Steak houses

[claire797]

there's one thing i know for sure, and that's that after reading this thread, i'm going to a steakhouse tonite to have a brilliantly executed strip steak and a bottle of big fat red something-or-another.  and a side of mashed. 

Please report back with the details ;).

[slkinsey]

there's one thing i know for sure, and that's that after reading this thread, i'm going to a steakhouse tonite to have a brilliantly executed strip steak and a bottle of big fat red something-or-another. and a side of mashed. 

Excellent! Then run to Lobel's while the taste is still fresh in your mind, go home, fire up the broiler and eat another strip steak for the sake of comparison. I know it's a sacrifice, but you're doing it for science, man!

[tommy]

Excellent!  Then run to Lobel's while the taste is still fresh in your mind, go home, fire up the  broiler and eat another strip steak for the sake of comparison.  I know it's a sacrifice, but you're doing it for science, man! 

only if you come over and cook, clean, and pour my wine for me.

see you in 2 hours.

[bergerka]

only if you come over and cook, clean, and pour my wine for me.

see you in 2 hours.

(psst. tommy. Sam doesn't do dishes. Shh).

K

[tommy]

only if you come over and cook, clean, and pour my wine for me.

see you in 2 hours.

(psst. tommy. Sam doesn't do dishes. Shh).

K

don't worry, you're invited too.

[Varmint]

And they might sing for you, too!

[bergerka]

only if you come over and cook, clean, and pour my wine for me.

see you in 2 hours.

(psst. tommy. Sam doesn't do dishes. Shh).

K

don't worry, you're invited too.

*opens mouth to make really obnoxious comment*

*thinks better of it*

*closes mouth before a bug flies in*

No problem! I charge $100/hr with a four-hour minimum, plus you have to feed me steak and red wine. See you shortly!

K

[wesza]

After being involved hands on in the Meat business for almost 50 years, i'd like you to know that the main reason the NYC Steak Restaurants and Butchers provide the Best steaks is very simple. They are always willing to pay more for the very best. I've traveled all over the world, been to all 50 States best meat suppliers. Eaten steak every where, but it's rarely even close to NYC's Best. The suppliers in NY will Stamp and Mark the Short Loins for the best customers, often only after their Meat Buyer has personally picked them out, from a vast selection. Then they will be Dry Aged for average of 21 days or longer, often in a Oxytrol Temperture, Humidity Control Room where the Enzymes in the beef, naturally tenderize the Loins. During this period there is shrinkage and drying out of the Loins surface, that reduces the yield. Remember that when the Short Loins are Broken from the USDA Graded Hind Quarter they are weighed and tagged. This is the price per pound charged to the buyer. The Buyer absorbs the expenses incurred in ageing and handling this meat, as well as other expenses incurred. There is no credit provided by suppliers, and all accounts must be settled weekly. After the beef is delivered to the Restaurant Butcher or Picked up by Buyers Truck the beef is sorted and judging by the Cutter or Loinbreaker, aged for a longer period or broken Down into Primary Cuts. The last step is sending the orders to the Kitchen. Places like Peter Luger. generally have a Butcher on duty to respond to kitchens orders on demand. Again all this means the Steak you receive must include these costs. There is often Shrinkage and Trim loss on a Short Loin, well aged of about 40%. This doesn't include labor, utilities, taxes and overhead. If a Prime Shortloin sells at market for $4.00 per pound, this can eventually cost the Restaurant or Butcher as much as $12.00 to $15.00 per pound. I have been involved as a consultant, chef, importer, exporter and was one of the persons involved in putting together the original USDA Meat Guide for Primary and Boxed Meats implementing the numeric designations. Remember if it's graded Prime at any Quality Slaughter House almost everywhere in America that the Meat Buyers from NYC generally get first choice on all available graded carcasses. only because they have the customers who are willing to pay a premium. Irwin

[slkinsey]

After being involved hands on in the Meat business for almost 50 years, i'd like you to know that the main reason the NYC Steak Restaurants and Butchers provide the Best steaks is very simple.  They are always willing to pay more for the very best.

Thanks for the lesson, Irwin. I think that's more or less what I was saying, and it's good to hear it explained and supported by an expert.

[ronnie_suburban]

Irwin,

I really appreciate you taking the time to share that with us.

Thanks

[Schneier]

there's one thing i know for sure, and that's that after reading this thread, i'm going to a steakhouse tonite to have a brilliantly executed strip steak and a bottle of big fat red something-or-another.  and a side of mashed. 

Mashed???

Roast potatoes, creamed spinach, and tomato and onion salad.

Tradition is tradition, after all.

Bruce

[Schneier]

After being involved hands on in the Meat business for almost 50 years....

Wow. Thank you.

Bruce

[evansk7]

Oooh. I'm new! I've been reading this site/board/thread for all of about 4 minutes, and I'm posting already. Scary! :)

My perspective on this kinda echoes that of a couple of other people who've posted to the thread:

- the steak houses get better beef than I can

- I don't have to wash up afterward.

I lived in NYC for 2 years (right around the corner from Sparks) and the steak there (the city, not necessarily Sparks) was mindblowing in comparison to the beef I could buy uncooked. Even S&W, who sell steak raw, don't sell you the cuts they want to keep for their restaurant customers. Now I live in Sheffield, England (I'm a brit) and the best I can manage for steak is pretty average sirloin... how depressing.

Cooking-wise, I make a pretty mean steak. One of the few advantages of my current abode is the wicked gas stove - combined with a REALLY heavy (2-handed lift) cast-iron skillet, and a complete disregard for smoking out my house, my steaks get HOT, fast. But it doesn't make up for the lack of prime beef... not in the slightest.

So yeah.. steak houses still get my vote. They've got a bar, on the whole, which is a bonus. If I get bored with wine and want a beer, they bring me one. If I want coffee, they bring me that too. The sides are usually pretty good... well, sometimes. And they've got the best beef - did I mention that?

Now - onto more important matters :)

I can't find, for love nor money, dry-aged beef here... so I'm going to do it myself. Anyone got any tips? I found a site (the AZ grill association, or something like that) with a method of dry-aging beef in a refrigerator wrapped in clean towels, changed daily. Anyone tried it? Anyone got a better method, in a city where the average monthly income is about the same as the average NYC steak house bill for a meal for 2?

Kev

[slkinsey]

I can't find, for love nor money, dry-aged beef here... so I'm going to do it myself. Anyone got any tips? I found a site (the AZ grill association, or something like that) with a method of dry-aging beef in a refrigerator wrapped in clean towels, changed daily. Anyone tried it?

Get yourself a copy of It Must've Been Something I Ate: The Return of the Man Who Ate Everything by Jeffrey Steingarten. One of the chapters describes dry aging beef and his own attempts to do so.

Oh... and welcome to eGullet.

[Fat Guy]

I can't find, for love nor money, dry-aged beef here... so I'm going to do it myself. Anyone got any tips? I found a site (the AZ grill association, or something like that) with a method of dry-aging beef in a refrigerator wrapped in clean towels, changed daily. Anyone tried it? Anyone got a better method, in a city where the average monthly income is about the same as the average NYC steak house bill for a meal for 2?

Discussions of aging:

here

here

and here

I'm surprised you can't get dry-aged beef in the UK. I believe they refer to it as "hung" over there, and I was under the impression that it's still done by the better butchers. I've had some fantastic beef in the UK -- as good or better than USDA Prime -- and they don't call the British "Beefeaters" for nothing. You might want to post on the UK forum and ask for the names of butchers who have the good stuff.

[slkinsey]

I'm surprised you can't get dry-aged beef in the UK. I believe they refer to it as "hung" over there, and I was under the impression that it's still done by the better butchers.

...although one should be mindful of the neighborhood before saying that you want, "a big piece of meat, and well hung."

[Sweet Willie]

why would anyone who knows much about food or cooking  and has access to quality beef  go to Ruth Chris's, Mortons, or any other overpriced steak house?

beats me!!!

But when entertaining it is one of the most often requested type of restaurant. I think because it is "safe" choice, most will find something that they will eat.

[evansk7]

I'm surprised you can't get dry-aged beef in the UK. I believe they refer to it as "hung" over there, and I was under the impression that it's still done by the better butchers

Oh, you can. For a while, I lived right by the Chop House restaurant in London, and their steak was excellent. Little shop tacked on the side was even better... they'd get me dry aged steak, fresh lobster, or pretty much whatever I wanted.

Now, however, I live in Sheffield. It's England's answer to Trenton, NJ :) It used to be a heavily industrialised steel city, and much of the steelworking industry is now gone. There are other industries here, and it's starting to recover by means of inward investment in other sectors (like mine, the high-tech sector) but there just isn't the disposable income to support "shrunk" beef. The better butchers in town will sell me fairly decent ribeye steaks, but it's all wet aged in vac-pac bags. They just look at me like I've got two heads (and a salary for each!) when I ask if they can get dry-aged beef.

I guess I could drive the 150 miles to London to get it, or slightly further into some of the border towns near Scotland where you can get dry aged angus beef, good venison, etc from butchers... but I'm almost as interested in trying the ageing as in eating the result :)

Kev