Ode to Olive Garden

[TDub]

While you guys enjoy feeling manly, I'm going to enjoy my perfectly done steak.

my beard grows faster when I use coals.....coincidence? I dont think so.

[Mjl]

While you guys enjoy feeling manly, I'm going to enjoy my perfectly done steak.

my beard grows faster when I use coals.....coincidence? I dont think so.

Checks out, I can't grow one

[KUTradition]

“perfection” is so subjective when it comes to food

some of the absolute best meals i’ve had have been cooked over a campfire…ambience, flavor, satisfaction

[jhawks99]

I guess it depends on the cut of steak.
If I have a thick cut of steak ( and generally ), I avoid the skillet altogether and go for the grill, cooking it off heat ( coals to one side ) for 30 minutes and then finishing it on the heat.

The plus side of sous vide would be thick cut steak done the right way in the winter where I will usually, if making steak, just do it on the skillet.

I do the opposite.

direct heat at the beginning, 2 minutes each side, then off to the side of the coals for 20ish minutes if indirect heat.

^^^^

that direct heat i see akin to a sear, locking moisture in

That's actually fallacy. Searing creates a lot of flavor but does not seal in anything. Resting a steak after cooking is very important, juices will redistribute back into the meat. If you cut into it right off the grill, you will see a lot of juice run out.

[KUTradition]

I do the opposite.

direct heat at the beginning, 2 minutes each side, then off to the side of the coals for 20ish minutes if indirect heat.

^^^^

that direct heat i see akin to a sear, locking moisture in

That's actually fallacy. Searing creates a lot of flavor but does not seal in anything. Resting a steak after cooking is very important, juices will redistribute back into the meat. If you cut into it right off the grill, you will see a lot of juice run out.

learn something new every day

that’s admittedly surprising, as i’ve read a number of recipes that advocate the method for this specific reason

and yes, the resting is always good (unless i’m hungry and impatient)

[pdub]

https://grillhunters.co/searing-meat-seal-juices/

"The fact is, searing your steaks creates no “seal” or waterproof barrier to prevent the juices from escaping from the inside.

This is actually a grilling myth that just won’t die"

[pdub]

“perfection” is so subjective when it comes to food

some of the absolute best meals i’ve had have been cooked over a campfire…ambience, flavor, satisfaction

Yep.
Also depends on how hungry you are too.
I remember on days where I was backpacking 10-15 miles through mountains, at the end of the night the vacuum sealed meals you'd just mix with water and heat up on a camp stove were heavenly.

[jhawks99]

^^^^

that direct heat i see akin to a sear, locking moisture in

That's actually fallacy. Searing creates a lot of flavor but does not seal in anything. Resting a steak after cooking is very important, juices will redistribute back into the meat. If you cut into it right off the grill, you will see a lot of juice run out.

learn something new every day

that’s admittedly surprising, as i’ve read a number of recipes that advocate the method for this specific reason

and yes, the resting is always good (unless i’m hungry and impatient)

I was taught searing sears in the juices while in culinary school, of course this was the 70s. It's been debunked but as PDub says, it won't die.

[Sparko]

My wife uses salt and pepper and a gas grill. Rests the steak. Then the best I have ever eaten. I had been overthinking steaks.

[Shirley]

[Back2Lawrence]

So I’m prolly just way late to this party…..but it’s new for me.

They sell BWW sauces at the store. $4 for a bottle of mango habanero. Alright. Tastes exactly like stuff in store (you know some hot and a cupful of sugar). But, with some wings marked down to $13, wings disjointed, seasoned, and air fried in half an hour. Just add sauce and shake to cover.

I haven’t been to BWW for a while, as I noticed their prices went crazy (worse than others, they are all bad anymore). But do love me some wings and not having to make a sauce is alright by me.

[jhawks99]

BWW is too sweet for me. Takes 20 minutes in the air fryer. I season the wings, dredge in a mix of flour and corn starch the into the Ninja with a spray of Pam.

Sauce is Frank's with a stiff glug of El Yuccateco

[pdub]

I melt Frank's and butter together for my standard wing sauce.
I prefer to do the wings on the grill.
Then toss em in the sauce - maybe add some lemon juice.

[Back2Lawrence]

99- sweet for sure.

I usually do a Buffalo style sauce at home. Franks/butter/Cumin/garlic/Black Pepper/white pepper/Splash of Pickle Juice.

[Back2Lawrence]

And pdub- usually smoke mine, but when I’m more of a rush, air fryer is great. I use baking powder instead of corn starch to get the crunch. No flour.

[Shirley]

Lovers of Olive Garden, i.e., everyone, will be glad to know that after falling to a low of $26.15 on 3-18-20 during Covid, OG owner Darden set an all-time high of $168.72 today, an increase of almost 6.5 times in the value of its stock since the low, on the same day their acquisition of Ruth's Chris Steak House was completed.

Thanks, Joe.

[Mjl]

The wing talk here combined with a great sale on them at Mariano's means I am grilling wings tonight.

Suggestions for a mild wing sauce? My kids don't do heat

[Mjl]

I googled "mild chicken wing sauce". Pretty much every result was for a buffalo sauce and included a bunch of hot sauce.

Google has gotten so, so bad

[Back2Lawrence]

Shirley- I haven’t been to OG in forever. But, last time I went, I ordered some Alfredo for my ‘bread’ sticks. Given my other post today, I would like you to know I ‘probably’ wouldn’t order that today

[Back2Lawrence]

The wing talk here combined with a great sale on them at Mariano's means I am grilling wings tonight.

Suggestions for a mild wing sauce? My kids don't do heat

For grilled wings—-bbq sauce works great. I generally water it down ever so slightly to be used for this purpose. Or Parmesan garlic is fantastic