Just so you know this idea was spawned last night after several pints and watch England getting stuffed by the Danes 4-1 ( football ) with Ernst and Ruari at the Baron. Whilst it is 'GOOD to be GEEK' it is also 'GOOD to EAT'. So here is the first recipe for hungry software professionals.
Before I do my first recipe I want to give a special mention to a couple of people first - my Nan because she is the best cook I know ( and I will get permission to type up her famous rice pudding and rock cakes ), my mother who cooked all the time and let my little fingers get involved ( licking the bowl after making cakes is still my favourite part of cooking ) and the countless guests who I have cooked for who have eaten my food and inspired me to continue may they just keep coming ! Plus how can I forget Delia Smith, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, Ant Worrall Thompson, Sophie G , Nigel Slater, Gordon R and my all time favourites Jamie Oliver & Bill Granger.
Ingredients : 2 Rib Eye Steaks ( you need to fill a complete loaf ) , packet of Rocket, 1 loaf of bread ( not sliced - example country bread ),1 red onion, 2 sprigs of rosemary and olive oil
Tools : Skillet or Frying pan ( skillet makes the nice grill lines on the steak ) cling film , bread knife, vegetable knife ( these maybe the same thing if you are short on knives )
1) Put your oven onto max and and put your skillet / frying pan on to heat up by putting it on a large hob ring and turning it onto max.
2) Take your cling film and lie it flat ( it need to be double the size of your steaks ) , grab your rosemary and pick it to pieces and throw half on the cling film then put a table spoon of Olive Oil on the rosemary and put your steak on top then put the rest of the rosemary on top and some more olive oil. then wrap the steak in the cling film and bash it a bit ( let the frustration of coding/testing etc be taken out on the steak )
3)STOP your having too much fun
4) Put your bread in the oven ( middle shelf )
5) Take steak out of the cling film and put on hot skillet /frying pan and listen ( I love the sound food makes )
6) Chop up Red Onion ( slice in half and cut into big slices ) and throw on the pan too.
7) Turn Steak over and stir onions - when cooked to your delight ( see bottom of this blog for the steak finger test )
8) Turn hob ring off and put steak and onions onto a plate and leave for 1 minute to cool and watch the steak juice run out ( mmmmmm )
9) Take bread out of oven ( yes it will be hot ) and turn oven off. Slice lenght ways ( yes, you are using all the bread for all that steak )
10) Put the steak and onions on to your slice loaf ( bottom bit ) and pour the steak juice all over it cover with Rocket and put the top bit of loaf on top and press firmly
10a) Slice Loaf in half horizontally. Give one steak sandwich to a friend or feast all on your own. Can be eaten with Soft drink, Wine or Beer.
Cost Ribeye - no more than 30 rand for 2 big pieces, ( you can use a massive rump steak if you want instead), Rosemary & Rocket are 4.99 for a container, Country bread - no more tha 13 rand, Olive Oil about 40-50 rand & red onions no more than 8 rand for a bag. Note : These are Woolworths prices.
Quick Lesson on Steaks
Rump is the joint next to the sirloin and one of the commonest cuts used for grilling or frying. The point is generally considered the best part for tenderness and flavour.
Fillet, the undercut of the sirloin, is probably one of the best-known and the most expensive of the cuts used for grilling or frying. Very tender, although it usually has less flavour than rump. The "centre" or "eye" of the fillet is generally considered the best part. The fillet is often cut and shaped into small rounds, known as tournedos, weighing 100g (4 oz) each.
Filet Mignon Tournedos is a small round steak, weighing 75g (3 oz), cut from the end of the fillet.
Chateaubriand, a thick slice taken from the middle of the fillet, is generally regarded as the most superb cut of all. It can weigh about 350g (12 oz). Grill and serve with Maitre d'Hotel Butter.
Sirloin (or Contre-filet) is cut into two parts. Porterhouse steak is cut from the thick end of the sirloin, giving a large juicy piece that can weigh 800g (1lb) when it is cooked on the bone it is called T-bone steak.
Minute steak is a very thin steak from the upper part of the sirloin, weighing 125-150g (4-5 oz), without any trimmings of fat.
Entrecote, by definition, is the part of the meat between the ribs of beef, but a slice cut from the sirloin or rump is often served under this name.
And my favourite ....
The Finger Test for Steaks
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Touch your thumb and forefinger together and press on the fleshy part below your thumb (illustrated in the red circle in the photo) -- it should feel soft to the touch with your other forefinger and a little bouncy. This is how a rare steak feels. |
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Touch your thumb and middle finger together and press on the fleshy part below your thumb (see photo) -- there's some give and it's springy to the touch. A medium steak will feel the same. |
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Touch your thumb and little finger together and press on the fleshy part below your thumb (see photo) -- there's no give and it's quite firm. This is what a well-done steak feels like. |
A rare steak is bright red. A medium-rare steak is dark pink, with some red striations still present; a medium steak is very light pink in color; and of course, well-done is brown. Most chefs cringe at cooking a steak to the well-done stage. The longer a tender steak cooks, the tougher and drier the meat becomes, as muscle fibers shrink and juices are lost.
I trust you enjoyed the food. Watch this space for more !!