Everything You Need to Know About Steak
A man should know his meat. We can help. We tell you everything you need to know on steak types, grades and cooking times. And don’t forget to check out some of our best steak recipes and pro cooking tips and tricks.
Why Beef is Aged, and How: Beef must be aged to allow natural enzymes to break down fibrous connective tissue that holds the muscle together. There are two ways to self-tenderize: • Dry aging: Expensive and time consuming. The beef is stored in temperature- and humidity-controlled coolers for up to six weeks. Moisture evaporates, improving texture and concentrating flavor. Between the evaporation and trimming of the thin coating of mold that develops, there’s weight loss of up to 20 percent. • Wet aging: The beef is refrigerated in vacuum-sealed plastic and allowed to tenderize in its own juices. No evaporation means no moisture is lost. Less waste but also less concentrated taste.
Some Types of Beef You Should Know About: Rare “red” cattle (the same breed that produces Kobe beef) raised in Texas by HeartBrand Beef–the only herd outside of Japan. They started with eleven head of cattle, which have been guarded by armed Texas Rangers for the past fourteen years while the herd has grown to more than five thousand. (heartbrandbeef.com) • Grass-fed: Healthier but, some say, less flavorful than corn-fed. Raised in open pastures. Not necessarily organic. (Grain-finished cattle–which are switched from grass to grain for the last few weeks before slaughter–develop more marbling.) • Heritage: From rare heirloom breeds, pasture-raised on small farms without the hormones or pesticides used in conventional agribusiness. • Angus: Aberdeen-Angus is a pure breed found in the U. S., England, Scotland, and Ireland. Certified Angus Brand is a brand name and may or may not include meat from Aberdeen-Angus.
The Grades of Meat: Prime: What you want. Typically found only at fine butcher shops, its interlacing of intramuscular fat–like a cobweb–assures tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. • Choice: Pretty good. More affordable and accessible than prime, moderate marbling still yields juicy, flavorful cuts. • Select: You’re on a plane.
Generally Important Point (Cooking): Cooking times in recipes are predicated on starting with meat that’s not too cold. All steaks should be taken out of the refrigerator at least thirty minutes before cooking.
The Pan: Lodge, an American maker of high-quality cast-iron pans for more than a hundred years, preseasons pans in the factory (its “Logic” line). The 10.25- and 12-inch, with 2-inch depth, are most practical–any larger and, depending on the size of the steaks, the oil could run off to the sides (where there’s no meat) and burn. • The pan must be hot enough to sear the meat on contact, to prevent surface moisture from creating steam, which can prevent browning. • While some chefs say the pan should be “smoking” before adding oil, most call for the intuitive “hot but not smoking.” Basically, really goddamn hot.
A Note on Salt: When you salt meat before cooking, you need a lot–and a lot falls off–so standard coarse salt will do. After cooking is the time to use fine sea salt. It’s pricey, but the large, crackly flakes are intense, so you don’t need much.
How to Use Oil: Before the meat goes in, the skillet should be filmed with oil–it should coat the surface without pooling. (You can add it when the pan is cold or hot.) At the right temperature, the oil will shimmer and gently ripple, as if you dropped a pebble into a pond. It shouldn’t spatter or smoke.
The Finish: Meat’s temperature keeps rising after cooking. Remove steaks from the heat when a meat thermometer reads 115 to 125 degrees. Then wait. During the all-important resting period, the temperature will rise to the medium-rare range, 120 to 130 degrees. • Get a good thermometer, preferably with a digital probe and large readout, like the Super-Fast Thermapen (four seconds with 1 percent accuracy). It is a potentially life-changing device. (thermoworks.com) • Always start with a recipe’s minimum cooking time. You can’t cook a steak less. • If you don’t have a thermometer and you don’t want to cut into the meat, press the cartilage at the tip of your nose. That’s what medium rare feels like.
source: http://www.esquire.com/features/steak/steak-information-0908
Leading supplier of fine vintage wines from France, Spain, Italy, Napa Valley, Australia, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Germany and Austria YATS VINTAGE WINE CELLARS has been serving Asia’s wine enthusiasts and connoisseurs since 1985. Today the wine cellars of this wine store stock over 2700 labels of wines from all major wine regions and the biggest spectrum of vintages imaginable spanning over 100 years. Wines were purchased in opportune situations allowing us to offer superb values to our customers and wine collectors.
Yats Vintage Wine Cellars is generally regarded by Asian and Philippines wine lovers as the best wine supplier of old vintage wines in Asia. Its cellars are located in a new cosmopolitan city just outside of Manila Philippines in Clark Freeport which has its own international airport named DMIA. Wine lovers from Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia travel to Philippines Clark Freeport to purchase these limited rare bottles of fine vintage wine. Now wine lovers in Hong Kong can select and purchase these wines for deliver to their offices and homes in Hong Kong. This wine shop is generally regarded by wine lovers to be the best place to buy wine in Manila.
Wines from new world regions are well represented at this wine shop in Quezon City, Ortigas, Eastwood, Makati, Fort, Alabang, Metro Manila, Philippines. Fine wines from Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and South Africa are offered in their wine shops, wine bars and fine dining restaurants throughout the Philippines, Metro Manila and Pampanga. Old world wines from France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Germany and Austria are also well represented in this famous wine shop and wine stores of Yats also.
Fine red wine, white wine and sparkling wines are all available in this highly recommended wine shop in Pampanga and Metro Manila. This wine shop is also famous for its offering of fine vintage ports from famous producers like Graham, Dow, Quinta do Noval, Taylor, Nieeport and Barros. Champagne, Prosecco, Cava and Sekt sparkling wines are also very popular in the wine shops and wine stores of Yats in Quezon City, Ortigas, Eastwood, Makati, Fort, Alabang, Metro Manila, Philippines.
Yats Wine Cellars Philippines
3003C East Tower, Philippines Stock Exchange Center (Tektite)
Exchange Road, Ortigas Center, Metro Manila, Philippines
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Kristine
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com
For inquiries and orders, Click here to for inquiries and orders
For wine lovers in Hong Kong, Macau and China:
Yats International HK Sales Office,
Room 1302, 13/F., The Centre Mark
287-299 Queen’s Road Central Sheung Wan,
Hong Kong SAR
Tel: (852) 2788-0738 ask for Miss Eva Leung
Wine@Yats-International.com
If Philippines is part of an upcoming travel and holiday plan, wine lovers might want to visit Clark Freeport Zone just 70 minutes from Manila. This bustling new city that is slated to replace Manila as the new capital of the Philippines has the largest wine shop called Clark Wine Center. For more information, log on to
http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com
Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)
Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.
Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:
Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:
http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com
While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com
YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippineshttp://www.YatsLeisure.com
If you are traveling to Pampanga, Subic, Angeles City, Clark Freeport, Philippines, you can get assistance to hotel and resort booking by logging on to
http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com
You are welcome to post your comments and questions about any topic related to wine on http://www.YatsWineCellars.com or email Wine@Yats-International.com with your comments, suggestions, questions, purchases or inquiries on wine and wine-related topics. Don’t forget to register yourself on our mailing list to be informed of the dates and venues of the Yats Wine Experience public wine tasting events.