patrick.net

Here I'll give you the Steakhouse secret, so you can make 5 star steaks at home.

Get inch and half steaks, pat them dry salt with some course salt, then dust liberally with corn starch, place in freezer for 30 minutes. Start your charcoal, for best results I recommend using lump charcoal, and not the briquettes. Set the grill grate to the lowest setting. Close the lid and let the charcoals get white hot.

By now 30 minutes should have passed. The white cornstarch powdered over the steaks should be a nice pink by now. As the salt drew out some of the juices from the steak, and the cornstarch absorbed it. This does two things, it mimics aged dried beef, and now the cornstarch coating, will cook brown and crispy skin over the steak, locking in the remaining juices.

Place on the grill and leave it for 4 minutes, turn over and grill another 4 minutes, turn the steak a quarter turn on the grill for criss cross grill pattern. And let it grill another 2 minutes, then turn over one more time, and quarter turned from the grill marks on that side, and let it grill for another 2 minutes.

You'll thank me latter.

TPB - I don't know about your method. The freezing thing I've never heard of...

Most chefs will say to pull the meat out of the fridge, let it come to room temp for several hours - and make sure it stays at room temp.

I do however think your timing is pretty spot on. 3-5 minutes on each side is my rule of thumb getting a perfect pink all the way through.

Have you tried marinating in Pesto? That's actually really good. We've also made a few lime marinade - and stuff with margarita mix that's surprisingly yum-o.

joshuatrio says

Most chefs will say to pull the meat out of the fridge, let it come to room temp for several hours - and make sure it stays at room temp.

Of course this goes against conventional logic, but try it.

Everyone that comes over to Casa dePhish calls it the best Steak they ever had. Like I'm some culinary genius. The way I heard it explained the salt draws out the moisture. The steaks come out of the freezer firm and dry like a dried out steak that aged in the fridge for a week.
Then the cornstarch coating seals in the juices. A little longer cook time is required because the steak did just come out of the freezer.
You don't want it frozen, just chilled for about 30 minutes will do.

joshuatrio says

Have you tried marinating in Pesto?

I used to marinate Steaks when they were cheaper at the Grocery Store. Still do, when we get the 3.99 - 4.99 lb at the immigrant grocers sometimes have on sale. It's no where Choice, but we rub it down in fresh Garlic, salt, black pepper, then a liberal dousing of Worcestershire sauce, let marinade for around twenty minutes.

But like I said, I only do that, if the quality of the Steak isn't there.
Lately since retail Grocery stores are charging a premium for even Stew meat, let alone a $15 dollar steaks. I now buy Steaks from Doris Market, USDA Choice Sterling beef. I get a whole Sirloing Loin for 3.99 lb, get it trimmed, and cut into thick cut steaks, and get about a pound of the worlds best hamburger from the scraps and trimmings. I end up with about 7 inch and a half steaks for about $30 when I buy the half loin, or about 12 steaks for about $60 when I buy the whole loin.

7 whopper steaks for about the price, Publix charges for about two or three steaks half the size.

I never marinate those, other than the method I described. Or the wife makes Lomo Satado. http://allrecipes.com/recipe/peruvian-lomo-saltado/

I do like eating a good charbroiled steak with good charring and nice rare center, with Chimichiri.

http://www.thefishmarket.com/

The Fish Market is not a steakhouse as such, but I'm sure they do steaks as well as great seafood. This is my place to eat whenever I'm here in PA.

As an added bonus, you can drive around the area and look at all the overpriced properties in this area.

TPB says

Of course this goes against conventional logic, but try it.

Will do. Any chance I get to one-up my father in law (who is an exec chef) - I'll take the chance.

He once told me to NEVER cook a prime rib roast on the grill - but to stick with the oven for consistency. Well... I coated the 17 lb slab of beef in an olive oil, fresh rosemary/garlic/salt/pepper paste and let it sit for about 5-6 hours. Then I broke out the 22" Weber, fired up the coals - indirect (the only way to go) - and smoked the meat for about 3+ hours.

I threw in a few lumps of hickory for flavor - when the meat hit 120 degrees - yanked it - let it sit for 30 minutes. It was nice and charred/crispy on the outside, but pink from end to end.

Needless to say, the family was impressed and loved it - I sweated bullets the whole time it cooking, knowing that I went against the grand master of cooking in our family.

It's damn hard to fuck up a prime rib roast, especially when most people like it still breathing in the center. All you need is some heat for the desired amount of time.

The best Prime Rib I ever had, you toss the (room temp this time) sucker into a 200 degree oven for 45 minutes per pound, or until the internal temp reaches 117, then take out from the oven and let sit for about an hour. Preheat the oven to 500, or 550 if you got it. Shove it back in four about 15 to 20 minutes(that's total not per pound) then turn off the oven, leave it in until the temp reaches 120 if it isn't already there. Then take out and let set a 20 minutes. Pink and tender in the middle, and it just complements the horseradish sauce with a passion.

The last step is to brown it. Most people like to blast it with high heat then turn the heat down, that process drains the juice in the second phase. The process I described slowly baste the natural juices into the roast, making every bite tender and juicy.

But in all reality, the Prime rib doesn't care how it gets to 120, it's just a sin to go much over that temp. Regardless what method you use.
Unlike a Steak, if it aint done on charcoal, it just aint done right.

I don't know about SF, but I've always like Steak and Ale. They are a chain, so maybe there are some in CA.

Alexanders is a chain too. But steak and Ale is the Plastic wrapped baloney sandwich in the Stop-n-Go refrigerator, that has no indication of the date it was made, in comparison.

Jocko's if you don't mind driving to Pismo/Santa Maria. It's a nice drive.

A.J. Spurs in Paso Robles / Atascadero area.

The Elelgant Bull in Delhi (about 1 hour south of Stockton on 99) .... not just steak, but some amazing Potuguese food. A hole in the wall, easy to miss, wine on the tables, leave stuffed, kind of place.

As for on the bay, I ate at this place called The Haufbraugh(sp) about 20 years ago that was really good. It was in an area south of the city, but I know not where.

Grill on the Alley (chain in San Jose)
Los Altos Grill (chain)

Don't they have Texas Roadhouse in your area?

http://www.texasroadhouse.com/locations