Steak

[slkinsey]

That is just a bizarre way to look at meat. The only thing tenderloin has going for it is that is extremely tender at its best. But it's hardly beefy at all. Even prime tenderloin doesn't have that much flavor. I would have to question the palate of anyone who would call a ribeye a "disgraceful, scrappy, chewy, over-rated meat" and I would suggest that any meat is cheap if bought in sufficiently low quality. Dry aged prime ribeye is just as expensive as any other premium cut of meat. Personally I prefer strip steak, but I'd take a ribeye over a tenderloin any day. Tenderloin is the "king of meat and no other cut can get close to toppling its crown"??? I hardly think so.

[SethG]

This man is clearly an idiot.

Tony (if I may call you Tony), you don't know the half of it. This is from the website:

"SMOKING POLICY

For the comfort of diners, our air conditioned dining room is a no smoking area. Smoking is permitted in Juniper’s relaxing bar where a selection of fine beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks are served."

Also, I think it's hilarious that half the pictures on the website are of the chef!

[Jinmyo]

Reviews from the site:

“There is no doubting that Michelin-starred Juniper is a serious gastronomic restaurant…..its chef, Paul Kitching, is on more than nodding terms with genius” Jay Rayner, The Observer

“Paul is the shining star of the North” Gordon Ramsay

“This is truly wonderful cooking, more exciting, stimulating and pleasurable than almost any other in the country” Matthew Fort, The Guardian

Bah.

So Genuis walks by, looks at Kitching, nods, says to itself, "There's that idjit."

[Katherine]

My seitan fakesteak is more attractive. And quite possibly tastier.

[lala]

From one of the reveiws on the site:

"His Juniper restaurant in Altrincham serves cottage pie in a thin line on a mirror, a strawberry dessert served on a toothbrush and you can enjoy lamb garlanded with Weetabix."

He's doing all this crap near Manchester, England...not a culinary hot spot. Wonder how he'd fare in London?

Sounds like the Emperer's New Clothes to me.

[mnebergall]

From one of the reveiws on the site:

"His Juniper restaurant in Altrincham serves cottage pie in a thin line on a mirror, a strawberry dessert served on a toothbrush and you can enjoy lamb garlanded with Weetabix."

He's doing all this crap near Manchester, England...not a culinary hot spot. Wonder how he'd fare in London?

Sounds like the Emperer's New Clothes to me.

What are you supposed to do, snort the cottage pie and brush your teeth with the strawberry desert?

[Hest88]

Thanks for pointing me to another restaurant...to STAY AWAY FROM!

I love the honest, beefy taste of rib-eye. (And yep, I'm a flank and skirt fan as well. I wonder what he would do to those?!?)

[rlibkind]

Carlovsky,

Where did the article appear? Was a reputable publication or just a puff piece promotional brochure?

[rlibkind]

Oops. Just found the article on the restaurant's web site.

Obviously, this chef doesn't know his rump steak from his navel plate.

[FistFullaRoux]

Excrement.

It's probably another one of those "fronts" for peta. By turning people off of meat...

Never mind. It's time to reecalibrate the tinfoil hat.

[Mabelline]

Charred rare, just past the point of fixing it back up with a needle, thread, and some Lysol.

And yes Katherine, your Seitan indeed kicks his steak's ass.

I don't find any point of the cottage pie on a mirror. Do they bring a silver straw?

Gack..Double gack...

[robyn]

OK - I'm not a beef person in terms of how how often I cook/eat it - but I do cook/eat it at home from time to time (it's an easy dish to prepare for guests). And here's what I've observed. When you have a cut like a rib-eye steak - it's a reasonably tender cut (not like a brisket or similar cuts which require braising). And it has a ton of fat. So it's great on the BBQ - with perhaps a little marinade and some basting butter. I am a rare beef person - but I like a crust. With a rib-eye - you can crank up the BBQ - crust the outside - and still get the inside rare. For rare - 5 minutes total. All that fat keeps it juicy - even if some of your guests insist on medium.

A beef tenderloin/fillet is an entirely different animal. Hardly any fat at all. So there is no fat buffer between the chef and a totally dried out worthless piece of garbage. I cook a beef tenderloin same general way I cook a pork tenderloin (which has the same problems). Marinate if a particular taste is desired. Pan sear to get the crust on the outside. Then finish to the desired degree of doneness in the oven (in my case - rare for beef - pork is done to appropriate temp).

I won't comment on which type of beef is better (I think that's a personal preference - and I prefer fish ). They're just totally different - and what this chef said about preparation methods makes sense to me.

By the way - as a rare meat person - I had great difficulty trying to cook thick cuts of beef that had a nice crust on the outside - and which were rare - but not raw - on the inside. With rib-eyes - I found the answer was thinner steaks. With the tenderloin - it was the pan sear and the oven finish. I ate both of these cuts in a couple of so-called famous steak places (just to compare whether their extra BTUs made a difference) - and always found that when they served thick cuts - and I ordered them rare - the meat was raw and cold inside. I had the same problem last night with a "double thick lamb chop" at a restaurant. So I cut it in half - and had them grill the 2 chops for a minute or two. Much better (crusty on the outside - rare and *warm* on the inside).

Anyway - those are my observations as an amateur chef. Robyn

[robyn]

This man is clearly an idiot.

Tony (if I may call you Tony), you don't know the half of it. This is from the website:

"SMOKING POLICY

For the comfort of diners, our air conditioned dining room is a no smoking area. Smoking is permitted in Juniper’s relaxing bar where a selection of fine beers, wines, spirits, cocktails and soft drinks are served."

Also, I think it's hilarious that half the pictures on the website are of the chef!

Being a smoker - I didn't understand your point of view about the smoking policy. What is it? Robyn

[SethG]

I assume that this policy is not required by law in this restaurant's location. I'm not a smoker. But I thought we might get a rant or two about the policy from a smoker or two. That's all.

[Carlovski]

It's not law to be non smoking, but more and more places are (It is illegal to smoke at a 'food preparation area', which technically includes the bar)

And I resent the slur on Manchester!

I might post a topic in the UK forum, see if anyone has actually been there - Jay Rayner definitely has has reviewed it.

For another view, and a couple of recipes see Here.. I like the sound of the curried marshmallows. Not sure about the soy sauce mayonnaise though!

[Mabelline]

Carlovski- Is Andrews Liver Salts the same thing as sal hepatica? That's pretty odd to be using in the mouthwash, unless he truly is wanting it to be reminiscent of something you gargle and spit out.

Edited February 19, 2004 by Mabelline (log)

[lala]

From one of the reveiws on the site:

"His Juniper restaurant in Altrincham serves cottage pie in a thin line on a mirror, a strawberry dessert served on a toothbrush and you can enjoy lamb garlanded with Weetabix."

He's doing all this crap near Manchester, England...not a culinary hot spot. Wonder how he'd fare in London?

Sounds like the Emperer's New Clothes to me.

What are you supposed to do, snort the cottage pie and brush your teeth with the strawberry desert?

Ha ha ha!!! "Well, Doctor, I seem to have this pea stuck in my nose..."

[Akiko]

Not sure about the soy sauce mayonnaise though!

Carlovski, this is pretty common on the dinner table at more than a few Japanese American families! This made its appearance at most of my dinners growing up and is actually pretty good. Try it.

[Cusina]

Reviews from the site:

“There is no doubting that Michelin-starred Juniper is a serious gastronomic restaurant…..its chef, Paul Kitching, is on more than nodding terms with genius” Jay Rayner, The Observer

“Paul is the shining star of the North” Gordon Ramsay

“This is truly wonderful cooking, more exciting, stimulating and pleasurable than almost any other in the country” Matthew Fort, The Guardian

Bah.

So Genuis walks by, looks at Kitching, nods, says to itself, "There's that idjit."

bwahahaha! Jin, you cracked me up.

None of his stuff appeals. Strawberry dessert on a toothbrush? gack

I love ribeye. He needs to spend some time in Texas.

[Suzanne F]

SPECIAL EVENTS

Dining at Juniper is always special but the restaurant’s themed evenings have become legendary as showcases for Paul’s extraordinary creativity. Please be aware that these events invariably sell out well in advance so we strongly advise you to book early. For reservations call 0161 929 4008 or email reservations@juniper-restaurant.co.uk

Friday 6th February 2004: Fish Night

· Gently Poached Salmon Nugget, Saffron Sauce, Marie Rose

· Cream Mussel scented Soup, Winter Vegetables, Pear Puree, Rosemary

· Curried Cod Nugget, Sautéed Scallops, Kipper Sauce, Pea Puree, Poached Quail Egg

· Assiette of Cheese

· Trio of Lemon Desserts

· Coffee and Petit Fours

£45.00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday 13th and Saturday 14th February: Valentine's

· Very carefully baked Seabass, Spaghetti Puree, Yeast Sauce, Brazil nut

· Creamy Pea Soup, Caviar

· Scallops, Horlicks Cream Sauce

· Slow Cooked Fillet of beef served rested and served pink, with the Ingredients of a Beef Burger

· Assiette of Cheese

· Mango Lasse

· Battenburg Soufflé, Passion Fruit Ice Cream, Warm Anglaise

· Coffee and Petit Fours

Friday 13th February £75.00 ( inc glass of champagne)

Saturday 14th February lunch £65.00 ( inc glass of champagne)

Saturday 14th February £95.00 ( inc glass of vintage champagne)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday 24th February 2004: Fish Night

· Caviar, Fruit and Vegetable Dots

· Apricot and Mushroom Ragout, Capers, Garlic and Smoked Mackerel

· Smoked Salmon, Glazed Hollandaise, Spring Vegetables

· Baked Turbot, Earl Grey, Artichoke, Baked Beans

· Assiette of Cheese

· Trio of Spiced Desserts

· Coffee and Petit Fours

£40.00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Friday 27th February 2004: Garden Vegetables Dinner

· Creamy Ginger and Parsnip Soup, Apple Puree, Nutmeg

· Slow Roasted Curried Cod, Cream Pea Sauce, Barley

· Fillet of Beef, Celeriac Puree, Garlic Beignet, Tomato Vinaigrette, Vanilla Sauce

· Assiette of Cheese

· A Quartet of Winter Desserts

· Coffee and Petit Fours

£50.00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thursday 11th March: Spring Dinner

· Grilled Scallops, Earl Grey, Fruit Shoelaces, Corned Beef Powder

· Creamy Carrot Soup, Horlicks, Salsify, Black Pudding

· Slow Baked Chicken Breast, Toulouse Sausage, Mustard sauce, Prune Puree

· Assiette of Cheese

· Custard Cream Soufflé, Cough Medicine Sorbet

· Coffee and Petit Fours

£40.00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Sunday 21st March 2004: Mothers Day

· Cream of White Onion Soup, Spring Herbs, Saffron Piccallili

· Grilled Scallops, Fruitcake Sauce

· Slow, Carefully Baked Breast of Chicken,

· Deconstucted Pizza Toppings

· Assiette of Cheese

· Lemon Tart, Champagne and Sultana Sorbet

· Coffee and Petit Fours

£40.00

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tuesday 23rd March 2004: Paul’s Birthday

‘Things I like’ - A gourmet celebration of personal ingredients

· Champagne to start

· Cottage Cheese, Baked beans, Pea Puree, Macaroni Cheese, Hollandaise, Egg Mayonnaise, Tuna Fish, Tomato Provencal, Scallops, Haggis, Cauliflower, Dried Fruits, Soy sauce, Tomato Ketchup, Piccalilli, Sorbet, Warm Anglaise, Spices, Custard Tart, Fig Roll, Rice pudding.

£40.00

I'm speechless. Maybe I need a dish of Cough Medicine Sorbet?

[hannnah]

Scallops in a Horlicks cream sauce? Scallops in fruitcake sauce? What in God's name does this man have against poor inoffensive scallops? Was he traumatized by one as a child?

[evilcartman]

I echo what most people have said about Kitching's bizarre attitude towards other forms of red meat. Sirloin, flank, hangar, round, butt, chuck, bring it on!! Ribeye is the bomb. I cooked some the other night...smokin' hot pan, tiny drizzle of oil, seared on both sides til' crusty, but perfect rare/med rare inside. I popped them under the broiler (almost touching) for a minute and then slathered on some homemade chimichurri on the broiled side. DA BOMB. And when the meat is cooked over very high heat for a short period of time, the pockets of fat become like butter, and I like it when they sort of "pop" in your mouth!! Vegetarians and non red meat eaters aside, I can not imagine ANYONE not liking that.

And as far as his idea of roasting the tenderloin, I'll throw the guy a bone. TENDERloin is just that, as many of you have said; and any idiot who puts some oil and S&P on it would be almost guaranteed success (although not necessarily the most flavorful steak in the world), provided you don't have a brainfart and forget about it thus creating your very own pricey brand of charcoal briquettes.

And, on that note, rave reviews aside...i do not think that the height of culinary genius involves toothbrushes, Weetabix, ar anything served on a mirror. Sounds like he's reaching a bit.

[alacarte]

...i do not think that the height of culinary genius involves toothbrushes, Weetabix, ar anything served on a mirror. Sounds like he's reaching a bit.

but if they used this to showcase the food at El Bulli, we'd all applaud and call it brilliant.

[evilcartman]

Oh my Oh my O my! This guy is a nut! Very carefully baked? The cutesy adjective thing is really bad.

[JPW]

Friday 13th and Saturday 14th February: Valentine's

· Very carefully baked Seabass, Spaghetti Puree, Yeast Sauce, Brazil nut

· Creamy Pea Soup, Caviar

· Scallops, Horlicks Cream Sauce

· Slow Cooked Fillet of beef served rested and served pink, with the Ingredients of a Beef Burger

· Assiette of Cheese

· Mango Lasse

· Battenburg Soufflé, Passion Fruit Ice Cream, Warm Anglaise

· Coffee and Petit Fours

Friday 13th February £75.00 ( inc glass of champagne)

Saturday 14th February lunch £65.00 ( inc glass of champagne)

Saturday 14th February £95.00 ( inc glass of vintage champagne)

For 75 fuckin' quid you better bake my sea bass "very carefully"!!