Okay, so I'm trying to put this together this romantic dinner. I'd like to have steak, but everytime I try to cook steak it never comes out tender. What cut of steak would you recommend and how would you suggest I cook it?

aTdHvAaNnKcSe (thank in advance )

A New York sirloin (no, I'm not biased ) or filet mignon should both be tender. The New York has a little more flavor, but the filet mignon is the most tender cut you can buy. You can usually get a better grade of beef (which means it will be both more tender and more flavorful) at a butcher than at the supermarket, but you'll also pay more.

The best way to cook steak is over a very hot grill or under a broiler. Make sure the broiler is good and hot before you start cooking it, and don't cook it too long - 5 to 8 minutes per side depending on thickness and how well done you guys like it.

So are you guys gonna do that Tom Jones eating scene across your table?

I'm thinking more like 9 1/2 Weeks. Strawberries, honey, whip cream, chocolate syrup--all while sitting on the kitchen door. (I kid)

Seriously, it's my birthday so we're having CHEESECAKE!

yeah belly, i agree w/keith pretty much. i would just add, if you both like steaks on the rare, mid-rare, medium side i would go with a nice filet. if you like them cooked medium and up, imho, you can't beat a good NY strip. personally, i also love a ribeye, many people don't because it can be kind of fatty. but if you are cooking/selecting the cut yourself, you can pick out a nice one...

my favorite way to cook steaks is on a grill (real grill w/charcoal...not gas) and secondly i use the broiler as keith described.

**if you are on this side of the river, check out "mike best's market" on brownsboro rd @ the watterson, the best meat market in town and one of the best that i have ever seen. an amazing little place, but not cheap.

hope that helps, have a great time...

One thing I've found is that if I have a cheaper cut of steak, say a sirloin for example. If I take the edge of plate and just beat the hell out of it, it's more tender than any other method I've found. (I got this idea from a friend's grandmother BTW).

Good Luck!

Thanks for the tips, guys! I bought 2 NY Strips and plan on broiling them. I'm also having baked potato and asparagus with lemon butter, and rolls, of course.

Sorry I missed this thread before!

I've always been most partial to a ribeye cut. Pour just a little teriyaki marinade over it, rub in some sea salt, lightly pepper, and whack it in the broiler for a few(depending upon how cooked you like it).

Nothing so tender....it'll melt in your mouth!

(now I'm pretty sure I'm hungry)

take it just a little further w/the teriyaki idea. mix up teriyaki, pineapple juice (from a can of pineapple rounds or cubes) & some brown sugar. marinade the ribeye(s) in the above mixture, cover and put in the fridge overnight. before you throw in on the grill, sprinkle on a light coating of brown sugar and grill over very, very hot charcoal. even if you like your steak rare-mid, brown the outside to dark, crusty texture. it'll blow you away.

i copped this idea from "houston's" restaurant, there it's called "hawaiian steak", "j. alexander's" serves the same thing as "steak maui", both are excellent. my favoite thing to grill out during the summer.

Sounds pretty good!

I'll always default to ribeye, even if its just a little salt and pepper.

Awww, Belly... I wish I'd seen this before you bought!

For the ultimate in romantic dinners, I suggest a Chateaubriand for two. Chateaubriand is perhaps THE most tender cut -- it's the center of the tenderloin.

It, like any good steak, should be cooked to temperature -- and probably nothing higher than 130. If you're going to cook it much beyond that, it's probably better to get a less expensive piece of meat. Be sure to let it rest for 10-15 minutes after it comes out of the oven -- the temperature will rise 5-10 degrees to a perfect medium-rare during that resting time.

Serve it simply with steamed vegetables (baked potato is good!), some savory side dish, and a nice light dessert. Good red wine (a Coppola Rubicon is excellent) and you're all set!

This is essentially the menu I'm doing for Wendy for Valentine's Day:
* Sauteed Mushrooms in Puff Pastry
* Steamed Broccoli & Cauliflower with Sauce Hollandaise (I may roast the cauliflower. It's SO darned good that way!)
* Chateaubriand
* Mandarin Orange Napoleon

yum.

Well, the meat was beautiful, tender, and tasty. The steak was pretty good too. <hehehehe>

Seriously, it was awesome. The strip and everything else. I was running behind and he was late, which ended up working very well, despite my last minute panic attack. The steaks came out of the oven two minutes after he got here and laid on our plate about 10 minutes while we got everything else ready and on the table. I had no idea I was supposed to do that, Drew, but it worked well. I salted and peppered them and put two pats of butter under and over each steak. They were pretty rare, rarer than either of us had eaten before, but we both loved them. Very tasty.

The potatos and asparagus turned out perfectly. Bright green steamed asparagus with lemon butter. Yum. It looked so lovely on the plate. And the baked potatos were baked to perfection. I thought it was all gonna suck because I was running behind, but I guess it was serendipitous.

Anyway, we had Francis Coppola Merlot, which is the best reasonably priced Merlot I've had. It is very mild and smooth, very plumy, for lack of a better term. About $15 a bottle.

I made coffee and bought cheesecake, turtle cheesecake, my favorite, but we ended up getting so involved with each other that we forgot about it. Now THAT'S a birthday.

Drew, your dinner with Wendy sounds superb. Best of luck to you both and I hope it's everything you're dreaming of.

Thanks for the tip on the Ribeye, J and B!

For the next time, Belly. May I suggest eye of round? I like Angus, BTW. Eye of round is the best bang for your buck in my book. All meat, little to no fat. Grills up tender and yummy every time. It's very good to cut a slit in the steak, and slip a little garlic butter inside before grilling. Mmmmm, mmmmm.

Cher

I'm with Drew on this one, Chateaubriand is stellar in my book. I prefer to cook in on the grill with mesquite wood chips to give it that smoky flavor. I have been basting with EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) lately. If you turn the meat often the EVOO will keep the exposed areas from getting crusty. I sprinkle garlic salt on the meat when basting as well. I usually try to pick tenderloin that is the thickest in the meat market. Marinating in wine can reduce cooking time, but always remember that you should marinate in a wine that you would drink… And definitely DO NOT over cook the meat. Drew was right on when he suggested letting the meat sit 10-15 minutes before serving. That will let the juices simmer in…

If I’m serving a large dinner party, I tend to slice the meat after it rests, into about ½ inch slices. A large tenderloin can weigh over three pounds. The nice thing about serving the meat this way is the ends tend to be more well done than the center. When laid out on a platter, it is very easy for guests to choose medium rare to medium, or if you have some one that must have their leather to gnaw on, let them have both exposed ends…

Remember that asparagus with hollandaise sauce is an aphrodisiac...

I always like to serve a nice salad with lots of herbs, avocado slices, cucumbers, martini olives, real bacon crumbles, and a nice Greek vinaigrette. Tomatos on the side...

Okay, Drew, please provide us with some details on the making of the puff pastries! I’d like mine with escargot and mushrooms please?


Skoegahom...