Steak Enthusiast

Today, class, we will be discussing a form of the word “steak” that does not get its fair share of airtime out here in the real world.

Apparently, “steaky” is actually a word that has meaning to people other than obsessive bloggers who spend hours pontificating about steak.

I, myself, have used the word “steaky” to describe something that is totally awesome. (See aforementioned obsessive blogger reference.) But I did not know the word was making the rounds in society outside of the steak community.

“Steaky” now has its own entry in the Urban Dictionary. And I am so proud I have tears welling up in my eyes.

Here’s what it says:

Steaky 

 Adjective.

1. Steak-like. In reference to steak.

2. Generally a positive comment of approval or recognition.

Steaky is derived from the word steak. Steak being a tasty piece of meat of high quality. Things that are steaky thus possess steak-like qualities without actually having any implied reference to the meat.

A: I just aced the test!

B: Steaky! 

A: A love this band, their music is so steaky.

B: Their steakiness is unmatched.

cool awesome alright right-on neat

by Famous James Splinter

Notice the words I have highlighted in red above. Those are synonyms for “steaky.” And by the looks of them, “steaky” has been around since the ’70s. I don’t think I’ve used “right-on” or “neat” for decades.

So there you have it. Steak’s impact has moved BEYOND the world of food and has infiltrated the American lexicon.

Well done, steak. Well done.

Definition excerpt courtesy of UrbanDictionary.com.

I love, love finding new ways to cook a steak.

This one is quite ingenious.

Like tea? Ever thought of using it to flavor your steak?

Ms. Mabel Menard gives us her recipe for a SMOKIN’ steak. Check it out!

Tea-Smoked Steak Recipe

This was borne out of experimentation and improvisation. I wanted to make tea-smoked duck but didn’t have all the ingredients, so I improvised with what I could find in my pantry. It worked so well I decided to try smoking steak instead. You’ll need a heavy pan that can accommodate a steamer rack.

Ingredients

4 flat iron steaks (about 6 ounces each)

seasoned salt or Vulcan’s fire salt

1/3 cup loose dark tea leaves

1/3 cup raw rice

3 tablespoons raw sugar

1 tablespoon five spice powder

OR 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice

Serves / Yields

4

Preparation Instructions

Liberally sprinkle salt on both sides of the steaks. In the meantime, line a heavy pan with heavy duty foil. Cover the bottom of the foil with a thin layer of tea leaves, followed by rice, sugar, and spice. Cover and heat until very hot. Pat the steaks dry and place in a steamer rack. Put the steamer rack on the pan. Cover tightly. Heat on high for at least 1/2 hour, depending on desired doneness. Remove and let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

Helpful Hints

It’s great as part of an appetizer platter. You can also use it with salads.

Credit

This recipe was provided by Mabel Menard from Chicago.

Recipe courtesy of TheSpiceHouse.com.

I can’t say I’m one for British food. I’ve been to England . . . and I starved.

But, seriously, can you mess up a grilled steak? I think not.

So let’s give our friends across the pond a chance and try out this recipe for grilled steak, red wine lentils and salsa verde.

It sounds good, right? And it looks good, too.

If they’d had this readily available in the pubs I frequented over there I wouldn’t have complained!

This comes to us from Allegra McEvedy via The Guardian:

When ordering steak, you generally do better for your money by getting one large slab and sharing it out. Thick steaks also cook better so going Dutch on a big portion means you’re more likely to get a perfectly turned-out piece of meat.

Grilled steak, red wine lentils and salsa verde
Serves two

1 rib-eye steak, about 450g, room temperature

150g puy lentils

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 stick celery, sliced

2 small carrots, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

100ml red wine

2 bay leaves

600ml beef stock (if using a cube, make half a litre of stock and dilute with 100ml water)

Pinch of sugar

Sea salt and black pepper

For the salsa verde:

1 large handful of flat-leaf parsley

1 smaller handful of mint

1 tbsp capers

2-3 anchovy fillets

1 small clove garlic, finely chopped

3 cornichons

Healthy splash of red-wine vinegar

½ tsp dijon mustard

About 4 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Black pepper

For the salsa verde, chop the herbs, capers, cornichons and anchovy very small. Put them in a bowl and stir in the mustard, garlic, vinegar and some pepper. Then coat it all with the olive oil.

Gently heat one and a half tablespoons of olive oil in a thick-bottomed wide saucepan, then tip in the celery and carrots. Soften, covered, for about five minutes (don’t let them brown), stirring occasionally, then remove the lid and add the garlic. Keep stirring, turn the heat up and, after a minute, add the lentils. Another minute later, add the wine and bay leaves.

Reduce the wine by half, then add the stock. Once boiling, turn the heat down, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Then let the lentils finish cooking with the lid off for about another 15 mins. When the lentils are half way there, season the steak with salt and pepper (no need to oil it). Just place on to a hot griddle or under the grill for about three minutes each side on the griddle, or five per side if grilled, plus a five-minute rest. Once the lentils are done (they should retain a bit of bite), finish with salt, pepper, the rest of the olive oil and a pinch of sugar.

Excerpt courtesy of guardian.co.uk. 

Photo by Frank Baron/Guardian