Talking of steaks

[Workingman]

I got £11 worth of dry aged sirloin (£5/lb) at the meat market. It cut into five good sized steaks with very little trimming, but I am beginning to wish that I hadn't bothered. For the same price I could have got enough rump steak to cut at least seven largish medallions. I prefer rump, but the sirloin looked so nice.

Maybe it was the way I cooked the steak - medium heat with plenty of flipping for about eight minutes, but it was really tough. That is the way I have seen it done in plenty of steak houses. Did I do something wrong or is the meat not as good a quality as it looked? Braised sirloin seems such a waste.

I can do rump to perfection, slightly pink in the middle, and it is always tender.

[tonicha]

The beef we get here is rubbish. Don't know what they feed the cows on, but I do know they cut everything cross-grain and it's always tough.

Enjoy yours WM xx

[Workingman]

It is easy to forget that other places have different cuts compared to the UK. Our tame Kiwi, Weka, can give loads of examples.

[meriad]

To be honest I'm not overly fond of either rump or sirloin Frank - I find both on the tougher side. Besides the obvious fillet, my favourite by far is rib-eye and it's the one thing I splurge on when we do have a BBQ. If for whatever reason I can't have rib-eye then I'll stick to chicken drumsticks / thighs and pork rashers

You obviously like your steak a lot more cooked through than I do (I like mine rare) but I think cooking on a medium heat for as long as you are is what's making it tough - try a slightly higher heat with 3 or possibly even 4? (for a medium steak) minutes on each side, but not continuously flipping over - and then leave to rest. See how that would work?

[tonicha]

I like (sorry people) veal t-bone steaks - they're lovely over here

[manxie]

I also like Veal Ton,.... these days it is reared humanely not caged as they used to be and if producers don't raise and sell any veal then about half of all calves born to the cows would be killed at birth and used for petfood at least these young calves have had some life and I think that is a better option.

Sadly many people today still shun veal thinking it is not produced humanely. Wrong.

As for steaks? I prefer fillet and ribeye too. Sirloin needs to be hung for at least 28 days to be good eating and sadly again supermarkets in the main are to blame by selling meat to their customers often only days after it is slaughtered, to be good eating all meat must hang for at least 10-14 days.

The reason they sell so soon is simply profit.............when you hang a side of beef for example it can lose up to 15% of its slaughter weight therefore the butcher either loses 15% profit or hikes the price to cover it, consequentially supermarkets in the main want every penny profit they can get so sell fresh meat wet with blood and juices to make good profits, so either go to an independant butcher and ask does he hang his meat? and for how long? you will pay a bit extra but more often than not you will enjoy your meal

Manxie xx

[Workingman]

Manxie, I couldn't agree more. I get most of my meat from market butchers simply because they know what they are doing, and yes, they dry hang their meats. They also tend to be specialist pork butchers, beef/lamb/veal butchers and poultry/game butchers.

The reason I like rump is because it has flavour and a 'chew' without being tough. I usually get those big sheet steaks from the mid rump, the ones with a thin sinew down the middle. Trimming either side of the sinew and halving the two pieces gets four good man-size steaks

[Kaz]

Perhaps it needed bashing a bit, to tenderise it?

[Workingman]

Very clever, Kaz.... had I known before I cooked it.

[Diflower]

I was going to suggest a light bashing too, after all none of the suggestions are any good for the one you've already eaten are they?!

I love sirloin, and rump - and ribeye too
If it's from a source you haven't tried before, but it looks good, you won't know till you try it, will you.

Eight minutes is quite a lot. Average-thickness steaks would be about 2 minutes a side for rare, 3 for medium, but only a little bit longer for well done, starting on high heat and turning down to medium.
I rub steaks with oil, season with lots of black pepper. I put Bb's in before mine, in a very hot griddle pan, since he likes his only pink, no trace of red; timer on for 2 minutes, then turn his, add mine. At this time, put a small bit of butter on top of his, spread it over, then turn heat down a bit. Timer depending on thickness, but for fairly thick, 2 mins.
Turn mine over, add butter; turn heat down to medium, baste his and turn; baste mine, turn, keep basting. By then they're about done, but I only use my finger to test.
Just press on the steak:
Soft and spongy = pretty rare
Softish = med rare
Soft but slightly springy = medium.
At this point, if taken out to rest (on foil, to catch the juice), that medium will become well done by the time it's served (on a hot plate).

Steaks should be rested for roughly the same amount of time as they're cooked.
While they're resting, add to pan a splash of water, or wine, or brandy, plus another knob of butter, then the juice from the foil.
Pour that over the steaks to serve.

If you want a 'proper' sauce, cook the steaks in a frying pan instead of griddle pan, and if anyone wants a few really quick ones, I'm happy to post some.