By Keith
A Disclaimer: This post is significantly longer than a typical Food Babies recipe post but I couldn't help myself. What can I say, I feel passionately about the quest for a perfectly cooked piece of meat. In any case, if you are just interested in the recipe, and not the reasoning behind it, please feel free to scroll to the bottom of the post for the step-by-step instructions. For those other meat aficionados out there, read on.
As the former beef supplier to the entire country, Chicago has rightfully earned its reputation as a red-meat mecca. Accordingly, the restaurant scene here is flooded with countless steakhouses, many of which are the most well known and frequented establishments in town (Gene and Gorgetti, Gibsons, Morton's, Etc.). The enduring popularity of these restaurants is no mistake, people have and always will love steakhouses. Why? Its not very complicated. There are few pleasures in life as simple as a huge, perfectly cooked hunk of beef and a well poured drink. Only problem is, for most of us, due to their exorbitant and ever increasing prices, going to a quality steakhouse has become strictly a "special occasion" meal.
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| The Wet-Aged T-Bone at Gene and Georgetti - $44 |
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Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the ambiance and tradition of a classic steakhouse as much as the next guy. Eating at an 80 year old Chicago institution like Gene and Georgetti certainly has its appeal. But when it comes down to it, all that really matters is the steak. Consequently, many of us (myself included) have long tried to replicate the bloody, protein-induced nirvana experienced at a steakhouse in the comfort of our own homes. Until recently however, my efforts have always fallen short. To truly replicate the steakhouse experience, you need to figure out exactly what makes their steaks so delicious. In my opinion, it's two things: The quality of the beef and how it is prepared.
Quality of the Beef:
The best steakhouses typically only use one type of beef, Prime. For those of you unfamiliar with the
USDA's grading system, there are eight total cuts, ranging from Canner (that doesn't sound good at all) to Prime (much better). If you take a closer look at the beef available in a typical grocery store, most of it is either Select or Choice. While there is nothing wrong with a Select or Choice cut of meat, if you are truly trying to replicate the steakhouse steak at home, Prime this is your first and only option.
What makes Prime cuts of meat so great? First of all, its a very exclusive club. Less than 3% of the beef produced in this country is graded Prime. Three percent! Just to provide a little perspective, it's more difficult for a piece of beef to be graded Prime than it is for your local valedictorian to get into
Harvard. Even more revealing, is how dramatically easier it is to be graded Choice, as nearly 50% of US beef is graded at the cut directly below Prime.
So what does it take to be a Prime piece of meat? The glorious answer is fat. Not a huge hunk of fat on the edge of your steak, but fat that is dispersed evenly throughout the meat so that each bite is juicy and flavorful. Also called "marbling," an even dispersion of fat throughout the meat is by far the most important thing you want to check for when buying a steak to cook at home. While other factors such as the age of the cow, its diet, and a number of other factors go into the quality and taste of a cut of beef, odds are if you buy a well marbled cut of Prime beef you will be happy with the results.
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| Prime Beef - The Ivy League of Meat |
Now that you know what to buy, the question becomes, where can I find Prime beef and how expensive is it? As home cooks have become increasingly knowledgeable and particular about the food they cook at home, the availability of Prime beef has grown dramatically. Consequently, just about any high-end grocery store (Whole Foods) or specialty meat market (
Paulina) should carry Prime beef. The only problem is, most of these establishments are charging insanely high prices. Although the satisfaction and pride of cooking a steakhouse steak at home may be worth a lot, its definitely not worth $20-$30 dollars a pound. At those prices it makes more sense to visit your favorite steakhouse and have someone else do all of the hard work. Even worse, the stress of not over-cooking a steak you payed 40 bucks for doesn't make for the most relaxing evening.
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| 30oz Prime Bone-in Rib Eye from Olympic Meats |
The key then isn't just finding a store that sells Prime beef, but one that does so at reasonable prices. For me, that store is
Olympic Meats, just west of the intersection of Halsted and Randolph in the West Loop. Olympic looks a museum sandwiched in between the trendy new restaurants on Randolph, but make no mistake, it is one of the best butcher shops in the city. I will be writing a longer piece on Olympic sometime in the near future, so for our purposes, all you need to know is that this should be your new spot to buy steaks if you live anywhere close to the loop. Although a number of Prime cuts are available at Olympic, I'm biased towards their bone-in, cut to order rib eyes, sold at the budget friendly price of $11.99/lb. Whatever cut of steak you purchase, make sure it is as thick and juicy as your favorite steakhouse version, around 1.25 to 1.75 inches.
How to Cook Your Beef
Now that you are the proud owner of a thick cut Prime steak, it's time to discuss cooking methods. Here is where it gets a little tricky in trying to replicate a steakhouse steak. Most steakhouses use commercial broilers that exceed temperatures of 800 degrees. These bad boys (see below) help to create the two things that make a steak great, a beautiful char on the outside of the meat and an evenly cooked, juicy medium-rare center. Since most of us don't have a commercial broiler in our home kitchens, here is where you have to get a bit creative.
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| A Filet Being Broiled to Perfection at Ruth's Chris |
Probably the most common way of cooking a thick cut steak at home is on a hot grill, however, I find this method too hard to control. As a grill's heat source is directly beneath the meat, when fat drips down to the fire below, it inevitably causes flare ups, potentially burning the outside of your steak or overcooking the interior. Although it looks pretty cool to see flames shooting 3 feet high out of your grill like a fast food commercial, this is not a good sign for your steak. Also, keep in mind, this scenario is even more likely when cooking with heavily marbled prime cuts. Flare ups are another reasons most steakhouses broil their meat, as a broiler's heat source comes from above, avoiding any fat that drips below. Alas, while grilling typically results in a picture perfect crust, the interior may be overcooked near the edges of the steak and closer to the preferred medium rare in the center.
For those that don't grill their steaks, the most common way of cooking indoors is the "Sear and Blast" method. This method entails "searing" both sides of the steak in a smoking hot pan to develop a nice crust and then finishing the cooking process by "blasting" it in a high temperature oven. Although you might fill your entire house with smoke and can potentially overcook your steak in the oven, with close attention the "Sear and Blast" generally results in a satisfying product. In fact, until recently this was my preferred method of cooking a thick cut steak at home.
Surprisingly, my new favorite way to cook a thick cut prime steak at home is the exact opposite of the "Sear and Blast" method. Well, kind of. The process, detailed here on
LTH Forum, begins with cooking the steak in an oven set at a timid 275 degrees, as opposed to the extremely high temperatures of the previous method. Starting your steak in a low oven helps to ensure half of what makes a steak great, that the entire piece of meat is cooked evenly.
Generally, it takes about 20 minutes to reach the desired internal temperature of 90 degrees, but depending on the size of your steak, that time may vary slightly. It it also important to note that the steak MUST be at room temperature before going into the oven. Taking a steak (or any protein) out of the fridge and cooking it immediately, whether your are grilling or cooking indoors, can extend its cooking time and lead to a piece of meat that tastes more like a flip-flop than a steakhouse steak. A good rule of thumb to determine what time to take your steak of the fridge is according to its weight. For example, a 1lb steak should be taken out 1 hour before it is cooked, while a 1.5lb steak should be taken out an hour an half before cooking. At the same time you remove your steak from the refrigerator to come to room temperature, I also recommend liberally salting (Kosher is best) both sides so the seasoning has time to
penetrate and tenderize the meat. Finally, it is also important to cook your steak on an oven rack, not directly on a metal surface. Placing the steak on a rack ensures proper air flow around the meat and further helps to ensure even cooking.
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| Steak + Salt |
Cooking the steak in the oven low and slow allows you to enjoy a drink or prepare your sides instead of worrying about the steak overcooking. The only thing you must do while the steak slowly cooks is to preheat a pan until it is as hot as possible, preferably a cast-iron skillet or a heavy-bottomed saute pan. Add a small amount of oil (about a teaspoon) and once it is smoking continuously the pan is ready. When the steak reaches an internal temperature of 90 degrees, remove it from the oven and place it directly in the scorhing hot pan.
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| Steak After Cooking in the Oven at 275 |
Expect hissing and sizzling and RESIST the strong urge to touch the steak. Letting it cook in one place without moving or flipping helps to develop a uniform crust. After 2-3 minutes (you can lift up a corner of the steak to check the crust) flip the steak and cook for the same amount of time.
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| Resting |
Once both sides of the steak have been cooked to caramelized perfection, place the steak on a cooling rack and rest for 5-7 minutes, seasoning to taste with kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. This final step of resting your meat, although difficult to accomplish, is essential for a juicy, tender steak. Cutting into the steak immediately after its finished cooking will cause all its precious juices to spill out onto the cutting board.
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| Meat Nirvana |
After resting, either serve the steak whole or cut into thick, half inch slabs.The end result? For me, it's the closest I have ever come to replicating a steakhouse steak. This method produces both aspects of the perfect steak, a uniformly cooked interior and beautifully charred exterior. Also, I believe the gentle cooking process in a low oven results in a more tender steak, the heavily marbled fat melting to create an almost buttery texture in every bite.
So that's it. With a little know how about what to buy and where to buy it, some salt, a low oven, and a hot pan, you can produce a steak that is in my opinion, is superior to most of the steakhouses around town at a fraction of the cost. For those of you that read this entire meat induced diatribe, I hope you picked up a few tips or at very least recognized the earnest efforts of a fellow meat aficionado. Below are the step-by-step instructions for easy reference, as well as a recipe for the most rich, deliciously over the top potato gratin Jess and I have ever made.
Enjoy,
Keith
Steakhouse Dinner at Home
-30 oz Prime Rib Eye
-Potato Gratin
Steak
-Kosher Salt
-Freshly Cracked Black Pepper
-Oil (Canola or Vegetable)
-Take steak out of refrigerator 1 hr to 1.5 hr prior to cooking to bring to room temperature.
-Place steak on a wire cooling rack over a tin foil lined baking sheet.
-Liberally salt both sides of the steak.
-Preheat oven to 275 degrees.
-Right before cooking, pat steak dry with paper towels and put in oven while still on the wire rack.
-Cook for approximately twenty minutes or until steak reaches internal temperature of 90 degrees.
-Preheat cast iron or other heavy bottom skillet on high for at least 5 min.
-Place 1 teaspoon of oil into the pan.
-When oil is smoking continuously place steak in pan and sear one side for 2-3 minutes.
-Don't move steak until you are ready to flip it.
-Sear other side for 2-3 minutes.
-Rest for 5 minutes on a wire cooling rack.
-Serve whole or slice into half inch thick slices.
Gratin Dauphinois
(Taken from It Must Have Been Something I Ate by Jeffery Steingarten)
-2 equally sized russet potatoes
-2 Cloves of garlic
-.5 stick of unsalted butter
-1 cup of milk
-1.5 cup of heavy cream
-.8 teaspoon of freshly ground nutmeg (optional)
-.75 tsp salt
-.5 tsp white pepper
-A mandolin or slicing disk attachment for food processer
-A heavy bottomed low sided baking dish, approximately 9in x 13in
-Let butter soften at room temperature for 1hr.
-Place cream, milk, garlic, salt, pepper, nutmeg in sauce pan.
-Bring to boil then remove from heat.
-Liberally butter the baking dish with half of the butter (if it seems like a lot it is).
-Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
-Peel the potatoes and rinse.
-Cut into 1/8in slices.
-Evenly place slices into baking dish and overlap each potato about 2/3 of the way.
-Arrange potatoes into 2 total layers.
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| 1 Layer of Potatoes |
-Bring mixture to boil again.
-Pour over potatoes and dot with remaining butter.
-Bake for 1.5 hours.
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| The Finished Product |
