Have you ever heard of a meat thermometer that basically tells you what level of doneness the meat is at? I need to look into one of those, too.

Hmm, no I haven't. A lot of meat thermometers come with a mini temperature chart, though.

Colour changing "stick" like meat doneness thingies, by the Barbecue supplies in the hardware store, up here. I find them awkward, but maybe you'll have better luck. When it comes to steak, I give it a little push, and if it's just a little bit 'squishy', it's done enough for me.

We buy ribeyes from a meat shop locally that sells them by the 10 pound box, flash frozen and individually vacuum packed. I put the frozen ribeyes out in morning and by 4-5pm they are thawed but still "cool" to the touch. I rub them liberally on the both sides with room temp butter (or if I forgot to put butter out, I use olive oil in a pinch) then I sprinkle generously with Montreal steak seasoning and let marinate for at least 30 minutes.

We have steak two or three times a week. And, even though we live in Colorado where it is cold and snowing right now, we always grill our steaks on our big propane grill on the back patio. We turn the grill on for about 10 minutes to get it really hot and then it takes about 10 minutes to cook the steaks. Mine on the middle rack ends up medium rare, my boyfriend's on the lower rack ends up medium. MMMmmmmmmm.

Thermometers don't work well for steaks, because unless the steak is really thick you can't get a proper reading. Besides, you lose juices when you stick the thermometer into them, and they're merrily cooking away, while you're trying to read the temp. For medium rare they're ready when the the first beads of pink juice appear on the cooked side. I like mine rarer than that, so I use the finger test described here: http://www.exploratorium.edu/cookin...fingertest.html.

Glad you started this thread. I usually avoid steak because of the cost and truthfully, I never really liked the flavor all that much. But perhaps I'll give it another shot.

Oh I LOVE Ribeye!!!! I try to have it at least once a week. When the budget allows of course - kids I can't pay for your school lunches this week cuz mom needs her steaks!!!

HA HA HA

A good fat juicy pork chop is a good substitute for steak when money is tight - lots of markets around here that have good prices on pork. Mexican markets, especially, as they have lots of variations on pork cuts, different than what you see in the typical American supermarkets.

Sorry for going off topic!

A friend of mine (caterer) explained how to age steak in your own refrigerator.I do this whenever we get some really good steaks for a special occasion.

Take a Gladware plastic container and poke holes in the side of it with something sharp. Poke corresponding holes on the other side of the container and then take bamboo skewers and make a little rack, (this keeps the steak from lying in a pool of blood and allows air to circulate around it). Poke some bigger holes on the other sides of the container to let air circulate. Put the steaks on the rack made of bamboo and put it in the fridge for about a week. Take it out two hours before dinner and let it come up to room temperature.

I usually season meat with salt and pepper about half an hour before cooking. I wait until the grill thermometer is as high as it can get and then toss the steaks on for about two minutes then rotate it 90 degrees and leave it on for another two minutes. Flip it over and you have perfect crosshatch grill marks. The time remaining till the steak comes off depends on the thickness of the meat as well as how the person wants it, rare-med rare-done-well done.

After it comes off the grill I usually tent it with tin foil and let it rest for about five to ten minutes. The tinfoil stops it from cooling off. I like a bit of A-1 steak sauce with lots of tobasco sauce sprinkled on top of it to give it a spicy kick.

ETA:
Wash out your drying rack in the dish washer and put it away with the lid sealed until next time.

I read a new steak idea recently and tried it -- works great.

For indoor broiling place a (well seasoned) cast iron skillet or griddle just under the broiler and turn the broiler on. Give the broiler -- hence the pan -- time to get very hot and place your seasoned steak on the pan. No turning required. Comes very close to tasting like a steak cooked on a grill, especially if your seasoning routine includes 1 (and only 1) drop of liquid smoke.

I use a modified Alton Brown method for sirloins -

*rub olive oil and salt & pepper into both sides of the steak
*heat up a baking pan in the oven at 500 degrees
*heat up a frying pan on high for about 5 minutes
*throw steaks into dry frying pan, 2 minutes on each side
*then put steak into baking pan that is in oven - bake 5 min for medium

easy and good - but OMG so much smoke gets generated!

Ooh, I'll have to disable the smoke alarm and try that. I love Alton Brown.

Not off topic at all! Pork chops are all the same cuts as steaks. Same muscles, different animal.

YUMMY! I think I'll have steak tomorrow. Y'all are making me hungry. LOL