Update: Margaret (comment #48) gets the steaks! Congratulations!
Our new line of 100% grass fed black angus beef from New Zealand is EPIC. It is raised sustainably and humanely. The flavor profile is pure and beefy. It eats tender and juicy. And it has a lightness that fat-laden grain-fed beef can’t touch.
Want to win Twelve Top Sirloin Steaks?
To Enter, leave a comment below telling us how you think steaks should be cooked and eaten. What is your preferred doneness? What’s the ultimate technique? We’ll pick our favorite comment and that person will get a case of steaks and will be hailed from our digital mountaintop as the steak master.
Leave your comment below by July 18th and we’ll announce the winner a few days later…
PS: Thanks to our facebook friends Philip, Shelley, John & Ken for inspiring the idea for this giveaway!
Comments 66
Yum! I love my steak rare as possible. One of my favorite steaks was a “cool rare” where the middle of the filet was not quite hot – delicious! I would prepare these steaks the same way so as to let the beauty of the meat shine through.
lightly salted, cut over an inch thick, patted dry, seared on a hot grill to seal in the flavor and create perfect grill marks then finished in a blazing hot oven until they are a perfect medium rare (130-135 degrees F)- buttered then rested for 10 minutes before enjoying each delicious mouthful.
My perfect steak is a bone-in rib-eye but okay, sirloin….
Let it come to near room temperature, salt and pepper generously, coat with extra virgin olive oil and put it into a screaming hot cast iron skillet and don’t touch it for a couple of miutes, depending on the thickness. The top side also needs salt and pepper, turn it over once, let it cook another couple of minutes, less than side #1. I like mine medium, nice and juicy and pink.
Let the steak rest while you lower the heat on teh skillet and toss in a couple onions, sliced thickly and a dollop of olive oil cook until the onions are thoroughly wilted adn beginning to brown.
Put the onions and any residual oil on top of the steak, yum.
Pure, simple, delish.
I grew up with a family that believed only in well done, and if there was any red liquid dripping from the meat, it was sent back!
Since then, I’ve tried – and enjoyed – beef anywhere from just a thin ring of char around a cool center to still enjoying well done. The flavors and textures change completely at each stage, and it’s wonderful to to be able to get excited any way it comes.
But to make my own, well then… I have been charmed by a 425F oven, a pre-heated skillet, and a three-finger pinch of salt. I make it cooked until it smells too good to resist any longer, which is usually medium-rare.
If someone told me tomorrow, that I could never eat red meat again for the rest of my life…. why, I would cry nonstop!!!
If a piece of meat is worth buying, it should be cooked with care, and EATEN RARE!
Nice hot grill fire… filets or steaks that are 1 1/2″ thick… brushed with olive oil, sprinkled with sea salt and freshly ground pepper… dropped on that sizzling grill…. seared for 5 minutes… turned over… seared for another 5 minutes… removed from grill… covered loosely with tin foil and allowed to rest 10 minutes! If you insist on your meat being more “done”, you can put the steaks in a preheated to 400 degree oven until the temperature of the desired doneness is reached… but, HEY!…I’d call you a CRAZY PERSON!… serve up those filets with a butter sauce made of butter, fresh snipped parsley, and worcestershire sauce!!!!!!
I’d rather go to heaven early than stop eating WONDERFUL RED MEAT!!!
medium rare is the only way to go in my book. just salt and pepper. nothing else. and now I’ll cross my fingers that I’ll win these 😉
I follow the Alton Brown method with modifications. Alton is the nerdy Food Channel guy who reveals the “science” behind successful coooking. I have been a cast iron cook ever since horse wranglers in Colorado taught me outdoor cookery at the age of 12 on pack horse trips in the Rockies. I have several black skillets. I use a seven inch skillet for each rib eye steak. Alton uses larger skillets. Heat the oven to 500 degrees farenheit. set the skillet or skillets you plan to use in this oven, Set the stovetop burner to medium high. take a room temperature boneless rib eye steak and season it with salt and pepper. [I also like to set it on a plate with sliced garlic all over the top surface and waxed paper over it while it comes to room temp. remove the garlic before cooking] take a hot skillet from the hot oven set on the med hot burner. oil the steak with a small amount of peanut or olive oil then set it into the skillet. turn it over after thirty seconds. after the next thirty seconds remove the skillet and place it in the center of the 500 degree oven for two minutes. remove the skillet, flip the steak over, return to the oven for another two minutes. Now it’s done. Remove from oven and let it rest for five minutes. Then serve it whole or slice it and serve atop a bed of fresh raw spinach dressed in one part peanut oil, one part sesame oil, one part rice vinegar, one pressed clove of garlic, cracked pepper, a few hits of TABASCO and the juice of one lemon. crumble Maytag blue cheese over the salad and steak slices and serve,
I make a wonderful marinade…
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
2tablespoons dried basil
1 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 clove of garlic.
Blend all ingredients together, pour over meat and marinade 6-8 hours or over night. Then I cook ont he grill until medium rare… DELICIOUS!
strip steak or ribeye 1″ + thickness preferably 1.5″
marinate the steak by sprinkling lea and perrins on both sides. followed by garlic salt, coarse black pepper. let marinate for 30 minutes.
coat a good heavy pan with olive oil. heat till almost smoking. add steak to pan being careful of the splatter. in the meantime slice red onions thin. slice your favorite mushrooms.
cook steak till a good brown crust forms on one side. turn over. add onions and mushrooms. cook for another 3 or 4 minutes. remove steak allow to rest. deglaze pan with a good red wine. reduce 3/4’s. add fresh chopped parsley to sauce.
Top steak with wine onion and mushroom reduction. Serve
I like my steaks rare extra rare! pan broiled!
sprinkled with montreal seasonings. kept overnight in a ziploc bag. grilled medium well. make sure the grill is SUPER hot so it’s a quick cook to keep the meat juicy!
Medium well is just perfect in my mind. A nice sear on the outside with just a touch of pink inside. Marinate the steak in a balsamic vinegar bath overnight before seasoning both sides with salt and pepper. Throw over hot coals until done. Serve with a side of homemade bbq sauce.
Medium rare and with sauteed onions and mushrooms,
Sprinkle a little coarse sea salt and fresh black pepper and sear in a sizzling hot cast iron pan to a beautiful medium rare. Remove from the pan to rest the meat and add a generous spoonful of rosemary-garlic butter and scrape up the lovely fond, pour over steak and devour!
I just made a porterhouse steak this way last week and it was divine:
1. Generously sprinkle coarse salt and freshly ground pepper over both sides of the steak.
2. Place steak in a food-grade bag and vacuum seal. Sous vide in water bath at 131 F (55.0 C) for 2.5 hours for medium rare.
3. Take steak out of water bath and plunge into an ice bath (50/50 ice/water) to chill thoroughly. While steaks are chilling, prepare sauce.
4. For sauce, take 3/4 lb. of fresh morel mushrooms, clean, and cut into halves or thirds depending on size. Finely dice 3 garlic cloves. Heat a small amount of olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a pan. When butter has stopped foaming, add morels and garlic. Saute until all liquid has been absorbed. Add 1/3 cup heavy cream and simmer until thick. Season with salt and pepper.
5. Finish steak by taking it out of ice bath, opening the bag, patting the steak dry, and seasoning it with a little additional salt and pepper. Heat a heavy cast iron skillet with a small amount of safflower oil (or other high smoke point oil) until very hot. Add steak and sear 2 minutes on each side.
6. Plate seared steak with morel cream sauce and enjoy!
The best way is for you to put in a bagie with your favorite marinate over night,it gets the marinate soak in to meat,adds great flavoring to the meat
A Very Hot grill, Nothing on the Sirloin Steak, on the fire 5 mins turn over 5 mins, on a plate add salt to the steak after, and anything else to steak at this time, let rest, cover, 10 to 15mins wonderful.
A Glass of wine, a Good Man,
and a Sirloin Steak.
Mary Ann Burt*
Any steak cooked over Medium rare is a shame, Salt Pepper and some fresh Garlic cooked on a grill.
K.I.S.S. Steaks — Keep it simple silly! Seasoned with salt & pepper, grilled on high heat, just a few minutes a side to a medium medium rare. Serve with a nice side of grilled veggies and a cold stiff cocktail. Oh, my mouth is watering.
Marinate for 2 1/2 hours in Captain Morgan spiced Rum and Chipolte Tabasco Sauce, sprinkle with black pepper before placing on grill put sliced onions on top while grilling serve rare with the center more red than pink, allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Steak… Steak is meant to be eaten rare. I am a purest and believe in my heart that less is better with good steaks. Maybe some seasoning but often nothing. Steak, Baked potato and a cold cold Manhattan. Oh yeah and Cole Porter playing in the bacground. Oh! Also sharing with friends.
I love my steak liberally sprinkled with salt and pepper, seared on a very hot grill – cooked rare to med. rare, and finished with a good drizzle of homemade “Detroit’s Zip Sauce”!
A good steak doesn’t need much seasoning, or cooking. The Alton Brown skillet stovetop/oven method is the best ever. I even gave away my grill! Properly salt and pepper while the skillet is heating in the oven. Sear the steak on the stovetop, and finish it in the oven to med-rare. Mushrooms sauteed in butter are optional, but tasty. Mmmmmm, steak….
I’m terrible at grilling, so I like to season with salt, pepper, and some crushed garlic – sear it off in a pan, then finish it (to medium) in the oven. I usually end up using some sort of marinade because most of the family likes sauces and gravy, etc. Personally, especially with a good steak, I like it to stand on its own!
Steaks of many varieties have many methods of cooking, but similar in one regard: Singe the outside at high heat, bake the inside, at reduced heat to desired tenderness and color based on individual preference and thickness of the cut. No piercing, flip once, butter preferred for richness, rub as needed to enhance the flavor (mix your own!). Mix up the drippings with sauteed mushrooms onions and rue with wine reduction (your choice of peppers). voila! happy party!
Rubbed with garlic powder ,sea salt, and freshly crushed peppercorns
Grilled to Medium rare ,topped with a tarragon flat leave parsley butter butter
Simple is best with good beef
Grassfed beef, Yummy. It has such an optimal taste compared to the stuff you get at the chain grocery. I would let the meat age in the fridge for a couple of days in a paper bag. I love to grill and smoke my meat with a little Johnny’s. I heat up the grill, get my smoke boxes going and then turn the grill on low and let the meat absorb the flavors until the smoke ceases. By then the meat is done perfectly, medium rare, the juices are locked in by the slow cooking and the smoking. I also like to make a steak butter from Worcestershire sauce, chia seeds and real sweet butter. And do not forget the onions, mushrooms and the other sautéed veggies (asparagus, cabbage, celery,) depending on what is in season, to go on top or on the side.
Rubbed with toasted sesame oil then seasoned with salt and pepper. Then cooked on a high grill until rare-medium-rare then let sit for five minutes before enjoying with onions and mushrooms sauteed in butter!
simply seasoned and cooked medium rare, topped with caramelized onions and sauteed mushrooms… my mouth is watering!
I personally don’t eat steak, but I would love to win this for my fiance! He puts up with my chicken dish, after chicken dish, after chicken dish, without complaints (other than the occasional “I’m going to sprout feathers!”, even though I know what he really wants is a big juicy steak. His favorite is medium made on the grill, with just a touch of salt and pepper, with plenty of time to rest so the juices don’t flow out!
I usually cook mine in the iron skillet rather that on the grill, because I get some nice juices for a pan sauce if I want it. (This works well with Mangalitsa pork too)
As for doneness, I generally do my corn-fed beef medium. But since grass-fed beef is easily overcooked, I like it just a tad over “pining for the fjords.”*
*probably somewhere just a bit over medium rare
Steaks should be cooked simply. Build a good hot fire with applewood in the firepit. Season the steaks with cracked pepper and a bit of sea salt and sear them for a minute over the coals. Rotate to get that nice grid pattern and don’t touch until they are ready to turn. (one of my pet peeves is playing with the meat, constantly turning it, or worse pressing down so the juices run out.) Turn the steak after the juices rise to the top and are still red. Sear and rotate again. When it reaches the medium rare stage take it off the grill and sprinkle it with crumbled bleu cheese. Pour a nice wine and enjoy!
I LOVE my steaks medium well…I think the best way to fix them is to marinade them in Red wine over night in the refrigerator and then rub them down with my homemade rub & bbq sauce, than grill them app. 3-4 mins. on each side…use lots of A1 with baked potatoes, french style green beans, homemade rolls, and penne pasta salad with mozz.,feta, & Gorgonzola cheeses, lots of butter, garlic powder, chives & cilanto & diced tomatoes….excellent meal
A grass fed steak needs very few refinements. A splash of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, kosher salt (added during searing on the coals in summer, cast iron pan in winter) and a couple of cranks of black pepper from the pepper mill, sear till you feel the meat with your finger is medium/rare, more on the rare side an you are done. Enjoy with cold sangria!
Cooking a quality steak deserves respect and tender loving care. No over seasoning it, no sauces, just a few techniques and simple enhancements are all that are needed to compliment the perfect quality steak. I start by bringing my steaks to room temperature. Then just adding enough kosher course salt and a few twist of pepper from the grinder mill to both sides of the steak. Next, I take out my trusty cast iron skillet that has been well seasoned and I crank up the heat to screaming hot. I am looking to get an instant sear on the meat as soon as it touches. Being careful to not turn the meat too soon to pull off the crispy bits. When the perfect sear is achieved, I slip them into a 400 degree oven for 5 minutes. I like my steaks medium rare. It is imperative to let the meat rest so it can reabsorb it’s juices. Then I slice and serve. If steaks are of up most quality, why ruin a good thing with sauces. Let the quality speak for itself is my motto.
My perfect steak is a grass fed 1 1/2 inch bone in rib steak. When I place it on the grill it is just the steak no seasonings. I quickly sear it on both sides and then continue to grill it until it is medium rare. I remove the steak and slather on a good bit of garlic butter, black pepper, and let it rest for 5-8 mins. Then I salt it and consume it slowly so that I can enjoy every smell and taste. mmmmmmmmmmmmm…..thanks alot…..now I’m craving a steak and it’s 3am in the morning. How fast can you get my steaks to me?
A little olive oil, salt and pepper, seared and rare
Salt and pepper, Seared on the outside and rare
I’ve always liked steaks rare and cooked on the grill. I am interested in trying the sear on the grill, finish in the oven method, though. I think the best steak I have ever tasted was at El Greco, before it became Table 219. The steak had a blue cheese topping on it that complimented the beef without overwhelming it. Fantastic!
Serve it with some field greens and some grains but let the steak speak for itself. Grill or cook in cast iron until medium-rare with just some salt and pepper.
Grass-fed Steak GIVEAWAY? Don’t mess with my emotions now! I heart steak!! We’re following you on Twitter! 🙂
For good quality steaks then they should be only lightly peppered, grilled until medium, and allowed to rest before digging in.
I like my steaks Medium Rare. Pan Seared in a cast iron pan for a nice crust and finished in the oven is my preferred ultimate technique. Ummmmm….steak!
Marinated in garlic, parsley, olive oil, salt and white pepper. Seared on the grill to medium well, then served with roasted, smashed Yukon golds and grilled asparagus. A creamy horseradish sauce on top would finish off the entire meal! Mmmmmm!
ooh i love me a beef tender loin a little butter and oinions , and i am a happy lady. that got my mouth watering. keep it medium rare i am good . love love love me a steak
Seasoned dramatically with lots of fresh-ground salt and pepper, seared off quickly in a hot iron skillet, roasted in the oven for a few minutes, and finished off with a generous pat of butter on top. Medium-rare, please!
Blue, blue, blue extremely rare. I’m of Tuscan ancestry and we like them quickly seared on the outside and barely cooked drizzled with olive oil, only a pinch of salt and sometimes a squirt if lemon juice added at the very end. And that’s how I roll.
What a generous and delicious giveaway! I always love my steaks in medium rare. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled to perfection. I don’t preferred heavy seasoning because I want to be able to taste the natural sweetness and beefy flavor from the steaks! Thank you for a chance to win this awesome giveaway!
Amy [at] utry [dot] it
I love various cuts of steaks from skirts to sirloins and who doesn’t like a well-marbled rib eye. I like my steaks medium-rare. If the steak has been in the fridge, be sure to let is sit for at 30 minutes to an hour depending on the thickness of the meat, and bring it to room temperature before cooking. The classic way to make it I think is in a skillet with a pan sauce.
Preheat oven to 350. Then pat dry the steak completely before season generously both sides with salt and pepper. In a hot skillet add a little canola oil and sear the steak on one side in medium high and let the steak cook for a few minutes. Then turn and sear the other side for a few minutes. Depending on the thickness of the steak you should finish it in the oven. I could usually tell by the doneness by poking at the meat. If you must, use a meat thermometer and when the internal temperature reaches 135, take it out, tent it with aluminum foil and let it rest for at least 5-10 minutes as the heat still carries over to at least 140.
In the meantime, make your sauce with the pan you cook the steak in. Add a little olive oil, saute some shallots and mushroom, make sure you scrape off the fond on the bottom of the pan with all the flavor. Add some red wine or beef stock reduce by half then swirl in some cold butter to thicken the sauce and serve immediately.
I think steaks should be grilled medium-well and served the SOuth-American way, with some Chilean chimichurri sauce (cilantro, olive oil, tomatoes, peppers,paprika, vinegar, green onions, and more) and served with amazing Chilean potato Salad–so delicious!
Rib=eye, rare
I love a black and blue steak with few adornments…just some extra virgin, a lot of kosher salt and even more black pepper. Sear that over super hot mesquite coals for five minutes each side for a thick filet, let it rest for another five, and you’re in heaven.
Tied for first is hanger steak done the same way. Nothing tastes like a good onglet.
I like my steak medium… not too rare and not too cooked. Don’t burn my steak! Usually, I don’t want any sauces, spices, or rubs on my steak, no marinades…. I want to take the lovely flavor of the beef!
I love a good sear on hot cast iron( blackened is the ultimate, but plain ol’ salt and pepper or grill seasoning will do) amd when a perfect almost med. rare, let it rest with some Bleu shavings that accent the grass fed true beef flavor w/o upstaging the steak! Black and bleu is my ultimate! Enjoy!
My favorite and go to recipe for any event that my client asks for beef is a Pan Seared Oven Roasted Beef Tenderloin that is rubbed and marinated with fresh herbs of sage and rosemary and seasoned well with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, fresh garlic and olive oil. The tenderloin is trimmed and made to look all pretty at first, then rubbed and marinated for a few hours in the fridge. I bring the beef to room temp and then pan sear in olive oil then oven roast at 375 to 400 using a meat thermometer until the inside temp reaches 140 to 145. Meanwhile I have deglazed my pan with a bit of vermouth and added that to the roasting pan during cooking as well. When done, I remove from oven, and let rest before slicing to order. This is delicious cold as well with some homemade horseradish creme – yummmmm!
i just love steak!! i love my steak medium rare with the juises flowing. i think the flavor comes out more when it is medium rare. top it with some sizzling butter pat and some garlic and i have a party in my mouth!! i want one now!! lol
I love them marinated in sesame oil, soy and ginger. grilled lightly and served with wasabi soy dipping sauce. accompanied by grilled bok choy, italian green beans and sweet potato wedges.
Medium rare cooked on a sizzling grill and smothered in sauteed mushrooms and onions and a bit of Jj’s special BBQ sauce! Yum! dmr301
Sirloin steak has become my favorite steak. There is no waste on them. I love them pan fried in olive oil/butter mixture with just salt, pepper, and garlic powder seasoning on the outside and cooked to a nice medium rare to rare. Yummy. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Steaks of the BBQ is an American summer staple. They should always be eaten with friends and family surrounding you. Good food brings people together and nothing says summer like the smell of a steak cooking over an open flame. Would be honored to serve my gang your Top Sirloin and promise to do you proud!
A good teak should be eaten medium rare with a weathered deck beneath your feet, a light breeze on your skin, the stars above you, and good friends close by.
I like mine medium weland the steak marinated in barbeque sauce in a freezer bag over night,it comes out so tender
I like to cook my steak on a high charcoal flame. I want to eat it just off the grill, medium raw. I turn my(T-Bone)once. Cooking it on each side approx. 5-6 minutes. I season it AFTER it’s done, with a little sea salt and coarse ground pepper. And I want a simple salad (lettuce, green onion, celery and o/v dressing. I want to taste and enjoy my STEAK you hear!
Cooked naked. A hot cast iron skillet. Medium rare. Salt and pepper when it’s done.
I prefer to eat some and walk the rest home. I like my steaks to be rare to medium-rare. I enjoy a good rub consisting of Kona coffee and other spices. When I cook steak I like to share like I did for the engagement dinner I cooked for my now wife, father-in-law, and mother-in-law. Served with asparagus and sweet potatoes.
The tri-tips I cooked while deployed to Iraq for the infantry company I supported. Salt and black pepper. Grilled to med/rare.
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j145/Swaggerm/iraq%2007-08/iraq08020.jpg
Never a complaint.
any steak / rare cooked on the grill…..yummmmm