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Tough Steaks. What went wrong?

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hdrider
hdrider Posts: 32
edited November -1 in EggHead Forum
I cooked some ribeyes two weeks ago that could be cut with a butter knife- Man they were good! I bought some steaks (ribeyes) yesterday and cooked them tonite and they were just short of shoe leather. I used the same technique, so was this my fault or did it have something to do with the meat?
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  • Photoman
    Photoman Posts: 18
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    Could be the meat. Sterling always good, choice, usually good, then no-roll usually a good price, may or may not be good meat.
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  • Celtic Wolf
    Celtic Wolf Posts: 9,773
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    Sometimes you are the bug, sometimes the windshield.

    When you buy choice you risk getting the lower end of choice versus the higher end of choice.
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  • thirdeye
    thirdeye Posts: 7,428
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    Sometimes you are the bug, sometimes the windshield.


    heheee. That pretty much sez it all.
    Happy Trails
    ~thirdeye~

    Barbecue is not rocket surgery
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  • Bob-O
    Bob-O Posts: 211
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    I would say that it was the cut of meat. If possible, use a local butcher for all your meats, it might cost a little more, but I have found that it is worth the extra money.
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  • hdrider
    hdrider Posts: 32
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    I guess the great deal on the steaks wasn't such a great deal after all. Problem is, I had some good friends over for dinner and I have been bragging about how good the egg cooks everything. They seemed to like the steaks, but I know what the egg can do on a good piece of meat and tonite's steaks was not it.
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  • hdrider
    hdrider Posts: 32
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    Good advise. Thanks!
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  • Car Wash Mike
    Car Wash Mike Posts: 11,244
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    Sometimes you can just slice it wrong. Against the grain is important.

    Mike
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    if you cooked them the same way, then the only variable was the steak.

    are you sure they weren't select grade?

    choice is your better bet, with top-choice even better than that, followed by prime (the best).

    "top-choice" is a marketing ploy that culls the top percentage of just-barely-sub-prime beef (they often say it's the top 3% or 5% of choice), and sells it at a premium. near me, i see the top-choice stuff marketed as "chairmans' reserve".
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • DynaGreaseball
    DynaGreaseball Posts: 1,409
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    Certified Angus Beef will get you the top 20% of Choice, so I'm told.
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
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    Actually (from Wiki):

    The American Angus Association set up the "Certified Angus Beef" brand in 1978. The goal of this brand was to promote the idea that Angus beef was of higher quality than beef from other breeds of cattle. Cattle are eligible for "Certified Angus Beef" evaluation if they are at least 51% black and exhibit Angus influence. However, they must meet all 10 of the following criteria, which were refined in January 2007 to further enhance product consistency, to be labeled "Certified Angus Beef" by USDA Graders:


    * Modest or higher degree of marbling
    * Medium or fine marbling texture
    * "A" maturity
    * 10- to 16-square-inch ribeye area
    * Less than 1,000-pound hot carcass weight
    * Less than 1-inch fat thickness
    * Moderately thick or thicker muscling
    * No hump on the neck exceeding 5 cm (2 inches)
    * Practically free of capillary rupture
    * No dark cutting characteristics


    Note, there is nothing about USDA Grade here at all. CAB is mostly a marketing ploy, but it is generally good quality beef.
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  • stike
    stike Posts: 15,597
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    zackly. ploy-o-rama, as they say in france.
    ed egli avea del cul fatto trombetta -Dante
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  • hdrider
    hdrider Posts: 32
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    Thank you all for the valuable education in steaks! The information will surely help me in the future.
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  • UnConundrum
    UnConundrum Posts: 536
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    Agreeing with everyone else, it is probably the meat. If you're going to be doing a lot of egging, develop a rapport with your local butcher. Not one in a supermarket, but a real butcher. (some supermarkets are fine, but most are crap). Tell him you want choice or better and ask him to pick out the steaks. Once he/she realizes you'll be a repeat customer, they'll take care of you. Be sure to report to them on great steaks, and the disappointing ones too...

    When you buy something off the shelf, on sale, there's usually a reason it's cheap. You get what you pay for....
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  • Fidel
    Fidel Posts: 10,172
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    Go to Wilkes on PIB just north of Suwanee Dam. They have prime grade beef primals and will cut steaks to size for you. Prime ribeyes will only set you back $8-9 per pound, filets about $11-12 - if you buy the whole primal and have it cut. I do it all the time then freeze them in vac seal bags.

    I also buy my pork butts by the case there and normally pay under a buck a pound.
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  • hdrider
    hdrider Posts: 32
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    Thanks for the tip. I have passed the place a thousand times but have never stopped. I'll be going by there within the next couple of days and I'll let them know you referred me.
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  • hdrider
    hdrider Posts: 32
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    I appreciate the eggspert advise.
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