Other Cast Iron: Beef Plates

[PaulOinMA]

TThey are found on ebay by searching "steak plate," "steak sizzle," and similar terms.

People that have been over love them.

A friend grew up on a 70,000- to 100,000-acre cattle ranch, and she bought a set off ebay, as she had to have them.

The ones that are on ebay for "buy it now" prices of $88 or so (like our friend bought) are smaller than the ones I have and don't have the nose ring. She wants me to try to find her a set with the nose ring.

My wife asked, "what's the nose ring for?"

She replied, "you just tug on it and the bull will go wherever you want!"

I looked at my wife and said, "don't get any ideas."

Here are the first two I bought. They came with bases. Bought them in September 2007.

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The next two I bought were a little rusty. Didn't find steel wool, althought I thought I had some. Bought some at Home Depot and put the rest of the steel wool under the work bench ... right next to a bag of steel wool.

I also seasoned all four.

I made two wooden bases for the two others that I bought off ebay using the other wooden base as a template. I like the ones I made better. Thicker wood, and the grain looks good after treating the wood with block oil.

The two on the left are the ones that came without bases. Can't complain, as both were $5. They are also a little larger than the other two, and they have a little more detail.

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http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/MiniMoke/IMG_2556.jpg

I then bought four more. If you see the plates on ebay without holders, it is very easy to make holders.

I was out cycling and I stopped to see a neighbor that was painting a storage shed she and her husband built ... during the hottest week of the summer 2007.

She mentioned that they had wood delivered from a lumber yard in the next town. I never thought of going there for wood. I went to check out what other wood I could make the bases out of, rather than the oak from Home Depot.

The person in the store told me to go back to their mill and ask to see the wood in their scrap bins. They had cherry, oak, ash, mahogany, and so on.

I took two nice pieces of mahogany from the mill and went to pay for them. I should have asked how expensive they were. The scrap mahogany cost twice as much as the four sizzle plates.

The mahogany really does look nice, though.

Stampede!

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Had friends over for dinner before the friend moved to Georgia.

Dinner was bacon-wrapped tenderloin for three of us, and my wife had a boneless New York strip. Sides were mashed sweet potatoes with caramelized onion and bacon and green beans with red pepper and garlic. My wife made a lemon chess pie for dessert.

The friend looked at the wooden holders for the sizzle plates on the table, as the plates were in the oven warming when they arrived.

I told her about them, and that they are available every now-and-then on ebay.

She said, "I'll be on ebay tonight!"

He said, "our household will have these very soon."

They thought they were great.

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Here is using them in early 2008 when we had the 2008 and 2007 merchandise intern over for a Champions Tour golf tournament. We chair the merchandise committtee. Also had the tournament staff person that we report to over.

Brie and crackers before dinner. Dinner was bacon-wrapped Certified Angus Beef brand tenderloin, roasted sweet potatoes with honey-lime glaze, green beans with red pepper and garlic, and cornbread with honey butter or butter. Dessert was vanilla creme brulee.

Brought some of the herd out of the corral.

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The next four are a little different from the others I have. They are the same size as the larger plates, but don't have the nose ring. I need to identify the wood. It also has notches out of the sides to make it easier to pick up.

There's writing on the bottom that the seller thought was Japanese. He stated that they were used in a steakhouse in Japan.

Someone on the car web site translated it, and said it is actually Chinese. He said that the symbols near the telephone number mean "Taipei," and the rest translates as "White iron. Export." In effect, the Far East version of "Made in Taiwan."

So, they could have been used in a steakhouse in Japan, as the seller stated.

I was going to see if a friend wanted them. If she didn't, I was going to see if someone on a car web site I frequent wanted them. They were a great price on ebay. Bought them as soon as I saw them. But, as they are unique, my wife wants to keep them. Not that I'm complaining.

And the herd expands to 12.

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Still holding at 12 for the time being.

Making the bases was very simple, and I don't do woodworking.

Steak Sizzle Plate Holders

Wood
Sharpie pen
Reciprocating saw (I don't have a band saw)
Drill
Forstner bits
Sandpaper
Sanding block
Palm sander
Shortening
Block oil or mineral oil

Select the wood you�d like to use. The first two I made are oak and are lighter in color. I made the next four out of mahogany. Home Depot only had oak.

Best is to call around to lumber yards to find one that also has a mill and ask if they have a bin of scrap wood you can go through. That will give you more choices of wood. That�s where I found the mahogany.

Hold a steak plate on the wood and with a Sharpie held perpendicular to the wood, trace around the steak plate.

Repeat with the other three steak plates.

Cut the wood into four pieces just roughly, not going around the outline.

Cut out the four bases going around the outline. I just used a handheld Black & Decker battery powered reciprocating saw. A table band saw would make this easier, if you have access to one. It wasn�t bad just taking my time with a reciprocating saw.

I then smoothed the cut face with the sandpaper by hand, using a sanding block, and also an electric palm sander.

I then rounded the edges with the palm sander. A router table and router bit would make this easier, but, again, it wasn�t bad just taking my time with a palm sander.

[Found that I actually do have my father's old router that I've probably had for almost 25 years, and I've never used. Duh!]

Take a little shortening and apply it to the four feet of the steak plate. Place the plate on the wood base where you would like it to be centered. This will leave a little shortening on the base as a mark where to drill the hole for the feet.

With a drill with a Forstner bit, drill four holed for the feet just depe enough for the feet to rest in the wood.

Home Depot has a nice set of seven Porter-Cable Forstner bits in a nice wood box with a clear top. I used a �-inch bit for both the oak and mahogany bases I made. The first set of two plates with pine bases I bought have 5/8-inch holes. The last set of four have 7/8-inch holes. I prefer the �-inch hole, as it holds the plate better.

Oil the wood with block oil or mineral oil. Apply a second coat after a while. That�s all there is to it.

In use ...

This may have been Valentine's Day dinner. Beef tenderloin.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/MiniMoke/IMG_3882.jpg

Boneless Ney York strip.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/MiniMoke/IMG_3798.jpg

London broil and ssweet potato gnocchi.

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Bacon-wrapped tenderloin and fries.

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Bacon-wrapped tenderloin again.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v235/MiniMoke/IMG_2912.jpg

Yet again.

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[BluzQue]

VERY NICE PaulOinMA
Heirlooms in the making!


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[USDA Monkey]

I would take one with me and eat off of wherever I went.
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[Brinnie]

PaulOinMA, They are really cool - And steak looks outstanding as well
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Cheers
Smoking
Down Under

[Mrs. K.A.M.]

Those plates are really cool.
The food looks all happy to be on them, too
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My UDS.

[PaulOinMA]

Somebody, please buy these two, so I don't.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Cast-Iron-Bull-Steak-Plate-Great-Condition-/180694282420?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2a1237f0b4

You'll have to strip the paint and season them. Very easy.
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[day_trippr]

Very nice score, PaulO!

At the beginning of the saga I immediately thought those definitely are going to want to be used with serrated steak knives, and I was happy to see that's exactly what you did!

I'd say "Enjoy 'em!" but it's clear you already have!

Cheers!
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[SoEzzy]

Please read PMPNLT650pxOTLS!
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Here's a change Robert.

I still work here!

[PaulOinMA]

This is an old thread from before the picture size policy.
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