Sauces/marinades for steaks

sure!

cmm3 in Home Cooking

Sauces/marinades for steaks

Hi, I am eating a lot of steak now and I am looking for ways to season/marinade it with marinades/sauces.

I like Rib Eye and Sirloin, but am open to different cuts of meat.

So far, I've just been adding steak seasoning to both sides and cooking in a cast iron skillet for 6 minutes. It's good, but I want some variety.

Can you recommend some great recipes to marinade/season steaks? Preferably, some that don't require overnight marinading, but it's okay that most do.

Wine sauces are okay too... I have the french cooking bible by Julia Child, but I'm not sure where to look for recipes that you add to steaks... (I know some people think it's blasphemy to add anything but salt to a steak).

Thank you so much!

cmm3 in Home Cooking

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Are there any other oils I should consider or should I just go with peanut oil?

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Would you recommend peanut or canola? For flavor...? Do you think either will set off the fire alarms regularly, like what happened when I used extra virgin olive oil?

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Thanks. Would vegetable oil or palm oil be the better oil to use on my cast iron? I live in an apartment so the most important thing is not setting off the fire alarms. I think palm oil has a higher smoke point-- are there any downsides? Or should I use another oil all together? Thanks! I'll go to Costco and pick up a big bottle of it tomorrow.

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

I see. So what is the point of adding oil? What is the benefit?

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

So how much oil do I need to put on the steak when the pan is hot? Do I cover the entire steak with vegetable oil so it sears (is that how searing works)?

Thanks!

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Oh, so when you cook a steak, for example, in a cast iron skillet, you don't use oil with the steak? You only would use oil to check to see if it's hot enough? Is that why I keep setting off the fire alarms? I was putting down a good amount of oil on my griddle immediately, and within a few minutes, I would set off the smoke alarm (long before I put the steak on).

I always thought you needed oil when you cook (or butter, etc)...?

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Thanks! I just successfuly reseasoned my cast iron griddle from Lodge! The four attempts before this one resulted in lots of smoke and the smoke detectors going off (I live in an apartment building and the neighbors weren't pleased).

I reseasoned them because I had used olive oil to cook steaks on them for 45 minutes (the insides were still very red, so I had to cook them for so long and there was no juice left). I then found out that you are suppose to preheat the cast iron on high heat until it gets right before the smoke point of the oil you're using (it was recommended to not use olive oil but rather palm or vegetable oil), then throw the, e.g., steaks on for 2-3 minutes on each side and voila, medium rare ready to go!

Is that the right way to do it? How long does it take to heat up on a gas stove (roughly)? 5 minutes? 10 minutes? 30? When I was cooking steaks before for 45 minutes, I cooked on low-medium, so I would assume it only takes cast iron 15-20 minutes on high heat to get hot enough?

Finally, what oil/fat do you recommend? I know there are lots available. The most important thing for me is to not get the apartment incredibly smokey and not set off the fire alarm!! Second is most practical, third is fair price. Is vegetable or palm oil the best choice? Something else?

Thank you so much, Chemicalkinetics (and the rest of the posters here)! I hope I can start the Atkins diet by Monday now that I have had almost all my questions/concerns answered today!!

Best -

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Wow, so many choices! The list of individual pieces I said I would get if I didn't get one of those sets... what do you think? Am I missing anything? Any redundancy?

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

What type of aluminum? I'm visiting my mom tomorrow through the middle of next week and there is a restaurant supply store in her town.

What kind of cookware do people who are not that strong prefer, but is still good? My wife is 115 pounds (before pregnancy) and 8 months pregnant-- she finds cast iron very heavy and sometimes too difficult to lift, even with two hands. Our cheap Target stuff on the other hand...

If I can get her a lightweight skillet, I am sure she will use it (instead of always grabbing the cheap Target stuff)

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Oh, and a good frying pan for making eggs and omelets (something non-stick-- I hear cast iron can be difficult)...

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Thanks all! In the interest of saving money, how about a 13 piece stainless steel 18/10 cookware set from Costco for $190 (it is a "C" brand, I think it's the one that makes their cookware in Brazil. it is not Calphalon, iirc). Here is the link: http://bit.ly/oja9Oa

How does that compare to cast iron (enameled or otherwise)?

What about Hard-anodized aluminum cookware? How does that compare? Costco also has a 15 piece set for $160 http://bit.ly/nSIOIt I don't know which company makes that set.

I don't know how much I'll use certain pieces in the set. What I would like to get is an 8" and either 10 or 12" frying pan (probably Lodge cast iron, it's dirt cheap), a good wok (I have one from Costco but I am unsure the quality of the materials and the type of metal it is-- the handle is flimsy), a 1 or 1.5 quart sauce pan, a 3 quart sauce pan and a 6 or 8 quart stock pot.

Then probably a cookie sheet (which metal?) and a stoneware baker, probably this one, JCP has a Le Creuset baking dish that includes two dishes for $45-- 10 1/2x7" and a 7x5" dish. That seems like a good deal, and I think it will be very versatile?

Does that plan sound better than one of those sets? Or is that set a better deal (I hope over time I cook more and I have more needs for various cookware)...

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

It wasn't specific, but when I mentioned it you seemed to dismiss it, asking why it was recommended (in what context). I assumed you didn't like the material. I guess I was wrong.

Responds to heat means that it heats up faster? And if I turn down the heat (in the oven or on the stove), it will cool faster (than say, cast iron)?

When do you need heat to be very equally distributed? Don't you fix the problem when you move the sauce around in a pan (with a wooden spoon, for instance)?

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Are there downsides to steel? You seemed not to recommend it in a previous post...

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Easy to use, cheap, works well and will last long enough (same link said that people shouldn't be fooled by salesmen saying 'this purchase will last a lifetime' as needs/wants change).

I haven't seen many items that just use steel. I thought the main options were: clad/copper core, aluminium, stainless steel, cast iron (enameled or bare), and teflon skillets, so when I saw 'enameled steel', I was wondering what they meant.

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Thanks! I was reading somewhere else that it was recommended to get "enameled steel"... do you know what kind of material they are talking about specifically? I am not sure if my translation was correct ("enameled steel") but I know they are talking about enamel on some sort of metal, but I am unsure which. Any ideas? What are some American companies that enamel steel?

Thank you very much!

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

Thanks!

What I'd bake? For example, baked ziti. Ravioli. Stuff like that? Maybe that isn't technically baking? I'm not too sure.

So, to make eggs, enameled cast iron would be better than bare? Any other type that is recommended for eggs?

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

For delicate sauce, more or less yes in term of your general idea, but I won't say it has to be All Clad brand. Other brands work just fine."

What material is All-Clad? It's a copper clad stainless steel material, right? What other brands would work for a delicate sauce (what makes something 'delicate')? Is stainless steel in general okay?

What is considered 'slow cooking'?

"Depending what you want to do with your frying pans, but if you want to cook/sear at high temperature, yes."

When would you want to cook on the stove at low temperatures?

""What about bakewear? Is LC enameled cast iron best here?"

Depending what you want to bake"

Can you give some examples? I am new to cooking for myself (beyond heating up noodles and a jar of sauce). As you can see, I don't know many of the basics yet...

cmm3 in Cookware

Bare cast iron vs enameled cast iron - which is better?

I'm trying to add to my collection of good cookware and bakeware products. Currently, I have an enameled 6 qt Le Creuset dutch over and a bare cast iron griddle. I want to add to my collection. From my previous posts, I have learned that for making sauce, I should use something like All-Clad and not cast iron (enameled or bare)? But what are the differences between bare cast iron and enameled cast iron? Is enameled best for cooking at low temperatures? So that includes any type of meats with a sauce (which is why I bought my french oven)? Anything else?

What about frying pans? Is it best to go with bare cast iron here?

What about bakewear? Is LC enameled cast iron best here?

Is buying an LC enamel-on-steel stockpot a bad idea? Is All-Clad better in this case?

When using enameled cast iron or bare cast iron, what type of cooking utensils should you use to protect the cookware?

Finally, are there any oven mitts that you recommend over others? Or just get any that protect you up to 500F?

Thank you!

cmm3 in Cookware

How to make a THICK Thai peanut sauce?

Too sugary, and didn't taste "spicy" like the one at Rod Dee Thai in Brookline/Cambridge. I'll add less sugar next time, but not sure how to give it that "kick" of spice (not a red pepper taste, I had plenty of that....)

Any suggestions?

cmm3 in Home Cooking

How to make a THICK Thai peanut sauce?

Thanks! I live next to Shaw's.

Have you been to Rod Dee Thai? They have the best peanut sauce I have ever had. Any suggestions based on that preference?

cmm3 in Home Cooking

How to make a THICK Thai peanut sauce?

What is Teddy? A brand?

cmm3 in Home Cooking

How to make a THICK Thai peanut sauce?

Hi,

I want to make a thick, crunchy peanut sauce -- any suggestions on how to do this? I am pretty new to cooking, but LOVE Thai peanut sauce. I have found great variation on the peanut sauce when trying different Thai restaurants in Boston, but that's why I want to try on my own... basically I want a thick, goey, and crunchy peanut sauce.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

cmm3 in Home Cooking

Sauce Pans (Lodge) and frying food questions (newbie)

So, perhaps it is better to go with the All-Clad "clad core" products instead, since it won't chip and works well (for at least heating sauce).

Is there something I am missing if I do indeed purchase All-Clad seconds from cookwarenmore.com ?

cmm3 in Cookware

Sauce Pans (Lodge) and frying food questions (newbie)

Currently, I do have a gas oven (I rent).... so do you recommend, even for skillets and dutch ovens, not to purchase Lodge, since it is cast iron?

cmm3 in Cookware

Sauce Pans (Lodge) and frying food questions (newbie)

Thanks. I don't mind buying quality if it will last...

Would you recommend All-Clad for making sauce (both tomato sauce and glazes for meats) in sauce pans? That's all I see myself doing at the moment.

Which All-Clad line specifically? I'd like to begin cooking!

cmm3 in Cookware

Sauce Pans (Lodge) and frying food questions (newbie)

Why do you find it more useful?

cmm3 in Cookware

Sauce Pans (Lodge) and frying food questions (newbie)

I just spoke to Lodge....

Would you recommend the enameled products imported from China, or cast iron that I must put vegetable oil on before and after each meal? I don't think it is a big deal to do the latter, but would appreciate replies from more seasoned cooks. Colors are nice, but not necessary...

So, for heating up half a jar of sauce, I would need 1 quart? So do you think a 1 and 3.5 quart sauce pan should be all I need? (for now)

Finally, is it better to go with Lodge's Signature series so I can touch the skillets/dutch ovens without mitts, or should I skip it, use mitts always, and save the money?

cmm3 in Cookware