Hi, I'm Edrof and...I Don't Like Steak

Edrof

Edrof

Edrof

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Joined
16 Nov 2009
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UK
I'm a carnivore. I love meat - from roast hog to fried chicken - I can't get enough of it. That is, except steak. I cannot stand it. It is like chewing a wet flannel. This admission has led to much frowning and head-scratching by my friends and wife who think that steak is the best thing ever and I'm a massive weirdo. But I just can't any enjoyment out of it.

So okay, OcUK: am I...
  1. a weirdo?
  2. not alone?
  3. doing it wrong?
 
Until I left home and made a steak for myself I was also a weirdo my mum liked to over cook meat so much it may in reality be classed as ash now I will choose a steak by my own free will
 
If it's like chewing a wet flannel then you're definitely doing it wrong, and possibly using bad steaks too.

What sorts of steak have you tried and how have you cooked them?
 
Haircut said:
If it's like chewing a wet flannel then you're definitely doing it wrong, and possibly using bad steaks too.

What sorts of steak have you tried and how have you cooked them?
Click to expand...

Recently it has been a sirloin, and a Tesco Finest something, but a friend once came over and cooked at our place - he did really expensive steaks (I have forgotten the name, sorry) and it was better (less chewy), but I still felt I was being polite eating it.

bsoltan said:
Do you like roast beef or other large beef cuts?
Click to expand...

I'm not a fan of that, no. I think that is where my problem stems from. I just find beef so tasteless.
 
It's not that I don't like steak, I do, but it's so bland compared to other cuts. Maybe bland is too harsh - it's... Unimaginitive? :p

A lot of supermarket steak is unacceptably poor, though. Given the huge environmental impact it takes to produce it, they shouldn't be allowed to supply it like that. It's just a waste of what could be a good bit of meat.
 
I'm not sure how you can say that beef is tasteless unless you only eat lamb and offal normally.

I don't mean to come across as rude as I know you've posted this in a way that invites people to have a go :p but I'm genuinely interested about the whole finding beef bland thing.

Have you tried using beef shin, brisket, etc in cooking? Low and slow cooked beef tends to be even stronger tasting than regular beef cuts (which some people find strong tasting as is).

Jonny69 is right on the money about the quality of supermarket steak. For the longest time I didn't really appreciate this but it's absolutely true, and not just about steak. Supermarket meat is generally all kind of tasteless. This isn't that big a deal if you're using it in a curry or something but if you're cooking a meal where the meat flavour needs to stand out (e.g. a steak) then it matters a lot.
 
If steak you've had before has been chewy like a wet flannel then you've had some seriously bad steak, either poor quality or over cooked or both.

Go to a decent local butcher or farm shop, buy a good sized steak of your favourite cut and then cook it rare (medium rare minimum for ribeye).
Allow it to come up to room temperature first, oil the steak not the pan, get the pan smoking hot and allow the steak to rest for 5 minutes.
 
1

Also have you had decent steak?
Try decent quality steak cooked properly. And it's lovely. No freaking sauce though, sauce should be reserved for bad steaks. Especially overpowering sauces like peppercorn or blue cheese.

Don't know where you live, but go to a decent steak house. I wouldn't try cooking it yourself to start with.

And if you find beef bland, that's down to poor quality supermarket meat, but then chicken and pork are far worse for bland. As they can be farmed much cheaper and you lose more flavour.
 
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I used to hate steak until two years ago when I took the other-half to The Hawkesmoor in Seven Dials. It was fantastic.

Unfortunately, I was unable to get close to the taste/quality at home so I don't bother trying anymore.
 
The main problem is that because it's steak there is no way to sympathise with you. It's pretty common to both buy bad steaks and cook them wrong, so it's completely possible you have never had a good steak.

However when you get a good steak and cook it perfectly it's very very far from bland. It's all about getting the middle red but more importantly getting enough of a crust via the maillard reaction to make it full of flavour.

When you get one right you will just know. :)
 
I have some sympathy with the OP - I lived as a vegan for 15 years when I was younger (because my parents went all new-age hippy on me - not because of any personal particular ideological views) and have been eating meast for the last 15 years or so.

I've eaten steak at The Hawksmoor and various Michelen-Starred stablishments all over the world. Whilst I would describe it like eating a wet flannel, I too find beef lacking in flavour compared to other meaty-choices and find the taste of beef fat vile.

Pork on the other hand, to prarphrase Homer is Simpson, comes from a wonderful magical animal and generally has to my palate, much beeter flavour.
 
Similar to the above poster i like steak but it's very rare that i will order steak at a restaurant unless i know i'm getting a good cut and it's going to be cooked how i want it.
I prefer fish and chicken to steak although i do like beef in general.
 
I'm not keen on anything Beef either really. I have had a couple of really good burgers and a Steak that was alright, but I much prefer Pork.
 
Much prefer the humble Pig!

Not the biggest Steak fan (I've been to Hawksmoor, so I've had a decent one!) but minced steak from the local butchers to make homemade burgers, now that is steak I can appreciate!
 
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