Steak!! Chopped, Flat Iron, Beauty & Chuck! 🌞

CHOPPED STEAK CHEESEBURGER WITH BACON AND ONIONS

MAKES 1 BURGER

Eating a cheeseburger with hand-chopped beef (instead of ground beef)
is like having a hundred tiny steaks stuck together in a loose harmony
of unctuousness. Miraculously, the meat will stick together almost as
well as a finer grind (because meat proteins, and the enzymes that
accompany them, are sticky), giving you a burger that simply
outclasses all pretenders. The cheese melts its way into the looser
texture of the patty, and more fat remains in the food, instead of on the
coals or in the pan, which means your burger is juicier, can be made
thicker, and has a way better chance of developing a tasty, crispier
crust.


3 STRIPS BACON
1 MEDIUM ONION, SLICED INTO THIN ROUNDS
6 OUNCES FATTY CHUCK STEAK, FROZEN UNTIL MEAT BEGINS TO
CRYSTALLIZE BUT IS NOT YET SOLID
GOOD MELTING CHEESE (MEDIUM-OLD CHEDDAR OR GRUYÈRE), SHREDDED
THE NICEST SOFT BUN YOU CAN FIND

IN A DRY FRYING PAN, fry bacon until medium crisp. Transfer
to a plate lined in paper towel. Pour excess fat from pan into
a coffee cup, ramekin, or other heatproof vessel, reserving a
little to fry onions.

IN THE SAME PAN over medium heat, fry onion until soft and
golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside. Wipe
pan with a paper towel.

USING A SHARP KNIFE, cut your partially frozen, fatty chuck
into 1/4-inch strips. Chop those strips into 1/4-inch pieces
(or smaller). Chop 1 strip bacon into bits and add to chopped
chuck. Using your hands, mix everything together and form into
1/2-inch-thick patty.

HEAT THE SAME PAN over medium-high heat. Press the patty
gently onto the surface of the pan (some bits of meat may fall
away from the patty, but that’s okay; it all goes on the bun). Cook
for 3 minutes or until the patty is appropriately dark and crusted,
then flip over. Place grated cheese on top and let melt as your
patty continues to cook for another 3 to 4 minutes to medium,
or above 135°F.

SERVE cheesy chopped steak in your soft bun garnished with
remaining 2 strips of bacon and fried onions.

CHOPPING YOUR OWN BEEF

Chopping your own beef gives you the opportunity to choose exactly
what goes into your patty. My favourite beef for hand chopping is fatty
chuck because of its bold beefy flavour and ample, soft fat. Brisket and
short rib work well, too. The trick to good chopping: use partially frozen
meat, large pieces (as in, a whole piece of steak), and a heavy, sharp
knife. Cleavers are great, and a chef’s knife will do just fine. The process
makes a bit of a mess, but what the taste and texture does to the
pleasure centre of your brain makes everything okay. Once you chop
your own beef, there is no going back.


From "Steak Revolution"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068942-steak-revolution

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FLAT IRON

TENDERNESS: quite tender
GRAIN: medium grain runs at a slight angle through the steak from top
to bottom surfaces
FAT: moderately fatty to lean
KEY FEATURES: tender and bouncy texture; easy to slice; cooks evenly
and performs well from rare to medium



12-MINUTE FLAT-IRON ALL-DAY BREAKFAST


SERVES 1

It couldn’t be simpler: just pan-fry a piece of flat iron and one egg—
that’s about 12 minutes to the cure for your hangover or your latenight,
worked-too-late hunger pangs, or whatever else might ail you.

1 PORTION OF FLAT IRON STEAK (6 TO 8 OZ)
1/4 TEASPOON SALT
1 BELL PEPPER (ANY COLOUR YOU LIKE)
2 TABLESPOONS UNSALTED BUTTER, DIVIDED
1/2 TABLESPOON OLIVE OIL, FOR FRYING
1 LARGE EGG
SOURDOUGH OR YOUR FAVOURITE BREAD, FOR TOASTING
CRÈME FRAÎCHE OR EXTRA-THICK SOUR CREAM
TABASCO SAUCE
PINCH OF SMOKED PAPRIKA

SPRINKLE both sides of your flat iron steak with salt and set aside.

USING A SHARP KNIFE, cut a wide, flat slice from one of your bell
peppers. If it needs more flattening (so that it can lie flush to your
pan), press it down against a cutting board with the palm of your
hand. Reserve the rest of the pepper for another use.

HEAT a dry non-stick, well-seasoned cast-iron pan or a stainless-
steel frying pan over medium-high heat until very hot (you should
feel significant heat radiating when you hold your hand 3 inches
above the pan’s surface). Add 1 tablespoon of butter and the olive
oil, and heat until the butter stops bubbling (the oil raises the
smoking point of the butter, and helps with the frying).

ADD YOUR FLAT IRON and flat pepper slice to the pan and
cook steak until medium-rare (approaching 125°F when tested
with a meat thermometer, or pinky-red inside when checked with
a small incision), moving it around the pan and flipping it as
often as you like; cook the pepper until softened and the skin side
is a bit blackened. Transfer the pepper to a side dish. Let steak
rest loosely wrapped in foil while you complete the next steps.

WIPE THE PAN with a paper towel and return the pan to medium-
high heat. Melt 1 tablespoon butter, and then fry your egg. Cover
the pan with a lid to whiten the yolk coating. The moment the
surface of the yolk has whitened, remove pan from the heat and
set aside, uncovered. While the egg is frying in the residual heat,
toast your bread.

TO SERVE, spread a good amount of crème fraîche on the toast
and add a dash of Tabasco. Top with the pepper slice (cut-side
up), the flat iron steak, a little more crème fraîche, and another
dash of Tabasco. Finish with the fried egg and a dusting of paprika.
Dig in and enjoy.

From "Steak Revolution"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35068942-steak-revolution

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BRAISED BEAUTY STEAK WITH MUSHROOMS (Rib-Eye)

This is a method I devised for making
lean beef both tender and tasty Faced
with a boneless chuck eye and not a lot
of time to cook it on the day of serving, I
decided to combine the traditional
tenderizing methods of marinating and
braising. (Braising means allowing the
meat to barely swim in the cooking
liquid, not drown in it; that technique is
called poaching.) The marinated and
seared meat emerges from its bath
almost, but not quite, fork tender, a good
match for the aromatic and meaty
mushroom slices. For an extra taste fillip
I sometimes use Consorzio mushroom
oil (see Note) in place of plain oil.
Serve with mashed potatoes, a green
vegetable such as broccoli, and a glass
of Pinot Noir.

¼ cup vegetable oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon bourbon
2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
½ teaspoon freshly ground black
pepper
1 pound boneless chuck eye, cut
about 1 inch thick
2 portobello mushrooms (4 ounceseach)
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste

1. Combine the vegetable oil, lemon
juice, bourbon, garlic, and pepper in a
nonreactive bowl or baking pan just
large enough to hold the steak. Stir well,
and add the steak. Cover with plastic
wrap and refrigerate for 4 to 8 hours,
turning the steak at least once.

2. About 30 minutes before cooking,
remove the bowl from the refrigerator.
Transfer the steak to a cutting board and
pat dry.

3. Cut the stems from the mushrooms.
Trim away the bottoms of the stems, then
cut the rest of the stems into medium
dice. You should have about ½ cup. Put
the diced stems in a small saucepan,
cover with the beef broth, and bring to a
simmer. Cover the pan and keep warmover very low heat.

4. Heat a 10-inch heavy pan, preferably
cast iron over medium-high heat. When
hot, add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil.
Add the steak and sear until nicely
browned on one side, about 4 minutes.
Turn the steak and sear the other side,
about 4 minutes more. Pour in beef broth
with the mushroom stems. Bring the
liquid to a boil, lower the heat to a
simmer, and cover the pan. Braise the
steak for 8 minutes, turn, and braise for 7
minutes more. The steak will be cooked
through but still very moist.

5. Meanwhile, cut the mushroom caps
into large dice. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon
of olive oil in a sauté pan, add the diced mushroom
caps, and sauté over medium heat until just
softened, about 5 minutes. Lightly season with salt
and pepper and keep warm.

6. Transfer the steak from the broth to a
cutting board. Strain the braising liquid,
then return it to the pan. Reduce the
braising liquid to ¾ cup over high heat,
4 to 5 minutes.

7. Cut the steak into 1-inch-thick slices.
Lightly salt and pepper the meat, if
desired, and place on warm plates.
Scatter diced mushroom caps over the
meat and moisten with 2 or 3
tablespoons of the braising liquid. Pass
remaining braising liquid in a sauceboat.

SERVES 3 OR 4

Note: Consorzio flavored oils are
handsomely packaged products from
California. These fragrant oils provide a
new flavor dimension when used to coat
steaks that will be grilled, broiled, or
panfried. Flavors especially compatible
with steak include roasted garlic, five
pepper, and porcini mushroom.

From "Steak-Lover's Cookbook"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1470904.Steak_Lover_s_Cookbook

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TENDERIZING

Meat may be made less tough by
cutting (cube steak), grinding
(hamburger), or mashing (pounded
round steak) the connective tissue.
It also can be tenderized by
exposing it to acid marinades or
plant enzymes.

Marinades are seasoned liquids,
such as fruit or vegetable juices,
wine, water, and/or oil, combined
with herbs and seasonings that add
flavor. To tenderize, the marinade
must contain an acidic ingredient
such as lemon juice, wine, vinegar,
or yogurt and touch the steak for
several hours. Do not overmarinate
(more than 24 hours), or you risk overly
soft, mushy meat.

Dry marinades, also called rubs, add flavor
but do not tenderize.

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BEER BREWED CHUCK STEAK

Here’s a hearty dish worth coming home
to after a fall or winter’s day spent out
of doors. Serve it with a green salad or a
hearty green vegetable such as Brussels
sprouts, pour beer, and offer Mississippi
Mud Pie (see Index) for dessert.

1 boneless chuck steak, (about 2
pounds), cut 1¼ inches thick
2 cloves garlic, cut in half
6 sprigs fresh thyme or ½ teaspoon
dried thyme
6 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley2 bay leaves
1 large baking potato
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Salt and freshly ground black
pepper, to taste
1 large sweet onion, cut in half and
thinly sliced
Paprika
2 cups ale or dark beer
2 cups beef broth

1. Pat the meat dry with paper towels
and set aside. Wrap the garlic, thyme,
parsley, and bay leaves in cheesecloth,
form into a bag, and tie tightly. Set aside.
Peel the potato and cut it crosswise into
¼-inch-thick slices. Set aside in cold
water until ready to use.

2. Heat the butter and oil in a large
enameled cast-iron casserole or Dutch
oven over medium heat. When the butter
stops sizzling, add the meat. Brown
well, about 3 minutes. Turn the meat,
season with salt and pepper, and brown
the second side about 3 minutes more.
Remove the steak to a platter.

3. Add onion to the casserole and cook
over medium heat, stirring often, until
soft, 4 to 5 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon
paprika and stir. Return the steak to the
casserole. Pour the beer and the broth
over the steak. Add the cheesecloth bag.
Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer
for 45 minutes, checking from time to
time to be sure the liquid is not boiling.

4. Drain the potato slices and arrange on
top of the steak in a single layer. Season
with salt, pepper, and paprika. Cook,
covered, for 20 to 30 minutes more, or
until the potatoes are soft.

5. Remove the steak to a cutting board.
Remove the cheesecloth bag and
discard. Taste the broth and adjust
seasoning.

6. Cut the steak crosswise into ½-inch thick
slices and divide among 3 or 4 plates. Cover generously
with the potatoes, onions, and broth.

SERVES 3 OR 4

From "Steak-Lover's Cookbook"
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1470904.Steak_Lover_s_Cookbook

Ar-gen-Tina ???


Enjoy!