Cooking with Maintankadin

Fridmarr wrote:I'm not really a fan of marinades with steaks. Is a good rub an option?

It is.

This is Vanifae's favorite banana pudding. It comes out very fluffy and light.

Banana Pudding recipe:
1 package instant vanilla (you could probably use banana, but I've never tried it) pudding
1 big thing of cool whip
1tsp vanilla
bananas
wafers

-make pudding
-whisk in cool whip
-add vanilla
-cut up the add bananas
-add wafers (I like a lot of bananas and wafers)
-refrigerate

Edit:
Best when eaten the next day (the wafers have had time to soften and the bananas have ripened more)

Fridmarr wrote:Is a good rub an option?

Did anyone else just giggle?

mew wrote:This is Vanifae's favorite banana pudding. It comes out very fluffy and light.

Banana Pudding recipe:
1 package instant vanilla (you could probably use banana, but I've never tried it) pudding
1 big thing of cool whip
1tsp vanilla
bananas
wafers

-make pudding
-whisk in cool whip
-add vanilla
-cut up the add bananas
-add wafers (I like a lot of bananas and wafers)
-refrigerate

This is so fucking good.

Vanifae wrote:

Fridmarr wrote:I'm not really a fan of marinades with steaks. Is a good rub an option?

It is.

Well the essentials in a rub are generally salt, garlic, and pepper. Currently, I use one that my local butcher shop makes. It's really good, and not so heavy on the salt like some of the store brands can be, and I'm too lazy/busy to make my own these days. If you want to make your own, I found this recipe that's similar to what I used to use.

# 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
# 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
# 1 tablespoon kosher salt
# 1 tablespoon paprika
# 1 tablespoon garlic powder
# 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
# 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
# 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

If you think that red/cayenne pepper might not be what you are looking for, you could probably substitute some chili powder in their place. You can also pick out a store brand that has the ingredients that sound like what you'd like. Anyhow, put a good coating of your rub on both sides of the steak (you don't have to rub it in) about an hour before grilling, then enjoy.

Save the marinades for the poorer cuts, like round and flank steak.

Fridmarr wrote:

Vanifae wrote:

Fridmarr wrote:I'm not really a fan of marinades with steaks. Is a good rub an option?

It is.

Well the essentials in a rub are generally salt, garlic, and pepper. Currently, I use one that my local butcher shop makes. It's really good, and not so heavy on the salt like some of the store brands can be, and I'm too lazy/busy to make my own these days. If you want to make your own, I found this recipe that's similar to what I used to use.

# 1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
# 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
# 1 tablespoon kosher salt
# 1 tablespoon paprika
# 1 tablespoon garlic powder
# 1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
# 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
# 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

If you think that red/cayenne pepper might not be what you are looking for, you could probably substitute some chili powder in their place. You can also pick out a store brand that has the ingredients that sound like what you'd like. Anyhow, put a good coating of your rub on both sides of the steak (you don't have to rub it in) about an hour before grilling, then enjoy.

Save the marinades for the poorer cuts, like round and flank steak.

That sounds great...and I have to echo that I prefer rubs to marinades for steaks. I've had some EXCELLENT steaks that were prepared with marinade but I've never been able to pull it off myself.

I tend to save marinades for chicken and beef that I'm preparing in a non-steak method (fajitas and such)

I'm not really a huge fan of rubs or marinades, unless they're used for poorer cuts of meats (typically flank or skirt steak) as mentioned above. When I grill, I typically just brush the sides of the steaks as they cook with a mixture of vegetable oil, Lawry's Seasoning Salt, parsley, and minced garlic. This isn't a huge change in the flavor, and the meat typically ends up speaking for itself. If I'm feeling adventurous, I'll do a steak topping like mushrooms and onions sautéed up in some oil or butter and port with a .5 teaspoon measurement of marjoram, thyme, and rosemary.

I tend to marinate my chicken, and prefer rubs on my red meat.

Viycktor wrote:I tend to marinate my chicken, and prefer rubs on my red meat.

Going with the rub.

Cakes wrote:I'm not really a huge fan of rubs or marinades, unless they're used for poorer cuts of meats (typically flank or skirt steak) as mentioned above. When I grill, I typically just brush the sides of the steaks as they cook with a mixture of vegetable oil, Lawry's Seasoning Salt, parsley, and minced garlic. This isn't a huge change in the flavor, and the meat typically ends up speaking for itself. If I'm feeling adventurous, I'll do a steak topping like mushrooms and onions sautéed up in some oil or butter and port with a .5 teaspoon measurement of marjoram, thyme, and rosemary.

But that's basically a rub, you just aren't putting it on before. If your rub is changing the flavor of your meat, then you are using too much or are using a kind of poor rub. You want the rub to tenderize the meat and bring out the natural flavors, not to change the flavor. When I don't have time to use the rub before, I just apply it to the meat as I'm cooking the same way you'd apply salt and pepper. It ends up being about the same, but you lose some of the tenderizing effect of the salts, which is fine with a tender cut of steak.

Fridmarr wrote:But that's basically a rub, you just aren't putting it on before. If your rub is changing the flavor of your meat, then you are using too much or are using a kind of poor rub. You want the rub to tenderize the meat and bring out the natural flavors, not to change the flavor. When I don't have time to use the rub before, I just apply it to the meat as I'm cooking the same way you'd apply salt and pepper. It ends up being about the same, but you lose some of the tenderizing effect of the salts, which is fine with a tender cut of steak.

Rubs always change the flavor/consistency of the meat, that's the point of rubs. If you're too liberal, then you drastically change the flavor of the meat (typically ribs or brisket), but that's a whole different subsection of grilling and smoking. The above oil mixture is very light in seasoning, but it definitely does change how the meat cooks, how it tastes, and the consistency from the seared outside to the rare center. Even just brushing oil itself, with no salt, would change how the meat tastes.

I still hold with the idea the best steak is unseasoned by any means and cooked just long enough to kill anything on it. Of course, you also have to have a quality cut of meat.

Elsie wrote:I still hold with the idea the best steak is unseasoned by any means and cooked just long enough to kill anything on it. Of course, you also have to have a quality cut of meat.

We got 3 big Ribeyes from Samsclub for like $24ish? So I hope they are good. I like medium rare, but I don't think Vanifae knows how to cook that They will probably be medium well.

They were t-bones babe.

Just saying.

Elsie wrote:I still hold with the idea the best steak is unseasoned by any means and cooked just long enough to kill anything on it. Of course, you also have to have a quality cut of meat.

nah, add a little salt and it's better.