All About Steaks

I love eating steaks. The sight of a well-marbled cut of beef, chargrilled on the outside and bloodied in the middle, can bring me to my knees. But step into a steakhouse and one can be overwhelmed by the different cuts of beef. This is especially so if you have to pay by weight and cut. So here's a beginner's guide to knowing your steak.

There are 3 things to consider when choosing your steak: Breed of Cattle, Grade, Marbling and Cut.

Breed of Cattle
Different breeds can command vastly different prices.

Black Angus
These cows have extemely marbled meat, which makes the steaks extremely favourful and juicy. Beef which is labelled 'Certified Angus Beef' has passed extremely stringent criteria. Less than 10% of  steaks achieve this title

Wagyu Beef
Wagyu Beef is famous for its melt-in-your mouth succulent juciness and tenderness. Famed for its intense marbling and high unsaturated fat, the prices of Wagyu beef tend to fly off the charts. Examples of Wagyu beef include Kobe, Mishima and Matsuzaka. Wagyu beef is rated on a 12 point scale, with a grade 12 steak containing 90% fat and 10% meat.

Grade
The age of the animal and the amount of marbling determines the grade of the animal. In the USA, grades are Prime, Choice or Select, with Prime being the best.

Marbling
Marbling is the thin streaks of fat running across the meat. Thick lines of fat means that the meat contains a lot of connective tissue, making it tough and chewy. Small streaks of fat will result in a more flavourful meat, but it also means that the meat is less tender.

Cuts
Cuts of steak refer to which part of the cow the steak comes from. To understand cuts of meat, let us first get to know our best friend, the COW.

Most steaks are cut from the rib, short loin, sirloin, tenderloin, top loin and bottom sirloin. These are the tender and more succulent parts of the cow. Areas like the chuck and brisket are full of connective tissues. They are great for stews and braising, but too chewy for steaks. Okay, let's sort out the various terminology:

Rib Steaks

Steaks cut from the rib are less tender due to the higher proportion of marbling. However, due to the very same reason, they are also the more flavourful part of the beef.

Prime Rib

This is a steak cut from the ribs with a bone in it. Flavourful but contains rather tough, stringy meat.

Rib-Eye

Well-marbled and rich in flavour, this is a favourite among steak lovers

Short Loin and Tenderloin

The best and most tenderest cuts of steak come from these parts of the beef . Though succulent and meaty, such cuts contain less flavour than the rib cuts.

Tenderloin

This is the tenderest cut of beef and usually the most expensive.

Filet Mignon

This is a small, choice cut from the tenderloin. It's also the most tender and most expensive cut by weight.
Chateaubriand
This is a large cut from the tenderloin, usually meant to feed 2 people

T-Bone

The T-Bone is a great value for money steak for the undecided. As it's name implies, it has a t-shaped bone that separates a small section of tenderloin from a larger section of strip loin. The T-Bone, like the Porterhouse, is also one of the more expensive steaks on the menu because of its size.

Porterhouse

A larger T-bone steak, and comes with a larger section of tenderloin

Strip Loin

This is the part of the short loin without the strip of tenderloin.

Sirloin Steaks

These are the relatively cheaper cuts of steak, but still favourful and a good value for money.

Sirloin Steak

Size-wise, this is one of the larger steaks. It's located just behind the short loin. It's a cheaper and leaner cut and less tender, but still flavourful.

Bon Appetit!

Lava Rock

Went to Lava Rock Grill for lunch. I had read about it in Urban and was curious too sample its dishes. According to reviews, the meals are supposed to be value for money.

The first thing that struck me was the service. The youthful staff was friendly and helpful and were knowledgeable about the menu. There was a bubbly young lady who served us and many more expensive restaurants could learn a thing or two from her.

PT and I were game for steak so we poured over the extensive menu. Chicken and steak seemed to be the mainstay. After mulling over the different cuts, we finally made our decision.

FT ordered the fish and chips. For a dollar more, the standard fries were converted to cheesy fries with bacon. Even though it was a kid's meal, the portion was generous and came with a side. Batter was light and crispy and the fish lightly seasoned. Excellent meal, according to FT who wiped the plate clean.

PT ordered the 250g Sirloin steak on hotplate (about $17) and I ordered the smaller 160g Fillet Mignon (about $15). Each grill came with 2 side orders. For 2 dollars more, a bowl of mushroom soup and dessert was thrown in.

The mushroom soup was good. The portion was generous and every spoonful was filled with delicious savoury bits of shitake mushrooms.

As we waited for the mains to arrive, I walked over the the counter to select the sides. There was a good selection of cold and hot sides. We ordered the mash potatoes, buttered corn, steamed carrots, pasta and olive salad and coleslaw.

Tangy crisp coleslaw

Pasta salad

The Sirloin steak came sizzling on a hot plate. The steak was tender and juicy and it was quite a steal for less than 20 bucks.Like all good meats, just a dash of salt and pepper was sufficient.

My Fillet Mignon came with a side of buttered rice pilaf and brown sauce. The plump, juicy meat melted in my mouth. The seasoning was rather heavy though and almost overpowered the natural flavours of the steak. They should have seasoned the steak the same way as the Sirloin.

We had a pleasant surprise when the dessert came. It was chocolate fondue with bananas and marshmallow. FT was quick to the draw and was eating from both of our plates.

Actually, there were more items on the plate...

A marshmallow freshly dipped in chocolate sauce

It was a money well spent and a place worth returning. Next time, I'm trying the spaghetti vongole.

Lava Rock Grill

Blk 681 Hougang Ave 8

Guan Soon Cheng Coffee Shop

Food: 6.5/10

Price: $$

Service: 7/10

Ambience: 2/10 (Sweltering)

Brisbane Day 5: Chinese Food at Adelaide Street

There was an interesting Chinese cafe along Adelaide Street that offered Cha Kway Teow. Piqued by pictures of Hor Fun, Curries and Cha Kway Teow, we went in and eyeballed the menu. It showed an interesting mix of Singapore, Hong Kong and Japanese cuisines. Prices were reasonable too, with dishes ranging between A$6 - A$9.

This was the much awaited Cha Kway Teow

The Japanese curry rice was a disappointment. The curry tasted as though it just came out of a packet and the batter was thick and chewy.

Did you ever crave for something soupy but could not decide whether you wanted fish, chicken or beef? Well this cafe has the answer to you dilemma. It serves a Mixed Soup Dish which has everything in it.

Looking for something spicy, we ordered rice with curry (different from curry rice) It tasted more like the curries from the zi cha stall rather than the prata stall.

Interesting dinner...but didn't come close to our own Singapore fare

Brisbane Day 4: Oporto @ Meyer Centre, Queen Street Mall

We were still full after the lunch at the old Customs House and thus decided on a quick bite for dinner. As Queen Street Mall was just round the corner, we decided to visit the Farmers' Market at Brisbane Square and then look for some light bites later. Bumped into some acquaintances and they suggested the food alley in the basement of Meyer Centre.

There were several fast food restaurants located there, including KFC, Subway and 1-2 noodle houses. The noodles looked rather pathetic and I was sure that the taste had been modified to suit the western palate. Luckily I chanced upon a grilled chicken place called Oporto which sold grilled chicken, chicken burgers and wraps.

I ordered the snack pack and some fries, thinking that the pack would be rather light. I was so wrong...

Each wrap was bigger than a regular size hotdog and we had a choice of 6 different sauces. Calling this meal a snack was a major understatement. I struggled but could hardly even finish even 2 wraps. It was such a pity because the chicken was moist and tender and the sauce, tangy and smokey. Take a look at the filling in each wrap.

Not a bad deal for less than A$10.

Brisbane Day 4: Old Customs House @ Creek Street (Lunch)

We went to the old Customs House for lunch. The riverside view was magnificent, but the food fell short. The meal began with an appetizer labelled Salt and Pepper Prawns. Unfortunately, too much salt was used in the batter and it felt as though we were eating spoonfuls of salt with every bite of the prawn. In the end, we left most of the prawns untouched and instead gulped down the water to wash away the biting taste of the salt.

The main dish was veal scallope with crabmeat and mash potatoes. It came as a huge relief after the prawn fiasco. A generous serving of sweet crabmeat accompanied the thick slices of veal.

Brisbane Day 3: Pasta and Calamari @ Fortitude Valley (Dinner)

We finally went down to Chinatown today. It was quite a disappointment. Chinatown mall was undergoing a major development and the entire area was so quiet. There were quite a number of asian eateries though, but since we were in Australia, we decided to go for the local food.


After carefully studying the menu of several cafes, we settled on Cosmo Café.

First a round of Hot Chocolate – the best we had so far. I can feel the calories piling on. Just look at how rich this drink is. Oh yes, it’s always served with a couple of marshmallows.

The mains soon followed. I’ll never get used to the size of the portions. How on earth can someone eat this amount everyday? It’s artery clogging.

This is the SMALL seafood pizza – the size of our medium Canadian Pizza. Just look on the mound of seafood topping.

I ordered the Moroccan Calamari. I wonder which giant squid sacrificed its life for my dinner…

The Lasagna was easily more than 2 inches think and laden with ground beef and cheese. It also came with a huge side of fries.

Definitely no room for dessert. Instead, I went back to my hotel and munched on several pieces of coconut covered chocolates. The best meal so far.

Brisbane Day 2: Ajisan Ramen @ George Street (Dinner)

We initially planned to go to Fortitude Valley and have dinner at Chinatown. However, when we walked past an Ajisan Ramen shop on the way to the subway and saw the photos of noodles on the wall, we succumbed to a sudden wave a hunger. In 5 minutes, we were seated in the Japanese noodle cafe and were studying the menu. Prices are about A$15 for a bowl of noodles.


I ordered the Spicy Ramen as I needed my chilli fix. The pork-based soup was thick and flavourful. The only thing lacking was the meat. I expected the usual slices of pork, but only a spoonful of minced pork was added to the soup.

Check out the Volcano Ramen. Doesn’t the chilli mound look intimidating? I was tempted to order it but held back. Getting the runs in a foreign land and during a conference is something I definitely did not wish to experience.

There was a special promotion on dessert. A$2 for an apple or pumpkin sorbet. Why not?

The ice-cream came in little carved out apples and pumpkins – so delectable. The fresh flavours of apple and pumpkin were infused deeply into the sorbet.

Simply refreshing!

Brisbane Day 2: Conference (Lunch)

So tiresome– I had to eat lunch standing up (it was the conference norm. The plate was so heavy and the utensils were wrapped in napkin. It took some juggling on my end to manage my bag, conference materials, the plate and cutlery. There was a dull ache around my wrist by the time I finished my meal.  Choices were limited and I was in too much discomfort to go for seconds.

The best dish was the salad, crispy, fresh and sweet.

Brisbane Day 1: Nandos @ Queen Street Mall (Lunch)

“Nandos!” my colleagues were shrieking. “Must try! Cannot find in Singapore!”

Okay, okay. Nandos specializes in grilled chicken and their Peri-peri sauce is addictive. If you like Tabasco, you’ll love the chicken. There’re whole and part grilled chicken, chicken wraps, chicken risotto and various chicken salads. Peri-peri sauces come in mild, hot and very hot and there are free bottles of sauce by the counter if you wish to add more. We crowded round the counter, ordered our meals and waited impatiently for the waitress to call out our order. Look out for the meal specials. The dishes averaged about A$14 – A$18 but portions are huge.

The grilled chicken was well-marinated and moist. The spicy sauce gave it a good kick so you don’t suffer the ‘jelakness’ usually experienced when eating chicken breast.

The chicken wrap looked like a giant mitten. It was huge and packed generously with grilled chicken slices and veggies.

Look at the amount of filling

I ordered the chicken salad and was pleasantly surprised to find that it came with olives and feta cheese. Huge chicken slices were scattered on top of a mix of baby spinach and rockets. The Peri-peri sauce (hot level) was a bit too peppery when on its own, but went well with the greens and cheese.

When the grilled chicken thigh came, I was shocked by its size. It filled up practically the entire dinner plate. Could you imagine the size of the chicken? Must be a steroid monster. Anyway, the verdict was that the leg was juicy and well marinated.

The chicken risotto was favourful and the peri-peri sauce (very hot level) was well balanced with the broth enriched rice.

A very satisfying dinner, especially for a meat lover like me.

Brisbane Day 1: Just Café @ Queen Street Mall (Breakfast)

Just landed in Brisbane Australia and we’re starving. The breakfast onboard the plane was a miserable bun and muffin. So we dumped our luggage at the hotel and scuttled down to Queen Street Mall to eat and shop.

Checked out the cafés along the board walk and finally decided on Just Café. It looked cosy and had a decent crowd. Sat down, ordered some coffee and then checked out the menu….WHOA…prices are expensive! Breakfast meals averaged about A$15 – A$20. Being on a tight budget, we ordered several plates of savoury bread to share. At least the servings were the big and the coffee thick and aromatic.

Don’t you wish you could smell the Long Black?

Frothy Cappuccino

Thick, chunky slices of fruit loaf

 Buttered Cinnamon Toast

Not a very good start…hopefully the meals will get better.

Thai Express @ Kovan

Went to Kovan today to run some errands and decided to drop in to Thai Express for lunch. I was watching the Asian Food Channel in the morning and saw Kumar on a travel show in Bangkok. Couldn't get the image of the Thai dishes and the rich coconut milk out of my mind.

Not a bad lunch but I found the dishes rather sweet and mild. No complaints from the kids though. JT even made a couple of dips into the chilli sauce - AMAZING.

Anyway, the day was blazing HOT, so we started off with some cool drinks.

Cool and tangy lime juice

Ice chocolate - kinda strange drink for a Thai joint

Then the mains came. PT, as usual, polished off his Black Pepper Softshell crab within minutes. "Not much crab taste" was his verdict .

Black Pepper Soft Shell Crab

My Pineapple Seafood Rice was next. Very nice and the portion big enough for FT and I to share. The prawns and sotong were expecially well done, perfect level of chewiness.

Yummy! Should have more pineapples, though

JT had the chicken soup and rice. I like the soup, very light tasting, but always thought it was a waste to order it in a Thai restaurant. Gimme fish sauce, green curry and Thai spices man!

The egg drops go very well with the chicken slices

We also had PT's favourite dish, stuffed chicken wings. The ones we had were juicy and the basil marinate was very appetising - just made you go back for more. FT whacked one whole wing to herself.

One nice juicy wing

All in all, lunch was about $55. Service was good too. The waitress and waiter who attended to us were warm and friendly. They were attentive too, giving extra serviettes when FT was chomping down her wing. This is GEMS for you.

 

Thai Express

Heartland Mall

Hougang Street 21, 205 Level 1

Food: 7/10

Price: $$$

Service: 7/10

Ambience: 6/10

Lousy Breakfast

What a lousy breakfast I had today!

Was a bit early for work for I detoured to a coffee shop for some kopi-O and kaya toast. The aromatic smell of kopi-O filled my car as I drove back to the office, all the while thinking of sinking my teeth into some lightly toasted lemak bread.

Looks pretty tasty at first...

When I looked into the plastic bag, the bread looked limp and wet. My worst fears were confirmed when I held the flaccid and soggy bread between my fingers. The coffee lady had not even toasted the bread well. As for the kaya, there was only a thin, miserable layer on each slice. I could hardly taste anything.

A closer look at my limp bread

 

I untied the plastic bag which held the coffee and took a sip....another disappointment! How can something so aromatic taste so bland? It was much too weak.

Looks so promising...looks only

Definitely a lousy start to a day!