Pappa's Brothers in Houston is a great steak house. Taste of Texas in Houston is a good steak house.
The Journey to the Perfect Steak!
- Thread starter Axxe55
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Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
Yes, Pappa's is wonderful! But I haven't been to Houston in quite some years. The one thing I do miss about Houston were the great restaurants. And there many great restaurants in and around Houston.
FireInTheWire
Caprock Crusader
Best steak is like saying- best guitarist.
Way too many personnel nuances to it.
Way too many personnel nuances to it.
Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
I can agree with that. Everybody has different tastes and it's way too subjective and you can't really quantify individual tastes.
Personally, I don't care for the taste of aged beef, so regardless of how well that steak is cooked, is probably not going to be as enjoyable to my tastes.
Same can be said about former lovers! No bad ones just some better then others!
Aged beef is like many things, there's a range. Some people like it basically rotten, but they're weird. Most people like it where the flavor hasn't dramatically changed, but the connective tissues have broken down quite a bit.
jordanmills
TGT Addict
Alright you primitive screwheads, listen up.
Properly cooking a steak is about diversity and purity. You want a diversity of doneness, and purity of taste. Doneness should range from charred black on the very tips of the exterior to the smallest bit of rare and mooing on the inside. Purity means you want the taste of the steak and the grill and nothing else - if you want a different taste, make a flavored hamburger patty (no shame in it, just don't waste a good steak by covering its taste with artificial flavor).
Purity first. Flavors you can use are steak. Salt is not a flavor, salt enhances flavor (as long as you don't use too much). You might need to oil the grill or the steak, but you should use a neutral high temperature oil like safflower or grapeseed. None of this marinade, Worcestershire, montreal seasoning, or whatever. I have a very special set of skills, and I will use them to find you and come slap you around if you do that. If you use only a small amount of freshly cracked pepper, I will probably look the other way... but no promises.
There are a few ways to get the doneness right. Ideally, you will be intimately familiar with your grill and know exactly what temperature it cooks at (at least by feel, not necessarily by number), so that you know exactly how long a steak of a given thickness needs to be on it. Then you cheat. Get a probe thermometer, stick it right through the side of the steak until it's at least a third of the way in. Set it to 125 F. But before you do that, cheat again. Take your fresh steak (never frozen), pat it dry, sprinkle it with kosher salt, seal it in a vacuum bag, and Put it in a hot water bath. That is, sous vide, at 120 F, for about two hours. The exact time will depend on several factors, and you just have to learn how to tell how long it will be. After the time, open it up, pat it dry again, and lightly salt it. Then stick the thermometer up its arse. Once your done with those cheats, fire your grill up as hot as you can get it and drop the steak on. After thirty seconds, pick it up and rotate it 90 degrees. That's how you get those pretty grill marks on it. After about two minutes, flip it over, then another thirty seconds, then rotate 90 degrees, then about another two minutes. That's all it needs to cook. The thermometer will help you out with the exact time. If it takes much longer than that, you messed something up with the grill or you are overcooking your steak and we should put you on the grill instead.
That's all there is to doneness. Now you need to let it rest. That lets the temperature curve pass its inflection point and all of the denaturing proteins will fall back to the next highest order. Some people will give you nonsense about "sealing in flavor" or "redistributing juices", but it's easy to show how those are bunk - it's all about letting the proteins set. Five minutes should be enough, maybe ten for a big steak. This should be done in a warm oven (225 at most) or on the counter, with the steak tented with foil or a metal dome, but with nothing touching it on top.
At this point, you might put a dab of salted butter on top of it, but it had better be good butter. Serve with a glass of bourbon and a cigar for dessert.
Properly cooking a steak is about diversity and purity. You want a diversity of doneness, and purity of taste. Doneness should range from charred black on the very tips of the exterior to the smallest bit of rare and mooing on the inside. Purity means you want the taste of the steak and the grill and nothing else - if you want a different taste, make a flavored hamburger patty (no shame in it, just don't waste a good steak by covering its taste with artificial flavor).
Purity first. Flavors you can use are steak. Salt is not a flavor, salt enhances flavor (as long as you don't use too much). You might need to oil the grill or the steak, but you should use a neutral high temperature oil like safflower or grapeseed. None of this marinade, Worcestershire, montreal seasoning, or whatever. I have a very special set of skills, and I will use them to find you and come slap you around if you do that. If you use only a small amount of freshly cracked pepper, I will probably look the other way... but no promises.
There are a few ways to get the doneness right. Ideally, you will be intimately familiar with your grill and know exactly what temperature it cooks at (at least by feel, not necessarily by number), so that you know exactly how long a steak of a given thickness needs to be on it. Then you cheat. Get a probe thermometer, stick it right through the side of the steak until it's at least a third of the way in. Set it to 125 F. But before you do that, cheat again. Take your fresh steak (never frozen), pat it dry, sprinkle it with kosher salt, seal it in a vacuum bag, and Put it in a hot water bath. That is, sous vide, at 120 F, for about two hours. The exact time will depend on several factors, and you just have to learn how to tell how long it will be. After the time, open it up, pat it dry again, and lightly salt it. Then stick the thermometer up its arse. Once your done with those cheats, fire your grill up as hot as you can get it and drop the steak on. After thirty seconds, pick it up and rotate it 90 degrees. That's how you get those pretty grill marks on it. After about two minutes, flip it over, then another thirty seconds, then rotate 90 degrees, then about another two minutes. That's all it needs to cook. The thermometer will help you out with the exact time. If it takes much longer than that, you messed something up with the grill or you are overcooking your steak and we should put you on the grill instead.
That's all there is to doneness. Now you need to let it rest. That lets the temperature curve pass its inflection point and all of the denaturing proteins will fall back to the next highest order. Some people will give you nonsense about "sealing in flavor" or "redistributing juices", but it's easy to show how those are bunk - it's all about letting the proteins set. Five minutes should be enough, maybe ten for a big steak. This should be done in a warm oven (225 at most) or on the counter, with the steak tented with foil or a metal dome, but with nothing touching it on top.
At this point, you might put a dab of salted butter on top of it, but it had better be good butter. Serve with a glass of bourbon and a cigar for dessert.
jordanmills
TGT Addict
I don't know about no bad ones. Let me tell you about this one girl...
Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
Every time I have aged beef, it had am after taste that was really distasteful. But I understand what you're saying.
She's was good enough to set your preferences!
Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
Please don't!
jordanmills
TGT Addict
I have heard that disconnects in the supply line have made the price of beef unstable and that at times it has been triple from its cost from the same time last year. But I'm also seeing it on sale for almost half the price at times. I'm not sure what to expect for price at a steakhouse right now.
Dinner & drinks for 2 $350.00 and I'm talking a full appetizers to dessert.
jordanmills
TGT Addict
Dude. We need to talk about your choices for steakhouses. If you get down to Houston, look up Killen's in Pearland (steakhouse, not burgers or barbecue). If they're as good as they were the last time I went, it might be the best steakhouse you will ever visit. Del Frisco's location in the galleria is also going to be a good example near the top.
Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
They ain't getting that from me! Hell I can buy an entire cow for that!
Axxe55
Retiretgtshit stirrer
Jordan, it's been close to twenty years since I have been to Houston proper and eaten at a nice restaurant. The last few trups have been through Houston but didn't stop.
jordanmills
TGT Addict
Oh nice. I usually wind up cheaping out any way. I don't want a full appetizer because I want to focus on the steak. Maybe two drinks, a cocktail when I get there and something straight to sip on after dinner. I just can't eat as much as I used to, so I don't want to pay for extras I won't eat much of and that will keep me away from having all of the steak.
jordanmills
TGT Addict
Honestly, you're probably better off overall not stopping. Except maybe for Killens. Drive through and stop right on the other side for them.
jordanmills
TGT Addict
Yep. Get it a little more tender and concentrate the beef flavor, but leave out the funk.
2 stand out meals in my life had my dad in them. On one visit I cooked a whole beef tenderloin. My dad has ate plenty of filet migons in his life. The whole deal blew his mind from the price to how I cooked it. The best part was him hitting the fridge later & getting more.
Another time he was here visiting I cannot remember the occasion. but the wife him & myself went out to this killer French restaurant. t was the most I ever spent on 1 meal but it was worth every penny. I ordered up bottles of champagne we all had appetizers & shuffles. Their were more people around waiing on us then I knew what to do.
Both of these meals were something that felt so right to do for my dad. The cost freaked him out & he wanted to help out but I wouldn't even let him get the tip. He actually was pretty bugged eyed over what I left for the tip.
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