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Steaklovers ... when did you first fall in love with steak?

For those that love a good juicy piece of steak -- whether it's a ribeye, sirloin, or whether its done rare or burnt to a dry crisp -- when did you first fall in love with steak?

I mean, steak isn't one of those treats that you are given, or naturally gravitate towards, as a youngster, right?

Things like ice cream or other desserts are often provided to children as a "treat" but rarely does a mom say, "Son, if you get an "A" in in your 5th grade advanced organic chemistry class I'll grill up your favorite cut of ribeye as a reward!"

And children rarely pine to go Ruth's Chris; the obvious choice is always McDonald's or someplace like Baskin Robbins.

Personally, I love steak but for the life of me I can't remember when I first realized that I loved steak.

I love steak, now.

I just don't know when, or how, it started.

Do you?

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  1. I can't remember a time when I DIDN'T like steak. it was definitely one of my favorites when I was a kid. I was sort of an oddball child when it came to food, though. Desserts were never my thing. I preferred steak, scallops, salads, brussels sprouts, and spinach.

    The only time I remember avoiding steak was after I choked on a piece when I was in second grade. I was afraid of choking again, but the next time my dad cooked steak I couldn't resist the flavor.

    1 Reply
    1. re: szeglin

      I too think steak is a pretty easy thing to like. As a kid I used to be obsessed about steak, but now I avoid it, like many other foods I enjoyed as a child, because it's become boring and monotonous to me. I'll make an exception for exotic meat or super -premium ultra-marbled steaks, though.

    2. In my childhood, steak was something we had 3-4 times a year. Mom would buy a horrible piece of meat. She'd marinate it for a whole day in bottled Italian dressing. Then, she wouldn't fry it, wouldn't grill it... she'd bake it. Forever.

      The resulting "pickled baked steak" looked and tasted like liver.

      I gotta say in mom's defense that, except for steak and some "experiements," she'd turn out some very, very tasty mels.

      I was a freshman in college when I visited friends who grilled a delightfully-marbled, medium rare Porterhouse for dinner. It was like a new experience! I was hooked and couldn't get enough. Until I became concerned about cholesterol, I cooked steak for dinner more often than not.

      Nowadays, I have a steak a week. More, if I order steak in a restaurant.

      1 Reply
      1. re: shaogo

        The baked steak sounds terrifying.

      2. From the time I was on solid food, my mother fed us meat twice a day. I loved steak as far back as I can remember.

        I didn't eat at McDonalds as a child because I abhor Ketchup and in those days you couldn't get a plain burger, the buns were all predressed.

        My first visit to Peter Lugers in Brookly was at the age of 2 years and 4 months and I've eaten there since. Their Porterhouse is my favorite steak.

        I didn't like sirloin as a child, and it is still my least favorite cut. I prefer Rib Eye.

        I don't know why the OP thinks McD or Baskin Robbins is the obvious choice fro children. We weren't raised that way, and neither were our children.

        And why would I bribe my children with food to get a good grade. They deserve the finest and best food to nurture their bodies and minds so they can do well in school and life.

        1. I've eaten and loved steak all my life (62) - well, maybe not before I was on solid food. My Daddy would state "No matter what's wrong with you a steak will make it better." Depressed? Have some steak :) There were four of us and I believe we ate sirloins. And it was always cooked rare. BTW, when I was growing up there WERE no McD's. And I'd choose almost any meat over ice cream or any dessert for that matter.

          1. I grew up on a farm where we raised, among other things, beef cattle. We would butcher a steer after fattening it on corn and it would most likely grade high choice or prime. While it was not dry aged, my preference as an adult, it was delicious. We were always grilling steaks. And my mother always insisted on cooking "an extra one" For years now, I have grilled steak at my house on Friday nights. usually prime dry aged. My kid's friends would like to come over on that night and get steak like they had never had it before. Still a tradition.

            2 Replies
            1. re: steakman55

              My father (he was the cook in the family) always grilled an extra steak too so we had extras in case everyone finished their own and wanted more or we sliced it up for a sandwich the next day. To this day we still cook an extra steak when we have one, whether there's 2 of us or 10 of us. I have memories of gnawing on the bone of my t-bone steaks when I was 5 or 6 years old and moving onto ribeyes when I was 10 or 11. I went on a beef fix for a good year or two then, everything had to be beef. My brother went on a chicken fix at the same time. Dad humoured us both and always prep two different dishes with our meat preferences for each meal (good thing we had a restaurant so he could do that!). After 30 years my dad still jokingly ask if he needs to make two meats when my brother and I go over for dinner.

              1. re: fickle

                We went to a huge wedding in El Paso a number of years ago. The following day there was a barbeque on the grounds of the Carte Blanca brewery across the border in Juarez. There were loads of picnic tables under the trees, strolling mariachis AND - on topic - they would put large platters of steaks on every table. We were in heaven.