on Aug 31st, 2007The perfect steak
For many, Labor Day weekend will bring a final flurry of outdoor cooking and often, that means steaks. When I think of the finest Prime beef I’ve ever bought at retail only one name comes to mind: Lobel’s. It’s on Manhattan’s Upper East Side and this will describe it for you:
- Jackie O bought her meat there
- So did I, once a year
So now you’ve got the picture. When I discovered Lobel’s has an online guide to cooking perfect steaks by several methods, I bookmarked it. The staff there knows just about everything there is to know about meat and poultry — it’s a full-service butcher shop — and they were never less than friendly and helpful, even though I made no secret that I was splurging.
Tip #1 for all cooking methods is to let the steaks come to room temperature so you don’t end up with a nicely-charred exterior and a too-red interior. Many people know this but neglect to do it, whether because they forget or they’re hyper-cautious (in my opinion) about leaving raw meat on the counter for 30 minutes. And regardless of cooking method, we probably do not use high enough heat; if you’re using a gas grill, crank it up all the way.Â
In addition to the tips, the guide has a handy chart of cooking times for various thicknesses of steaks and desired doneness. You’ll also find links to Lobel’s other meat-related how-to pages, from burgers to rib roasts, and some recipes as well as online shopping offering two kinds of Prime beef and Wagyu beef.
Related: Some recipes right here that might be good for Labor Day are my Streamlined Steak Sauce and Mayo-free Potato Salad. And grilling doesn’t have to involve meat; see the Ultimate Veggie Burgers.
Where did the summer go?
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We splurge as summer’s end by getting one big fantastic steak at Whole Food’s Market and splitting it. I always coat it with Toronto Rub and cook it in a heavy frying pan. Seared first and then slow cooked. Using the frying pan gives me complete control over doneness. My side is medium rare and my husbands i medium. I cook up a mess of onions and mushrooms to go on the side. The only thing better is to go out to the Tango restaurant (Argentinian) for their steak. OMG!
Sounds delicious! Bon appetit!
I am sooo happy for this link! I have NO CLUE how to cook a good steak. I tried it for my darling’s Father’s Day breakfast, and I think he could’a done better himself! LOL! (((((HUGS))))) sandi
Hi, Sandi! I hope you and the family have a great holiday - good to see you! {{{{{{hugs}}}}} ella