I don't usually measure, either. But try baking while just eyeballing ingredients. You get some unpredictable results.

Also, when is batshit going to be add to the FT dirty mouth filter? :p

I measure for baking....but approximately (I don't do the pack in and sweep thing for flour. Not a problem with pancakes, but get one ingredient wrong for cookies and the whole batch turns out crappy.

As for Korean food.....nobody ever measures. :D Then again, I don't even measure for American food either. My mom always makes her own take on traditional Korean recipes...the traditional recipes are a bit too heavy on the garlic and seasonings...

Its not in any way shape or form difficult, however I can NEVER get a steak just how i want it. I hvae tried all ways, but continually overcook it.

I even went so far as to sit in front of the oven one day and checked every few minutes! Still overcooked :( ...

Sear it cold, two minutes each side (get it out of the fridge, season, put back in fridge until ready to cook).

Woah. Where have you been all this time then, twin!? :p:p

I make a very traditional Bouillabaisse that takes forever, and many many steps.

The results are well worth it tho' (I think everyone here has this about their "hard" recipes - otherwise, why bother?)

I also find it hard to make decent bread and pizza at home, but that's mostly because I've completely given up on white flour.

Cazzi there is almost no fool-proof way to cook a steak at home, unless you like it well done.

I would suggest exactly what stupidhead suggested, with these additional suggestions:

-Use a thicker steak. Because you're going to end with heat from all sides, you want a center deep enough to stay pink

-Heat a cast iron skillet as much as humanly possible, and sear both sides of the steak VERY QUICKLY

-Put the steak in the oven on broil and finish it there. Be sure to place it on the rack, and not on a pan of any kind. You can collect the juices below.


You can also cook steak "hawaiian style", by cutting it into small pieces first, then quickly searing on a super-hot pan. The reason why this works well is that the meat doesn't steam inside the way it doe when you place a large chunk of meat on a flat pan.

Good luck!

Thank you both ever so much for your suggestions! ... I will try the ways you suggest.

Well I mean this is MUCH better than sitting cross legged in front of the oven ;) ... Mr. Cazzi did have a bit of a giggle tho! :)

I have cooked several dozens of steaks at home, but none turned out well done.

Am I just riding a 40-steak lucky streak or something?

Every December (well, except for the last two years:() I make chocolates -- truffles, home-made caramels, home-made marshmallows, home-candied orange peel, white chocolate peppermint creams, dipped dried apricots, nut clusters, and whatever else strikes my fancy that year. Once you've gotten the knack of tempering chocolate (a machine helps), it's not actually difficult, just rather finicky and quite time-consuming and messy.

I've never considered cooking steak all that problematic, but then I don't cook big thick sirloins. Hangar or skirt steak, quickly seared in a hot pan and finished with a red-wine shallot reduction, is pretty quick and easy. Test for doneness by pressing the surface of the meat with my finger.