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Dining Out
It is my opinion that the memory of the occasional really good steak is what keeps people coming back for more, despite the fact that most steak is nothing special. Of course, maybe this is just a personal thing. It seems there are certainly people out there who believe the steak is the greatest thing in the world. Personally, I'm not much of a beef eater (with the exception of hamburgers.) If you asked me my favorite meal, steak could never beat out pizza, fajitas, or even a nice seafood dish. And those fajitas would be made of chicken (or perhaps pork), because I think that meat absorbs more of the spices.
Now, maybe there are steak fajitas that are better than chicken. Perhaps the meat is NOT chewy and it's filled with flavor. I just know this isn't typical, and the average chewy, greasy steak fajitas are not enough to keep me coming back for more. And the same thing is true when it comes to a real steak. Perhaps there are people who really like tough meat, but I just feel like steak is a pretty hit-or-miss proposition, and more often than not it's a miss. I used to think I just didn't know the right cuts, so I studied up and tried different kinds, but the result never really varied. Most of the time I just wasn't happy (and when I was happy, it was usually from prime rib and not an ordinary steak).
All that said, it seems like one out of every ten…or maybe it's 20…steaks turns out to be exceptional. The meat is tender. The flavor is strong. It's the kind of meal you can write home about (or just write about on the internet), and that's what keeps me going back for more. I had steak a couple of weeks ago at a local place and it was nothing special. Before that, I can recall two other visits to steakhouses and one steak at a Mexican joint in the past six months, and none of them impressed me. But last Sunday I was in Phoenix at a Mexican establishment and I ordered steak & enchiladas, and both of them were OUTSTANDING. They were so good that I'll always remember the establishment and associate it with good food. I don't know if I just got lucky or if every single steak they put out is top notch, but I know it made me happy, and I'll keep hoping to find something similar here.
* Special note: this post does not address the phenomenon that is Chicken Fried (or Country Fried) Steak. I would never insult CFS. That dish is almost always outstanding. Even when it's bad (like in a cafeteria), it's still pretty good.
** Please don't ever confuse Country Fried Steak with Salisbury Steak. They are not the same thing. The first one is battered and pan fried and best served with white gravy. The second is baked (I think) and covered with some reddish or brownish sauce. Needless to say, Salisbury Steak sucks.
*** My opinion on other popular beef dishes: Hamburgers - good (sometimes VERY good). Meatballs - pretty good, but they never give you enough. Meat sauce - usually pretty decent. Chili - totally awesome, but you don't have to use beef, as it's also good with sausage or ground turkey or whatever. Meatloaf - I hated it as a kid. I'm not sure what I think now. I don't like peppers in my meat fouling up the taste, but I do believe that meatloaf might be good on some kind of open faced sandwich.
Now, maybe there are steak fajitas that are better than chicken. Perhaps the meat is NOT chewy and it's filled with flavor. I just know this isn't typical, and the average chewy, greasy steak fajitas are not enough to keep me coming back for more. And the same thing is true when it comes to a real steak. Perhaps there are people who really like tough meat, but I just feel like steak is a pretty hit-or-miss proposition, and more often than not it's a miss. I used to think I just didn't know the right cuts, so I studied up and tried different kinds, but the result never really varied. Most of the time I just wasn't happy (and when I was happy, it was usually from prime rib and not an ordinary steak).
All that said, it seems like one out of every ten…or maybe it's 20…steaks turns out to be exceptional. The meat is tender. The flavor is strong. It's the kind of meal you can write home about (or just write about on the internet), and that's what keeps me going back for more. I had steak a couple of weeks ago at a local place and it was nothing special. Before that, I can recall two other visits to steakhouses and one steak at a Mexican joint in the past six months, and none of them impressed me. But last Sunday I was in Phoenix at a Mexican establishment and I ordered steak & enchiladas, and both of them were OUTSTANDING. They were so good that I'll always remember the establishment and associate it with good food. I don't know if I just got lucky or if every single steak they put out is top notch, but I know it made me happy, and I'll keep hoping to find something similar here.
* Special note: this post does not address the phenomenon that is Chicken Fried (or Country Fried) Steak. I would never insult CFS. That dish is almost always outstanding. Even when it's bad (like in a cafeteria), it's still pretty good.
** Please don't ever confuse Country Fried Steak with Salisbury Steak. They are not the same thing. The first one is battered and pan fried and best served with white gravy. The second is baked (I think) and covered with some reddish or brownish sauce. Needless to say, Salisbury Steak sucks.
*** My opinion on other popular beef dishes: Hamburgers - good (sometimes VERY good). Meatballs - pretty good, but they never give you enough. Meat sauce - usually pretty decent. Chili - totally awesome, but you don't have to use beef, as it's also good with sausage or ground turkey or whatever. Meatloaf - I hated it as a kid. I'm not sure what I think now. I don't like peppers in my meat fouling up the taste, but I do believe that meatloaf might be good on some kind of open faced sandwich.
I think because I don't eat it very often and I only eat high-quality when I do, it gives me a much fonder taste for the stuff. Perhaps you should steer towards highly seasoned preparations? I mean, I'm happy with bleeding muscle, but if you're not a beef snob, then it's probably better to compliment the meat with something else.
I agree about steak, I'm not such a fan of it. But decent, well prepared burgers and especially chili are two of my favorite foods (and work just as well with ground turkey, yay).
I have not had country fried steak in years, and that is a damn shame.
Filet mignon all the way. Why bother with the less spectacular cuts? (Prime rib is up there, too, right?) If I end up with even a tiny piece of that chewy, fatty meat in my mouth, I literally can't finish my meal. When I used to order a sirloin or T-bone (or whatever, it's been so long I can't remember), it always got cold before I ate it because I spent so much time cutting out the fat.
My favorite steaks are at Longhorn's 'cause I'm high class like that.
But, at least in theory, most anything is best when accompanied by tater tots.
Prime rib is fatty, but it's usually expensive...but it's also usually not tough in the least because it's slow-roasted and not grilled...tough is what I like most.
I actually think Longhorn's meat is pretty decent...at least what I remember. I don't know if I've been in one in at least 5 years...there used to be one near my parents old house. I like Outback, too, but that's more about the Aussie Fries.
2.) Your hatred for enchiladas is well documented. I shocked you actually ordered them.
These were in flour tortillas, which made them appealing. And they are okay as a side dish--just not as an entree, when they SUCK IT.