The Boiled Steak

As much as it galls me to admit this, I have mastered the art of the boiled steak.

I raise my own beef. When you do this, you pretty much get to live with the outcome. Last Aug I bought a pregnant cow. It was a Belted Galloway halfbreed. I've had a few Belties in the past and loved the outcomes. She calved out in Sept of last yr and let her take care of her calf until Feb or so and weaned him. Then in May it was time to get her loaded and to the butcher. Well, the butcher let me know in no delicate terms, she was an old grannie.

This old cow was so sketchy she never let me touch her. So I dont know how "broken mouth" she was, but she had some age on her. She finished out and gained a few pounds on grass and grain this spring. I have the local feedstore blend the feed I want. I call it C.O.B. Ground corn, steamed and rolled oats, and steamed and rolled barley. It does have some powdered sorghum molasses mixed in.

So even with fresh spring grass and grain, she was a little tough. I like to marinate my meat for flavor. I dont believe in it for softening the meat. I did try tenderizing it with the nail style pounding tenderizer. It still toughened up.

So, I pretty much have a whole cow in the freezer, and knowing its tough is heartbreaking. But I'm gonna eat it. I dont care how. I just have to make it chewable. So, thinking back to when I was deployed, the Army would boil their steaks. The biggest sacriledge in all of meat prep, and they do it like its no big thing.

So, I thaw out some ribeyes, put about a cup of water in the black skillet, season the steaks with garlic powder and set them in there, on low, for about 2 hours. Covered. I keep an eye on it so it never runs out of water. Then just to itch that scratch in my brain that says I am going to steak hell, I reseason with some more garlic powder and a little McKormicks. I set them on the grill just to lightly brown it, even though they are technically done. If I have any stock left I use that to pour on as it browns.

Never in my life did I think I would boil a steak, let alone admit to it in public, but it works. But I only do it because I have to.
Makes a nice steak that is almost fork tender that doesnt induce sore jaw muscles the next day. Most importantly, the leg shaver is happy, now I can sleep peacefully.

Great story!

So that's how they destroyed the steaks! They did get good steaks in. I know because I knew the night baker and we'd have late night snacks that the troops never saw. Too little of it would come in for the troops, and the head cooks would pay their rent and buy "favors" with it.

Try Sous Vide. I thought there was a thread regarding on the forum, but maybe I discussed it in the "What's cooking" thread.

Anyway, the short story is that Sous Vide is cooking the steak at the temp you want it to finish at in a very accurately temp' controlled water bath. The steak is in a waterproof plastic bag. It's cooked for hours. Then it's finished off with a torch for browning and to give flavor. Want a medium rare? I do too or a bit less done than that. I cook our steaks at 129°F and depending on the cut, about 6 hours (there is a minimum time and temp to prevent spoilage). What comes out of the bag is a perfect med' rare, and even a tough steak tenderizes (might require more time). Then a dip into a dextrose/sodium bicarb' solution and the torch treatment. But even if it's in the hot tub for 3 days, it will never over cook and always be med' rare, but the texture will change. Oh, and the med' rare? No grey meat. It's med' rare from edge to edge.

I've cooked sous vide for folks who don't eat meat and they love it. It can cook more than meat but I only use it for meat; any type of meat, and that includes poultry. The temps are different though. But I like it best for red meats. It would be perfect for your old bossie.

You could also grind it into burger.

Too, while the meat is sealed in a bag and fully cooked it can be frozen. Then when a steak is desired, justbring it out of the freezer and leaving it in the bag warm it at the cooking temp' for an hour. There is no loss in quality between fresh sous vide and one that was frozen for 3 months (or more). I almost never cook just a few steaks, but I'll fill the bath with 20 or more and put them in the freezer.

A sous vide circulator can cost over $1k, but they can also be had for about $200. I have one of the latter models and it works fine for making everything from yogurt to the previously mentioned meats. Google it for more info'. There's plenty to be had regarding it on the 'net.

They look like an interesting way to cook I have never tried before. I'll keep an eye out for a used one in my local area. I can't wait for winter as the roasts and stews make the house smell awesome all day long. Thanks for the tip.

Just be sure to finish it with a torch and the solution, otherwise it'll just taste like boiled meat. But torching develops the maillard reaction for that grilled and meaty taste that everyone loves. The solution enhances that reaction.

Many people keep the bag juices for soup making, but I find that the bag juices I get just clot and get unappetizing since it's mostly med' rare "blood". I give our bag juices to the dogs.

I'll bet your dogs tear that juice up!

Yeah, they like anything, but when they get "soup" along with their food, their bowls almost don't need to be washed.

All talk and no photos?!

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Here's a pic of carmelized onions and a Sous Vide flatiron steak. It's from months ago at the least. I can't tell you what else we had with it.
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And a pic of an Arm Chuck roast (was that the name?) here it's fresh after being torched.
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Yet another SV steak. Maybe a rib eye, homemade canned harvard beets and possibly a grain whose name escapes me at the moment, cooked like rice.
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And one of my favorite accompaniments to a SV steak meal, fresh yeast rolls. Easier than you can imagine to make.
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Are you suggesting one like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Anova-Culinary-PC...=sous+vide

Or like this?

https://www.amazon.com/Gourmia-GSV-900-C...=sous+vide

I might just buy a new one. My crock pot would be extreeeeeemly jealous this winter if I do.