's grilling guide that came with the steaks does indeed say to add oil after searing, not before. Has anyone tried this method? All I know is that after reading all the Lobel's threads, I did not oil the steaks before putting them in my cast iron pan (no access to grill). While they were still fantastic, they did not develop a great crust...mainly because the s & p stuck to the cast iron. I don't know, maybe it wasn't hot enough.

[sabg]

Hmm, wouldn't that soften up that nice crust you just made?

It might, but the Lobel's grilling guide that came with the steaks does indeed say to add oil after searing, not before. Has anyone tried this method? All I know is that after reading all the Lobel's threads, I did not oil the steaks before putting them in my cast iron pan (no access to grill). While they were still fantastic, they did not develop a great crust...mainly because the s & p stuck to the cast iron. I don't know, maybe it wasn't hot enough.

i did just as lobel suggested with sear then oil. i added little sugar to the salt and p[epper and did them in a non stick pan and they were perfect. i think as good as lugar's desperately wanted to grill them but the rain was torrential.