restaurant secrets
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The Keys to a Perfect Steak Dinner. Restaurant Secrets. The How To Guide. I: Love Your Meat II: Accompaniments III: The Menu IV: Tools V: Recipes. Love Your Meat. Grades 3 Major Grades - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
RESTAURANT SECRETS
The Keys to a Perfect Steak Dinner
The How To Guide I: Love Your Meat II: Accompaniments III: The Menu IV: Tools V: Recipes
Love Your Meat Grades
3 Major Grades○ Select-The least amount of marbling; tends to
have much more undesirable qualities (gristle, toughness, etc.)
○ Choice- Middle of the road; shows more marbling; small amounts of undesirable qualities; most common among major grocery stores
○ Prime- Best available; the most amount of marbling; hardly any, if at all, undesirable qualities
http://www.boqueteguide.com/?p=9203
Love Your Meat (cont.) Cuts
How to decide?!○ Cooking method- i.e. some cuts are perfect for
grilling but not braising○ Texture- something that melts in your mouth or
to withstand hearty accompaniments○ Final product- after contemplating the first
two, find your direction; some cuts are better for different meals
http://www.edmundsonbeef.com/beefweightscuts.htm
Love Your Meat (cont.) Key Areas
Chuck○ The area just after the neck○ Majority of these cuts are best when prepared
“low and slow”○ Typically tough○ i.e. Short ribs, chuck roast, etc.
Plate/Flank○ The “belly”○ “Fibrous” and can see the muscle striations○ Chewy if cut wrong!○ i.e. Flank steak, skirt steak
Love Your Meat (cont.) Round
○ The butt and hind leg○ Similar to the chuck○ Usually tough with gristle○ Inexpensive○ i.e. “Rump roast,” top and bottom round roast,
etc. Rib/Short Loin
○ The BEST!○ Between the chuck and the sirloin of the cow○ Most flavor because of the amount of bone and
fat located in this region○ You will find the most tender cuts here○ i.e. Ribeye, back ribs, export rib (prime rib
roast), tenderloin, hanger steak, etc.
Love Your Meat (cont.) Temperature
The Range○ Rare (125-130°F)- RED, cool center, fat has just begun
meltingCulinary Opinion: always recommended for a true meat
lover
○ Medium Rare (130-135°F)- Red, slightly warm center, fat has meltedCulinary Opinion: the standard and middle ground for the
balance of texture and flavor; please do not go any further
○ Medium (135-140°F)- Pink, warm center, fat has completely melted and renderedCulinary Opinion: the safe temp., integrity of the meat
begins to diminish and texture becomes more firm
Love Your Meat (cont.)
○ Medium Well (140-150°F)- Slightly pink, hot centerCulinary Opinion: integrity of the meat is essentially
gone and you have ruined the texture
○ Well Done (150°F +)- Completely cooked through, hot centerCulinary Opinion: No.
Accompaniments Starch
Common○ Mashed Potatoes
One of the great blank canvases of the culinary world
Go classic with a roasted garlic and butter baseBe Creative! Caramelized onion and thyme (my
favorite), loaded baked potato (bacon, cheddar, scallion), basil/lemon, etc.
New Trends○ Roasted Fingerlings
Small, finger looking potatoes that are similar to Yukon Gold’s
Simply roasted at high temperatures with herbs
Accompaniments (cont.)○ Sweet Potato Mash
A great combo with BBQ or Spicy foodsAdd a touch of nutmeg, cinnamon, clove and brown
sugar or molasses
○ Potatoes Anna (A classic re-introduced)Thinly sliced and layered with butter, cheeses and
seasoningsGreat accompaniment to any dishThe hard work pays off (it is labor intensive)
http://www.jeffruby.com/cincinnati/menu
Accompaniments (cont.) Veg.
Common○ Asparagus
Adds color and crisp textureMany ways to prepare for the perfect sideGrilled, steamed, poached... You cannot go wrongFinish with Sauce Béarnaise (stay tuned) for a classic
touchBe Creative! Honey/balsamic reduction, or tempura
battered○ Carrot
Easy and classicSteamed carrots finished in a pan with a sugar based
glaze (usually honey) and seasoningBe Creative! Carrot purée (adds great color), or simply
roasted with herbs (for a concentrated and sweet flavor)
Accompaniments (cont.)
New Trends○ Broccolini
Looks like broccoli, tastes like broccoli, but it’s not broccoli
Hybrid between broccoli and a Chinese broccoli called Kai-lan
Smaller florets an longer stems with a flavor profile similar to the combination of both broccoli and asparagus (slightly bitter)
Treat simply like the asparagus example or steam it followed by a quick sauté in butter, garlic and red pepper flake
http://www.foodismmom.com/2010/05/broccolini.html
Accompaniments (cont.)
○ SeasonalSeasonal cooking in general has taken off as a huge
food trend in the restaurant industry; so much so, it has almost become a standard
Purées, roasted combinations and succotashes are common preparations
Accompaniments (cont.) Sauce
Common/Classic/Best○ Demi, demi, demi!
Start with a well-made, gelatinous beef stock and reduce it by half
Usually a 48 hour process; tack on an additional 4-12 hours if you make the stock too (depending on the yield)
Your patience will be rewarded with the most delicious, rich, meaty, liquid heaven
The stem of many sauces
http://www.insidecolumbia.net/Chefs-Corner/January-2013/Veal-Stock-Demi-Glace/
Accompaniments (cont.)○ Hollandaise
An egg yolk and butter sauce always with a hint of lemon and spice (usually cayenne)
Heavy, rich, decadent accompaniment that makes just about anything amazing
Throw in tarragon for the classic filet accompaniment (Sauce Béarnaise) or get creative and add your own combination of herbs and spices
○ Sauce Au Poivre The only thing that many be better than a straight-
forward Demi-glace (DEMI Gl-ahh-ss) Start by sautéing shallots and cracked pepper corns with
a pad of butter. Add brandy or cognac. Cook out the alcohol and add the demi
Do not be creative with this sauce. You will ruin it by making any additions or substitutions.
The Menu
18 oz. Center Cut, 28 Day Dry-Aged RibeyeSauce Au Poivre
Herb Roasted Fingerling
Broccolini
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/bobby-flay/coffee-rubbed-rib-eye-recipe/index.html
Tools Cutting board Chef Knife Kitchen Towels Mixing Bowls Tongs Sauté pans Sheet pan 3 qt. sauce pan Grill Oven Stovetop burners
http://thechefsknives.blogspot.com/2009/10/8-inch-chefs-knifeshun-classic-8-inch.htmlhttp://nycfireplaces.com/productgallery.php?level=album&id=130&plog_page=2http://www.cookswarehouse.com/all-clad-stainless-saute-pan-3-qt.htmlhttp://www.melcottons.com/products2.cfm/ID/1011464/name/HD-SS-TONGShttp://www.houzz.com/photos/5756612/BlueStar-Platinum-Series--PrimaNovaTM-burners-with-25-000-BTU-flame-modern-gas-ranges-and-electric-ranges-philadelphia
RecipesRibeye
Yield: 2
2-18 oz. Prime center cut, bone-in, 28 day dry-aged ribeye
TT S&P
1. Pre-heat grill to 500°F+ (the hotter, the better). 2. Liberally season the room-temperature ribeyes with salt and pepper. 3. Grill 3-4 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reaches 120°F. 4. Remove from grill and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes
Sauce
1 tbsp Shallot, minced
2 tbsp Pepper corn, cracked
1 oz. Butter, unsalted
1 sprig Thyme
2 oz. Brandy
4 oz. Demi-glace
TT S&P
1. In a small sauté pan, sweat shallots, thyme and pepper corns in butter for 2 minutes 2. Add brandy and cook out the alcohol. 3. Add demi-glace and season to taste with salt and pepper.
http://www.thekitchenhacker.com/?p=1217http://andrewhillman.me/tips-for-grilling-the-perfect-steak-2/
Recipes (cont.)
Roasted Fingerling Potatoes
Yield: 2
6-8 oz. Fingerling potatoes
4 sprigs Thyme
2 sprigs Rosemary
3 cloves Garlic, smashed
TT S&P
*Olive oil to coat
1. Preheat oven to 450°F. 2. After washing the potatoes, toss with garlic, salt and pepper to taste and olive oil to coat. 3. Spread evenly on metal sheet try. Top with thyme and rosemary. 4. Roast in oven for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until potatoes are fork tender
Broccolini
Yield: 2
6-8 oz. Broccolini
2 oz. Butter, unsalted
TT S&P
TT Lemon
*Blanching water and ice bath needed1
1. In a 3 qt. sauce pan, bring 2 qts. of water and a liberal amount of salt (gag test) to a boil.
2. Blanch broccolini for 2-3 minutes, or just before done. 3. Immediately shock in ice bath. 4. In a sauté pan on high heat, sauté broccolini in butter. 5. Season with salt, pepper and lemon to taste
1 http://colourfulappetite.avantagepoint.com/blanching-healthy-cooking/
http://colourfulappetite.avantagepoint.com/blanching-healthy-cooking/