Prime Cuts

So I’m back, I am alive, and I still eat a steak every night after I cook about 50 to 100 for my steakhouse customers…and guess what I wanna talk about, steak…OMG!

In particular I want to address flank steak, which although quite similar, should never be confused with skirt steak.  Flank is a relatively inexpensive, thin, trapezoidal shaped, lean, very specifically grained steak. Flank does not cut into typical American portions very well due to its shape, and for this reason flank is often thinly sliced AGAINST THE GRAIN, and served a few slices per person.  Have I said flank enough times yet?  I’m gonna say it some more.

Flank is a steak that I have never featured on one of my menus but I have prepared it in restaurants I have worked in prior to Caminito, and I occasionally have used it as a special.  The most recent time I prepared it was perhaps my favorite, and the inspiration for this post.

Browsing the local farmers market one day I found some excellent grass-fed all-natural flank steak.  The steaks were, on average, a bit smaller than their domestic grain and corn fed cousins, but the color and texture were phenomenal, deep ruby red colored, with little to no fat or sinew on them at all.  I was so impressed, I had to buy them!

Now came the challenge of how to prepare these steaks.  I know you are all asking “how would preparing a steak of any type be a challenge to a beef loving carnivore such as yourself Joe?”  The challenge lie in the fact that I am a restaurant steak guy.   My steaks are pre-cut and ready to go on the grill the second they are ordered.  Flank however is not this way.  It is a steak that is better left whole during the cooking process and sliced immediately prior to consumption, rather than before it is cooked.

The difficulty for this is what happens when only one customer orders this steak? Or worse yet when two customers order it at different temperatures?!  The answer, as with all great cuisine, is a simple one: don’t give people the option, and serve as a family style entree, for two or more people to share.  As far as the temperature is concerned, the more well-done inclined eaters are welcome to have the end pieces, while the other folks can enjoy the nice medium rare interior…nuff said!

With this thought in mind I was planning a menu for a few of my favorite customers of all time, a family of five who I know love the family style dining.  Flank to the rescue.  I used two of my smaller than average grass-fed flanks for the five of them and with sides and salads was more than enough.  However, flank steak on its own does not have a lot of fat, and therefore is not the most flavorful piece of beef, so I needed to do something to flavor it up a bit.

The perfect thing for a steak with a high ratio of surface area to interior mass is a spice rub.  There is almost more outside to flank than inside, and this is the perfect combo for developing a delicious and flavorful crust.  Taking a recipe from the archives I decided to use my basic black peppercorn rub.

There are a few points to take into consideration when applying this spice rub though.  The first is that you want to develop a crust, which is a dry thing, not a wet soggy one, so start with dry steak before you apply the seasoning.   This can simply be done by firmly patting your steak with a few layers of clean paper towels to remove excess surface moisture.  Next, liberally apply the spice rub to completely coat the entire exterior of the steak; patting it firmly onto the meat. You will know you are done when the exterior of the steak is completely dry with a complete spice coating. I like to let my seasoned steak rest for 10 minutes before putting it on the grill, if during this 10 minutes any of the exterior becomes moist, just add more spice rub to make completely dry again.

For grilling and serving there are a few good (correct) ways to do it.  The steak and your grill need not be lubricated with cooking oil because the dry steak should not stick to your grill.  To doubly ensure that sticking does not happen, get your grill decently hot before cooking (medium-high at least).  Flank is thin steak so for medium rare it will not take long, no more than 5 minutes per side.  But please, please, please, let this steak rest for at least 5-10 minutes before you attempt to slice it.  This is done in order to retain the precious juices inside this wonderful meat, the exterior crust will help act as a barrier as well.   Now that you have waited patiently, get out your sharpest, thinnest, longest knife, and sharpen it some more.  You are now prepared to begin slicing your masterpiece,  do so with great care, AGAINST THE GRAIN, and about 1/8″- 1/4″ thick.

Fan out your slices artistically on a serving platter, taking special care to make sure that you display a good portion of both the seasoned crust and perfectly cooked interior.  You will now be faced with the great and painful dilemma of chefs and cooks across the globe: Actually serving this beautiful display, and watching your hungry guests devour with ravenous speed this wonderful and under utilized cut of beef, while making a disastrous mess of your meticulously plated family style steak dinner.

You could, if you wanted to, follow this method for any steak, but it truly works best with flank.  As I mentioned before, flank is relatively inexpensive and readily available (even at the farmers market) so why not try it.  I was certainly glad I pulled this dish out of the archives..and oh yeah, my family of five LOVED IT!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Photo by: TheBittenWord.com

Today Joseph shares a steak and cheese recipe that he likes to make when he’s not in the mood for cooking a intricate meal and just wants something quick, greasy and warming to the soul.

Joe wants steak and cheese!

When Justin and I were brainstorming on ideas for the blog this week, Justin reminded me that we have been a little bit meat centric, and decadent with our recipes lately.  Justin mentioned that some of our readers have suggested a lighter fare recipe.  We agreed and I do have a few to share, but before I do I wanted to get a greasy, nasty, delicious, and simple recipe for my favorite steak and cheese that you can make with stuff that you probably already have in the freezer or fridge.  I friggin love these things!

Steak and Cheese

Ingredients

Makes 4

8 slices white bread
1 pound frozen Steak-Ums
2 small-medium white onions
4 cloves garlic
4-6 slices American cheese
1/8 cup shake type Parmesan cheese
¼ cup mayo
1 tsp A1 sauce
¼ stick butter
1 tbsp vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

1.    Roughly chop the frozen Steak-Ums, slice the onions thinly, mince the garlic, and crumble the American cheese.
2.    In a large sauté pan or electric skillet, heat the oil and butter on med/high, add the crumbled Steak-Ums and brown evenly.  Remove to a separate plate lined with paper towels.
3.    Add the onions to the pan with the juices from the cooked steak and season with salt and pepper, cook till soft and lightly colored.  Then add the minced garlic and sauté further until the onions are a light golden brown.  Add the reserved steak back to the onions and garlic mixture and mix thoroughly
4.    Remove the steak and onions from the heat and add the A1 to the steak mixture and mix in thoroughly.  Next, add the cheeses and mix thoroughly until all the cheese is melted.
5.    Toast all the slices of white bread.
6.    Spread the mayo on the slices of toast and place a ¼ of the steak and onions mixture in between two of them.

Eat and enjoy….while they last

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

After a little holiday hiatus we’re back with a new episode of Prime Cuts TV.  On today’s episode we explore the importance of letting steak rest before and after cooking and how that affects the overall quality of the steak when it is served.

There is a lot of background noise but hey, we’re a real steakhouse and we were busy

[viddler id=c65f205c&w=437&h=370]

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

On today’s episode of Prime Cuts TV we wanted to discuss ordering different cuts of steak.  With so many options depending on the type and quality of restaurant you visit, it can be a little confusing.  Also, you may not know really what to order and have only been ordering the same cut of steak because that’s all you know.  Well, today we explain a few of the more popular cuts so that hopefully your next adventure out, you can try something different.

[viddler id=217589ac&w=437&h=370]

Note: The video came out a little dark so it may be hard to see.  We’re working on improving lighting for future episodes.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

There are three ways to check the doneness of steak: using a thermometer, the finger test, or just taking a guess.  Using a thermometer is the best way to cook steak to an exact temperature however sticking a thermometer in and out of a steak will cause the juices to run out.  Obviously, just taking a guess at how done your steaks are isn’t the brightest option.  Therefore, what we prefer, and most chefs use, is the finger test to check for the doneness of steak.  With a little practice you can master cooking a steak to the level of doneness you like without ever having to cut into it or prod it with a thermometer.

All tests will be done with the palm of your hand.  It is important that your hand is relaxed and not tense or else the pressures you will be checking for will be off.  Each test will involve you using the index finger of your other hand and pressing on the meaty area between your thumb and base of your palm.  You will be comparing the feeling in this area of your palm with that of the center of the steak you’re cooking.

Raw
Your hand is open.

Rare
Touch the tip of your thumb to the tip of your index finger.  The meaty area between your thumb and the base of your palm should give and not be firm.

Medium-Rare
Press the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb.  This will feel more firm and less giving but still spongy.

Medium
Touch the tip of your ring finger to the tip of your thumb.  It should still give a little but getting more firm.

Well-Done
Touch the tip of your pinkie to the tip of your thumb.  This should feel hard yet springy kind of like a tennis ball.

Before you ask about medium-well, it will be the slight difference between medium and well-done.  If you are trying to achieve medium-well as the level of doneness for your steak, you should pull the steak off when it is about medium and let it rest for approximately 5-10 minutes.  As the steak rests it will continue to cook to medium-well.

Now, run out to the grocery store, buy some steaks and start testing!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Everyone has their personal concept of how a steak should look, feel, and taste when cooked to the doneness of their liking.  These concepts can and do vary from consumer to consumer and from chef to chef. It is one of those inherently simple yet complicated subjects.  This particular post is intended to get people thinking about what exactly goes into cooking a steak to temperature and how you should think about ordering/cooking yours to best enjoy it.

There are several variables to the final doneness of cooked steaks including: thickness of the cut, type of cut, temperature of the cooking medium, resting period, and for restaurants-their base temperature guidelines.

Thickness
The thickness of the cut of steak can influence the level of doneness greatly.  Think of the way rare would look and feel for a very thin steak vs a very thick steak (i.e. thinly cut top sirloin vs. a thick center cut filet mignon).  The thin rare will have much less red center simply because it has much less center and vice verse.

Type of Cut
The type of cut of steak can also affect how the finished product will look and feel.  Some types of steak are naturally very tender or tough, and densities of the different types of steaks vary greatly too.  For this reason, if you are unsure how to order steak of any given type, ask how your chef or butcher to suggest a recommended temperature for the most tender possible preparation, and you will definitely see great variation for one cut to another.

Temperature
The temperature of the cooking medium, lets say the grill, will change how the finished steak will look and taste at any given doneness.  Think of a medium rare steak that has been cooked quickly at a very high heat-it will be very well cooked on the seared outer edges and will fade with little transition from gray to red as you cut into the center.  A steak cooked on a lower temperature will have the same doneness on the contact edges but will fade from well to medium-well to medium to medium-rare in the center with a much more gradual fade.

Resting Period
The resting period for both uncooked and cooked steaks will also allow for well transitioned temperatures vs. little transition.  A cold steak will maintain a red center longer than a room temperature one.  So if you like a black and blue seared on the outside, rare in the middle steak, cook with a cold steak and don’t let it sit long once off the grill.  If you prefer a more gradually transitioned doneness, let your steak sit at room temp for 20 min before grilling it, and then let it rest for 5 minutes before consuming.

Restaurant Guidelines
Finally are the specific restaurant guidelines to doneness.  Some restaurant’s rare is a lot more or a lot less rare than the competitions.  For the most part these guidelines will be displayed on the menu.  The best thing to do however is tell your server how you like your steak cooked and what it looks like when done your way.  That way they can tell you to which temperature that will relate to at their particular restaurant.

Finally, we just want to note that steaks are cooked to temperature and doneness which does not always translate directly to color.  If you think about it, the difference in color of the meat from cow to cow can vary greatly based on their diet.   If you look at the meat of a sirloin from a traditional corn fed American steer and then look at the color of a sirloin from a pasture grazed, grass-fed Argentine steer you will see that the grass fed sirloin is a much darker almost burgundy red color, while the corn-fed sirloin is a much paler light brick red color.  These reds will react to temperature change differently and if you cook both to the exact same temperature for meduim rare (or any temp) you will be looking at two different colors but the same level of doneness.   This is why we chefs use temperature as a difinitive guideline, and serious steak eaters should know what to expect based on the type of beef they are ordering because temperature cooked steaks are not always the same exact color.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Contributing Writer: Joseph M. Gionfriddo
Photo by: Another Pint Please

One of the things we have noticed the most throughout our careers in the food industry is the differing opinions on what doneness/temperature means when ordering steaks or hamburgers.  It seems that some customers don’t understand what they really want so they order it cooked to one level of doneness and when it comes out like that they say it is either under- or over-cooked.  Likewise, we have both eaten at several restaurants where we order a particular level of doneness and receive our meal either under- or over-cooked.  To solve this a lot of restaurants are moving to just two options, pink or no pink.

There is a lot to take into consideration when trying to cook to various temperatures and we’ll go over that in a future post but today we wanted to share with you the definitions that we use at our steakhouse and are generally accepted specifications.  We have tried to simplify the definitions so that they’re easily understandable for the common customer.

• Rare - Cool red center

• Medium-Rare – Warm red center

• Medium -Pink throughout

• Medium-Well – Pink only in center

• Well – No pink

Note: Consuming raw or undercooked meat, poultry, seafood or eggs, may increase the risk of food borne illness.

What is your preference when your order a steak or hamburger?

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Photo by: VirtualErn

After a successful wine dinner last week where we received rave reviews for a center-cut peppercorn filet mignon, Joe now shares his peppercorn rub recipe with you.

Something I have been doing for a while now is a peppercorn crust on my grilled steaks.  Peppercorn crust on a steak is delicious when done properly, but can easily be messed up and overdone.   Most people who have ever bitten down on a large unexpected peppercorn, remember the taste, and wouldn’t ever think of eating a peppercorn crusted steak.  However when applied correctly, a peppercorn crust or rub will mellow during cooking and not overpower the meat, but instead enhance the flavor.

The following recipe is for a basic peppercorn rub which is not overly peppery, or spicy, and is a good starting point for those people who are a little timid about completely covering their steak with spices.

Note: When I make this recipe I grind the peppercorns in an electric spice grinder until they are just a little bit bigger than the holes in a table pepper shaker, about 2x the size of table pepper.  More importantly, I grind the pepper a day or two in advance of when I will be using it to allow it to mellow, as same day fresh pepper tends to be very strong.

Joe’s Peppercorn Rub

Will thoroughly coat 4-6 medium steaks

Ingredients
3 tbsp ground pepper (see Note above)
2 tsp coarse sea salt
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp onion powder

Preparation

• Mix all ingredients thoroughly.

• Place spice mix on a plate or flat surface and spread out to the size of the steaks you will be coating.

• Coat steaks by pressing only the sides which will be in contact with the cooking medium firmly into the spice mix.  There is no need to coat the edges that will not be in contact with the heat.

• Cook steaks to desired temperature.  The cooking process will mellow the pepper flavor and gently infuse it into the steaks.

• If you desire a more powerful peppercorn flavor, use freshly ground peppercorns that are not ground as fine.

• If you desire less peppery flavor, spread the spice mix more thinly on the seasoning plate and do not press the steaks as firmly into the seasoning.

You can make extra ahead of time and store in a tightly sealed jar but only take out as much as you need per cooking, and never return seasoning that has been used on the seasoning plate with raw meat back into the storage jar.

For steaks seasoned with this spice mix I suggest pairing with a bold and boisterous red wine such as Malbec or Cabernet Sauvignon.  During our most recent wine dinner, peppercorn crusted filet mignon was paired with Luigi Bosca Single Vineyard D.O.C. Malbec.

Enjoy!

You can download a PDF version of this Peppercorn Rub Recipe.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Photo by: shadowfall

Lately Joe has been crazy over steak on the bone and he wanted to share that passion with everyone.  If you’ve never had a steak on the bone, read about Joe’s obsession below and then run out and try one!

Over the last 6 years as my steakhouse has developed and matured, so has my taste for steaks, either cooked by myself or cooked by other people/restaurants.  At first I thought it was my inner chef’s unquenchable curiosity to know more and be more knowledgeable about my topic of expertise.  I now know that that curiosity is only part of it,… I am simply put, a big ole carnivore…I love meat, red meat in particular.  When my family asked me what I wanted to do for my birthday this year, I told them “I want to go to Ruth’s Chris and eat a 50 dollar steak and a wedge salad”.  This confused my family  very much as they tend to think that after being a grill man for the last 7+ years of my life I would be sick of steaks.  But honestly, as much as I like to talk about the different cuts or cooking methods being better or worse than each other, (and I do every day) I simply don’t think that I have ever met a steak that I didn’t like, or for that matter wasn’t able to finish.

If you were to ask me what my favorite steak was, right now I would have to reply with two words, or rather a letter and a word… T-bone.  For those who don’t know, T-bone is basically a NY Sirloin on the bone.  Steaks on the bone to me embody the essence of what steak eating is all about, physically and metaphorically.  For one, just to look at a thick steak on the bone is to see something primal, rough,and real. Look at a thick cut T-bone on a plate with no room for sides, garnish or anything else.  Then look at a perfectly trimmed, petite piece of filet mignon, garnished with edible orchids and a lot of empty space on the plate and tell me which gets your blood boiling hotter.

The taste of steak on the bone is different too.  The marrow flavor permeates the beef which does not cook as evenly when the bone is left in (and I’m not saying this as a bad thing at all).  The outside edges of the steak are cooked a little bit more than the center part next to the bone, which has a little jewel of meat that regardless of temperature (for the most part) tends to be nice and red, and contains the true flavor of beef.  The smell that comes from a steak on the bone is different too,  and I don’t know how exactly to describe it, but it smells more like steak.  The bone bits char while on the grill and release their last bit of precious marrow, dripping on the fire as it cooks. If I were a rich candle company, this is the sent I would capture, nothing smells better.

Simply put there is something special about steaks on the bone, and I think that most serious steak lovers will agree with me on this one.  So, for all who read this I implore you, the next time you go out to your favorite butcher or steakhouse, go outside your comfort zone, be a little bit more of a rustic carnivore, and try steak on the bone.  As I often tell my servers, tell your customers that  ”A T-bone is just a NY Strip with a bone in it, and a little piece of filet on the far side of the bone” and if that hasn’t sold them, then the delicious marrow smell of another customers T-bone as it sizzles on its way past them usually does.

I LOVE STEAK ON THE BONE!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.

Photo by: epc

Today we follow up to our Prime Cuts TV video earlier this week with another episode…this time on how to fabricate (cut-down) an unpeeled tenderloin into beautiful cuts of filet mignon.  Just like with buying a whole ribeye, this can be a great way to save some money while not sacrificing on quality.

[viddler id=302ef654&w=437&h=370]

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to receive future articles delivered to your feed reader.