Latest news with #steak
CNET
2 days ago
- Lifestyle
- CNET
Is the '137 Club' the Best Way to Cook Steak? Reddit Says Yes, So I Tried It
If there's one thing I use my sous vide immersion circulator for most, it's steak -- and I'm always looking for new ways to level up my skills. Often, this means trying new cooking strategies I find on the r/sousvide Reddit community. One curious phenomenon has commenters proclaiming that 137 degrees Fahrenheit is the best temperature for cooking steak sous vide. The cooking hack allegedly yields the best flavor and texture. Ribeye is the most common cut in many discussions, but I've seen recommendations on cheaper cuts of beef like chuck steak and New York strip. A Reddit search reveals over 125 threads on the aptly named "137 Club." So I dug deeper to look at the science behind this cooking trend and, of course, tried it for myself. The science of cooking the perfect steak I seasoned every steak identically with salt, granulated garlic powder and cracked black pepper. John Carlsen/CNET Ahead of my test, I hit the books. My first instinct was to consult Modernist Cuisine by Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young and Maxine Bilet, which is one of the most comprehensive resources on the science of cooking. With a list price that usually tops $500, over 2,400 pages across six volumes and no digital version, this is easier said than done. Fortunately, I found a copy of the more compact Modernist Cuisine at Home in Brigham Young University's collection near my home. ("More compact" is a relative term since it's also huge.) Thankfully, Modernist Cuisine at Home has an entire section about cooking steak, including the sous vide method. Vacuum sealing the steaks overnight allowed the seasoning to work as a marinade. John Carlsen/CNET The book groups cuts of steak into two categories: tender (filet, tenderloin, New York strip, ribeye, T-bone and so on) and tough cuts (chuck, skirt, hanger, flat iron, flank and so on). Tender cuts typically cook at lower temperatures, with the authors and their lab generally preferring a medium rare doneness around 133 F in most cases. In contrast, the recommendations for tough cuts hover around 144 F to 149 F, which the book implies is a more traditional roast-like result: think tender and flaky rather than extra juicy. Douglas Baldwin's masterclass A Practical Guide to Sous Vide Cooking, cites multiple scientific papers that suggest the best tenderness results with beef lie somewhere between 120 F and 150 F, with specific mention of 131 F to 140 F for cheaper, tougher cuts of beef. This appears to be the sweet spot for converting tough collagen into smooth, flavorful gelatin. Additionally, Modernist Cuisine at Home suggests that ribeye, a tender cut of meat, turns out best after three hours at 133 F. There are small differences between the resources, but both seem to validate the 137 Club as a catchall method for steak. The steaks barely fit in the container I use for my sous vide bath, but I made it work with some strategic spacers and weights. John Carlsen/CNET While I wasn't able to track down the founding member of the 137 Club, I know that the term started gaining steam in April 2020, at least on Reddit. If I had to guess why 137 F became the magic number, it probably comes down to preference for the first person who tried it -- they might have liked it more medium than medium rare. After all, 137 degrees falls in the aforementioned temperature range, with a margin of error in case the temperature of the sous vide bath fluctuates during cooking. In this case, the temperature could vary by 3 degrees either way without affecting the results too heavily. My research ends here, but I doubt I'll be the last person wondering where it all came from. The experiment We all tried three samples with a simple survey asking about the texture, flavor and anything else that stood out. John Carlsen/CNET Now that we know that there's some science behind the 137 Club, it's time to test. I originally intended to test it with ribeye, which frequently comes up in 137 Club threads. It has a great balance of fatty tissue that supposedly renders better at a higher temperature. Instead, I found tender 1-inch T-bones on sale, which will work just fine. The main purpose was to see if there were any noticeable differences in the cooking. There were five taste testers: myself and four others who I'll refer to as Annette, Lauren, Hank and Nora. None of us had tasted the 137 F method before. Steak A: Grilled This was also the fastest cook because it required practically no additional prep beyond seasoning. John Carlsen/CNET I grilled Steak A in the traditional style, using a timer and a meat thermometer to reach an internal temperature of 131 F. (I aimed for 129 F, but grills are fickle things.) It took about 7 minutes. All of us agreed the traditional grilled steak was the least tender of the three steaks. As expected, the inside of the steak wasn't as consistent as with the sous vide steaks. However, it was juicy and the outside seared perfectly because I didn't have to worry as much about ruining the sous vide steaks. Nora even said it was her favorite: "Most flavor, I can taste each seasoning." Steak B: Sous vide at 129 F for 60 minutes I learned to sous vide steak at 129 F, so it was a good comparison point. John Carlsen/CNET I cooked Steak B with my normal sous vide method of 129 F for 60 minutes. (Note: I usually do 120 minutes, but shortened it due to time constraints.) Crucially, this steak lies outside the temperature range mentioned earlier. Since the experiment was at a family member's house, I chose to sear the sous vide steaks on the grill, which isn't as precise or powerful as my trusty blowtorch. Also, searing multiple T-bones with my small blowtorch would've taken an eternity. Likewise, I could've done a better job by not searing all three sous vide steaks at the same time. I bought four steaks in total, so there were two Steak Bs, with the thinner one turning out slightly more medium after searing. John Carlsen/CNET As a result, Steak B's crust was uneven and the flavor wasn't as pronounced as the grilled steak. The fat also didn't render as well as the other steaks. Everyone liked how soft this steak was, with one tester saying it fell apart in her mouth. Still, Steak B was the favorite option of three tasters: Annette, Lauren and me. However, it was the lowest-ranked steak for the other two respondents. Hank said it was "a little too different for my liking but still enjoyable." Meanwhile, Nora simply liked it but wrote "would not order again." I'll try not to take it personally. Steak C: Sous vide at 137 F for 60 minutes (also known as the 137 Club) In my case, I feel like it was a toss-up between Steak B (middle) and Steak C (left). John Carlsen/CNET I cooked Steak C at 137 F for an hour before keeping it warm in the 129 F bath with Steak B for another hour. Yes, the extra time affected the final result on Steak C, but seeing that many 137 Club threads suggest cooking for at least 120 minutes, I was fine adding a little more time. The sear turned out a little better than with Steak B. We all noticed that it wasn't as moist as the other sous vide steak, but it was extremely juicy. However, Steak C was flakier, more tender and seemed to have a deeper flavor because the fat had more time to render out and interact with the meat. Juiciness was the deciding factor for the tasters who preferred the other sous vide steak. But Steak C certainly had fans and was very good, with Hank saying it was "the best of the three in my opinion." What's the verdict on the 137 Club? Despite juggling cooking times and completing three steak methods simultaneously, it's always so rewarding to share good food with family. John Carlsen/CNET I learned two things from this experiment. First, sous vide steaks cooked at 137 F are just as delicious as other methods. It also seems to render fat more effectively than lower sous vide temperatures with a slightly higher level of doneness. It's ideal when you have a few hours to let the water bath work its magic. This helps balance out some of the confirmation bias of the many positive sentiments on Reddit. Secondly, whether anyone likes the final result ultimately reflects their personal preferences and that's fine. While medium rare is very popular for a lot of people, there are individuals -- my wife included -- who prefer medium-well and well-done steaks. (In case you're wondering, she says well-done sous vide steaks are delicious and much more forgiving than on the grill.) A final bonus lesson is something I've experienced many times -- it's a blast to experiment when you find something interesting that's within your skills. Trying one thing doesn't mean giving up a treasured cooking method or a favorite meal, but it can open up your possibilities and help you find new ways to make great food.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
The size of this steak at a trendy inner-city pub has sparked outrage - but not everyone agrees
Aussies have erupted over the price of a steak after an angry diner unleashed on social media about their meal at a gastropub. A Reddit user took to the platform on Wednesday to share a photo of their dinner at Four in Hand Hotel in the ritzy inner-city Sydney suburb of Paddington. The plate consisted of three cherry tomatoes, two sauces and a steak with a field mushroom, both appearing to be the same size. 'This is a $49 Eye Fillet from the Four in Hand, Paddington - the mushroom is larger than the steak,' they said. '(It) ended up being a very expensive night without much to show for it. 'I just wanted a nice pub steak with chips (It didn't come with chips either).' The post sparked a divided response on Reddit. Some were horrified by the price while others believed it was fair in the current economic climate. 'What is this? A steak for ants? It needs to be at least… 3 times as big,' one wrote. Another sarcastically commented: 'I for one can't believe an expensive cut of meat in the eastern suburbs is so pricey.' A third added: 'Has no one in this sub ever bought an eye fillet before?' Others also offered insight into why the price may not have been unreasonable. 'A few things to remember. Mushrooms can be huge. Eye fillet steaks typically have a smaller footprint compared to, say, a T-bone steak,' one wrote. 'The one in your photo is not smaller than typical footprints of these steaks (and) eye fillet steaks are more expensive.' There were also references to the skyrocketing cost of beef in Australia, with one person saying: 'Beef pricing is f***ed at the moment.' Farmers warned in April that Aussies could end up paying more than $50 a kilo for steak at the supermarket due to Donald Trump's tariffs on agriculture exports. Organic beef cattle producer and Australian Food Sovereignty Alliance's spokeswoman Tammi Jonas said there has been high demand for Australian beef across the world. The fillet steak at Four in the Hand Hotel (pictured) sits in the middle of price ranges for surrounding Paddington venues She warned the appetite for Australian beef would increase which would subsequently impact domestic prices. Four in Hand Hotel owner Colin Parras defended the meal price. 'Fillet steak prices are through the roof at the moment,' he told Daily Mail Australia in a statement. 'The steak in question is $49 for a 200g steak plus sides including the mushroom. This was priced lower than most similar venues in the area. 'Most venues in the area have actually taken it off menu at the moment due to the pricing.' Research into other venues in Paddington revealed Mr Parras' pub is within the area's price range for a fillet steak. While 180g of fillet steak with sides at The London Hotel would cost a diner $38, Ursula's Paddington offers a 180g grasslands beef fillet with sides for $61. Mr Parras also pointed out that eye fillet steaks are 'proportionately thicker' than they are wide and that the photo on Reddit was taken from above.
Sky News
3 days ago
- Business
- Sky News
Sirloin? No. Top chef says you should be buying this cheaper cut instead
Every Thursday, our Money blog team interviews chefs from around the UK, hearing about their cheap food hacks and more. This week, we chat to Brian Hennessy, head chef at the acclaimed Winter Garden Restaurant in London. My favourite cheap substitute is... using bavette, also known as flank, as the cut of meat for steak and chips. It is often overlooked but the flavour is beautiful. You are also getting a range of different textures in one single cut. I'll take it over a sirloin any day of the week. My secret crispy chilli oil, no longer to be a secret, makes any meal better... I batch-make it and store it. Added to almost anything, it can make a meal. From a little bit in scrambled egg in the morning (my personal favourite) to popping it in a stir-fry or pasta. There's no need for any expensive products - just add a few tablespoons and it will add the perfect amount of umami to any dish at home. 100g whole dried chilli (seeds removed) 40g caster sugar 75g garlic 500g grapeseed oil 5g black pepper 6g cumin 12g dried porcini 200g crispy shallot 20g salt Blitz the chillies (or chop) until flakes. Thinly slice your garlic and gently fry in the grapeseed oil. Mix the salt, spices and porcini powder. Combine with the dried chilli. Once garlic is golden brown and crispy, pour over chilli mix. Mix in crispy shallots. Young chefs shouldn't worry about money... your position or the hours when choosing where to work early on in your career. Work for the best possible chef you can learn from. Having worked under chefs like John Williams, Spencer Metzger and Gareth Byrne, their investment in young chefs and ability to pass on their knowledge has been invaluable to me. Money and everything else will follow suit down the line. One restaurant that's worth spending big on... Cocina Hermanos Torres in Barcelona. Worth it, including the plane journey. Went on a whim last year and it was simply mind-blowing. You go into almost a lab-type restaurant, but the friendly service makes you instantly at ease. They proceed to serve you food and ingredients you recognise but in the most innovative way. We had a pea and ham dish, sounds simple - easily the best dish I have ever eaten. The worst type of customer is… those who are late without calling and then demanding upon arrival. It's both a lack of respect for the staff and their fellow diners. It has the potential to ruin multiple dining experiences, not just their own. It's not exactly a secret ingredient, but the sheer amount of salted butter used certainly is... a secret kept from the guy writing the cookbooks. It's not just great for taste but also texture! French cuisine is often associated with pricey, fancy ingredients... but classical French cooking is deep-rooted in maximising the use of every part of the animal and veg. We have become too used to over-prepared products in the supermarket, but with some basic knowledge and skills, you can really stretch the ingredients in your weekly shop. My chef hero is… Daniel Calvert, the only British chef to hold three Michelin stars outside the UK, in Tokyo. The level of precision in his work is awe-inspiring. He went from sous chef at 23 at Per Se in New York, then back to being a commis chef at Epicure in Paris to learn traditional techniques, which shows his passion and desire to improve and learn. I believe his journey should be an inspiration for any young chef. A tip non-chefs might not know is... add acid. Don't be afraid to add that touch of acid, whether it be vinegar or lemon juice, to a sauce, soups, broths or a piece of fish. It can make the world of a difference to any product and make a dish go from good to great. My favourite cookbook is... The French Laundry by Thomas Keller. It is just a timeless classic. It's a book you can always go back to for inspiration and proves that trends will come and go, but true class is permanent. My go-to cheap eat out... is Oki in Wimbledon, south London. £8 buffet-style Japanese, I often go for the katsu curry. Why I love it is not just the convenience, but it being so, so good. Perfect to pick up on the way home after a long day at work. They are far from shy on portions also!
News.com.au
4 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
‘Ripped off': Sydneysider slams price of ‘tiny' pub steak
A Sydney pub owner has defended the price of an eye fillet on his menu after a diner who bought the meal claimed the steak was 'the same size as the mushroom' that accompanied it. The disgruntled customer shared a photo of the pub dinner on Reddit, stating it was ordered at the Four in Hand pub in Paddington, an upscale suburb in Sydney's eastern suburbs where the median house price is $3.5 million. The customer paid $49 for the eye fillet, but after seeing the portion size, they felt as though they were being 'had on' by the venue. The dish featured the expensive piece of meat, three truss cherry tomatoes, a field mushroom with mustard cream, and a red wine jus. After adding an additional peppercorn sauce, the total bill amounted to $52. While the diner acknowledged that they ordered a premium cut of beef, they thought the value for money was poor, especially at a pub, where one typically can get good value meals. 'Am I right to think that they're having a laugh here?' the Sydneysider asked the forum, before the image went viral and over 100 people weighed in. In response to the post, the owner of the pub and industry stalwart, Colin Parras, defended the pricing and portion sizes. 'Fillet steak prices are through the roof at the moment,' Mr Parras told 'The dish in question is $49 for a 200g steak and sides, which is priced lower than most similar venues in the area'. He claimed that most establishments in the area have actually taken eye fillets off the menu due to the cost. Beef pricing is surging in Australia at the moment partly because China has ramped up its imports of Australian beef, leading to a record amount of beef exports in April – more than 127,000 tonnes. The record month comes as beef exports from the United States to China have ground to a halt. Mr Parras also pointed out that the angle of the photo, taken directly from above, doesn't clearly show the thickness of the steak, which is important as eye fillets are 'proportionately thicker than they are wide'. He believes that those ordering an eye fillet typically are opting for 'quality over quantity', but if customers baulk at the price, they always have a $35 hanger steak available or $22 steak nights on Tuesdays. Mr Parras' points were not lost on the post's commenters, with many surprisingly defending the pub – which doesn't usually happen in these sorts of posts, especially given the cost of living crisis. 'Costs have gone through the roof for things like produce, electricity, gas, insurance, security, council rates, loans or rent, and to a lesser extent, wages,' one commenter pointed out. It's true that the hospitality industry is under immense strain, with many venues forced to raise menu prices just to stay afloat. Nearly one in ten food service businesses closed in the past year amid rising rents, labour shortages, cost of labour and economic pressures, according to a recent May report from CreditorWatch. Others pointed out that the customer should have known what they were paying for – and in which suburb – when ordering. 'I for one can't believe an expensive cut of meat in the eastern suburbs is so pricey,' one commenter said, sarcastically. 'The price and size of the steak would have been written on the menu and you chose to purchase it … Plus, have you ever eaten an eye fillet cut before?' said another. However, there were a few people who shared the original poster's disappointment. 'Used to be such a good pub too. Shame. Yes, you've been shafted,' said one. 'A complete rip off,' another wrote. 'Yes, you are right. Taking the p**s deluxe,' wrote a third.
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Father's Day just got tastier: Save up to 50% on Omaha Steaks' bestselling meats and seafood - shop now for deals starting at $12
Father's Day is almost here, and if you're wondering what Dad really wants, we can let you in on the secret — it's an ice-cold beverage of his choice and a steak grilled to perfection. Skip the crowded restaurant and grill up your dad's favorite meats this Father's Day with Omaha Steaks offering up to 56 percent off top steak and burger sets, plus individual patties and steaks. Omaha Steaks Shop steaks, seafood, and more starting from just $12, and score up to 50 percent off. Choose between hefty sets with burgers, filet mignons, shrimp, and more. You can even make Dad his own customizable set with his favorite meats. Free shipping on orders over $169! Up to 50% off Shop Whether Dad wants a bacon-wrapped filet mignon for dinner or a large T-bone steak, Omaha Steaks has it all — and with prices starting from just $12, you'll be able to find the perfect gift for your father and feed your whole family in the process. Plus, orders over $169 also qualify for free shipping, making this one of the best times to buy. Fire up the grill and give your dad the gift of freshly barbecued meat for Father's Day weekend. Shop Omaha Steaks now for up to 56 percent off for a limited time, and give Dad the gift of a restaurant-worthy dinner straight at home. Get your orders in soon so you know they'll arrive in time for Father's Day weekend. Omaha Steaks Smash Burgers Choose between eight to 24 burgers with this set. These juicy, tender smash burgers need just five minutes on the grill and come pre-smashed, saving Dad the hassle of doing it himself. Prices start at just $17.49, and you can score 50 percent off right now. $17.49+ (50% off) Shop Father's Day Favorites Pack You'll get four 6-ounce bacon-wrapped filet mignons, four 5-ounce Butcher's Cut top sirloins, four 5-ounce air-chilled boneless chicken breasts, four 6-ounce boneless pork chops, four 6-ounce Omaha Steaks burgers, and one 3-ounce jar of Omaha Steaks seasoning. The burgers are tender and juicy, and the steaks are ready to grill right out of the bag. All the meats are super fresh and come flash-thawed. $190.97 (50% off) Shop Father's Day Surf & Turf If Dad prefers a little seafood with his meat, this is the best set for him. The bundle includes four 6-ounce Butcher's Cut filet mignons, one 1-pound package of wild Argentinian red shrimp, four 5.5-ounce stuffed baked potatoes, four 4-ounce caramel apple tartlets, four 3-ounce individual baguettes with garlic butter, and one 3-ounce jar of Omaha Steaks seasoning. The beef itself has been aged for 30 days and is fork-tender, according to the brand. Get the bundle for a massive 50 percent off right now. $147.47 (50% off) Shop Father's Day Steak & Wine Dinner There really is no better combination than steak and wine — in my opinion. Give Dad the best of both worlds with this delectable set. The bundle includes four 8-ounce Private Reserve top sirloins, one 20-ounce tray of steakhouse creamed corn, four 3.81-ounce individual scalloped potatoes, four 3-ounce individual baguettes with garlic butter, four 4.23-ounce cherry hand pies, and one 3-ounce jar of Omaha Steaks seasoning. You'll also get the Father's Day Fine Reds Duo. Free shipping is included too! $194.99 (41% off) Shop
