Steak Help

[Hornnumb2]

I love steak but cant afford it much, I normally eat filet mignon while eating out. I like the leaner cut. I will be camping next week and want to do some steaks on the grill, should I stick with the filet or try a different cut. Going to cook it on a small charcoal grill. Thanks Michael

[IamMadMan]

Everyone has their own favorite steak, Fillet Mignon, Ribeye, T-Bone, or Porterhouse Steaks. I've recently tried hanger steak, but for me Porterhouse is still my favorite.

The secret to cooking ant steak is a very hot source of heat as to cook the outside and leave the interior to your liking (Rare, Meduim-Rare, Medium) without over=cooking it and making it dry and chewy...

[roademier]

I would stick with what you like.
Sometimes you can get a good deal on a whole fillet , you just have to trim it up and cut to the size of your liking.

[greenmountainsmoke]

Any steak can sing if you follow IamMadMan's advice re hot source.

[MisterChrister]

If you're a lean steak guy, you'll find filet/tenderloin will usually be the most tender common cut, and sirloin will be the most "beefy" flavor common cut, and not too much toothier than a filet, if cooked carefully and on the rare side.

There's others and exceptions, but those are a safe rule for what you'll find at most stores.

Personally, I'm a ribeye guy, ESPECIALLY the fatty parts with a good char outside and gooey rare inside!

[MeatyOakerSmoker]

Ribeye guy here.

If you like filet but don't like the cost you can buy other cheaper lean steaks and then tenderize them. Some techniques like heavy salting or using a Jaccard can produce a great steak out of an otherwise not so great cut.

[aawa]

How many people are you feeding. If you have champagne tastes but are on a beer budget there are some cuts that are on a more budget friendly side, but have great flavor and tenderness.

If you like something on the leaner side, but don't have a big budget. Try flat iron steaks. They have great flavor and tenderness, but they don't cost anywhere close to a filet mignon

[Steve S]

If you are cooking on a small charcoal bbq, Id keep it lean (sirloin). Cooking a ribeye over a hard to control heat source usually ends up in a fiery mess, in my experience.

[Hornnumb2]

How many people are you feeding. If you have champagne tastes but are on a beer budget there are some cuts that are on a more budget friendly side, but have great flavor and tenderness.

If you like something on the leaner side, but don't have a big budget. Try flat iron steaks. They have great flavor and tenderness, but they don't cost anywhere close to a filet mignon

Just me and the wife, I haven't got to go any where this year so heading out to Mother Neff state park for a few days. Beer budget it is, will be having a few ice cold ones. I was thinking of the flat iron steak but haven't tried one.

[FloydZilla]

I agree with aawa..Flat Iron steak is delicious....cook it hot and fast. I cook mine to a medium rare
If you over cook it you will not be able to chew it...think shoe leather..IMO.

[Old Dave]

I think I would just stick to what you like for your camping trip. Like others have said, filet mignon can be had fairly inexpensive if you cut your own out of a whole beef tenderloin. I cut up two whole tenderloins last week and got 34 nice filets and my final cost each was $5.40 for my 4.5 to 7.5 oz steaks. Here is an example of a couple of these steaks cooked on a small charcoal grill like you plan to use.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Cobb%20Grill/DSC03841.jpg

To prep, I wrapped each steak with two pieces of pre-cooked bacon and then added a good steak rub about 45 minutes before the fire and left them on the counter top to warm up.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Cobb%20Grill/DSC03843.jpg

Brought the grill up to about 620 degrees measured on the Grill Grates and cooked the two steaks. They were on the cooker for 10 minutes.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Cobb%20Grill/DSC03845.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Cobb%20Grill/DSC03846.jpg

I plated the steak with a baked potato, tomato and cottage cheese salad, a cornbread muffin, and some mushroom sauce.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Cobb%20Grill/DSC03848.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v230/OldDave/Cobb%20Grill/DSC03849.jpg

Really made a nice meal and of course could be easily duplicated at a campsite.

[DanQuixote]

I love a good filet, but as others have mentioned, it is time/heat sensitive. 500+ sear and then rely on your thermo pen to bring to correct IT.

[Norm]

Sounds like you deserve a little luxury so I'd go with the tenderloin. I buy one whole and then cut it up for steaks after trimming. The trimmings I grind up into burgers, best burger you can have if you like them on the lean side.