In Which I Attempt to Make Steak Like the Keg

My stomach adores good steak, and by good steak I mean steak from the likes of the Keg and Ruth Chris Steakhouse.

Unfortunately my bank account does not like good steak, which costs roughly about $30 or so per go.

So we have an impasse.

An impasse that is until I decided and made a commitment to figure out how to make good steak at home, so I started where any good cook would start, Google.

Two tips that I picked up from Google:
1) Cover steak with kosher salt, and let it sit for 1 hour.
2) The 2, 2, 4, 4, rule.  Sear two minutes on each side.  Then four minutes on each side.

My verdict?

It was ok.   Just ok.

The salt did indeed keep the steak tender.  Well somewhat tender, and the 2, 2, 4, 4, rule did work.  I had a nice medium fare for the first time in my life.   But the steak itself was a bad cut to began with.  You can only do so much with salt, and good grilling if you have a stringy steak.

But I shall try again.  This time I bought a cut of rib eye!

What are your steak cooking tips?

Fall Feast

Being born one day and one year after someone on the staff team means that I have to share my birthday glory. Sigh. :P
S.A. and I are having a fall birthday bash with our team. I'm so excited.

Potential Menu

Main Dish
Shepherd's Pie
or
Stew, Dumplings with Fresh Bread

Side Dishes
Roast Squash
and/or
Stuffed Squash
and/or
Root Bake

Dessert
Hand Made Scones
Fresh Apple Crisp- made with handpick apples.

Drink
Apple Cider

Mama's Recipes

C.K. always told me that someone told her it's a bad idea to try your mother-in-law's recipes because it'll never taste as good to your husband. Duly noted, but heck, it's bad enough trying MY mom's recipes especially since she cooks by taste and not by specific detailed recipes. Her recipes fall along the lines of "use some of this, some of that, and some of that... until it tastes right." Right.

The first thought after the first bite is always, "doesn't taste like mum's".

Tonight I made the BBQ spare ribs, chives- actually leeks with eggs, miso soup, and red bean soup. All for the first time, and all of which, were mummy's recipes with the exception of the miso soup. But then there's also something to be said for trying to duplicate something from a restaurant.

They weren't bad. It wasn't like when I first started cooking, and the first edition of everything went to feed the garbage, but it definitely wasn't mum's or the restaurant's.

Only the red bean soup tasted close to mum's.

But it didn't taste like crap, and L.W. was well fed and thought I should make a good pastor's wife. So I'm content.

Tomorrow: The Chicken Soup. Also a first a edition.

What's For Dinner

I know I'm recovering from burnout when I have a higher capacity and desire to cook. Having two friends over on different nights, and hosting a potluck this week. I'm serving:

Monday Night:
Sweet and Sour Spare Ribs (Alliteration not intended)
Chinese Chives and Eggs
Rice

Friday Night:
Handmade Wonton Soup
or
Orange Flavoured Porkchops
Stir Fry
Rice
(Haven't made up my mind yet.)

Saturday Night Potluck:
Five Spice Chicken Wings

For Myself For the Week:
Silken Chicken Soup with Bean Sprouts