Getaway Thursday: A Fine Man-Meal
I’m something of a poseur foodie. Last week I was talking to a buddy who was bemoaning dropping a ton of money to go out and get a steak but not really knowing what to do at home. I told him it wasn’t that hard, and that for the price of a high end steak dinner, he could screw up four times and still come out ahead.
Like most guys, my domain in the kitchen is used for weekend breakfasts, and grilling anything under the sun. For real foodie insight, check out something like The Paupered Chef, but I do enjoy a good meal, moreso when I can pull something off that I think better than a box of mac-and-cheese. My wife works in fundraising, so there’s more than a few occasions where I’m at home on a Friday night and am tired enough from the week to do too much, but want to make dinner at home, and it’s a good chance to forego all that green stuff that my wife seems so fond of. I don’t have a huge variation in what I can do, but if you happen to be bacheloring it up, here’s a suggestion on something that might be easy to make and hopefully taste pretty damn good too.
So here’s an easy man-meal that I use as a fall-back at this point … dry-age ribeye steak with soy-butter sauce and roasted parsnips.
Parsnips — I had my first parsnip this year and I admit that I’ve become mildly addicted. There those things that look like white carrots at the store. They sound stupid and weird, but in fact they’re really quite good. Kind of like a starchy and less sweet carrot, with a spicy kick. They’re a great complement to a steak and are easy to cook, cut them up however you like (they tend to be woodier than carrots, so thinner is better cause they’ll cook quicker) and then melt a tiny bit of butter, or pour olive oil over them, then add some fresh ground pepper, salt, and if you have it fresh ground nutmeg, and mix them up to make sure they’re coated. Put them on a tray to cook in the oven at 375 and just keep an eye on them, generally they’ll take around 20 minutes if you cut them thin … but keep an eye on them, they’ll change color slightly and get crisp looking.
Grilled Dry Aged Ribeye — More and more grocery stores are selling dry-aged beef. Generally they’re the “high-class” grocery store in your area. If you can’t find dry-aged, it’s not that big of a deal, but I will say that the meat does taste better. If you’re not sure what it is, then here’s an explanation, generally it’s a few dollars a pound more, but since you’re not cooking for ten, it’s not that big of a deal to do a small splurge like this. Generally, when I grill a good piece of steak like a ribeye, I keep it simple, chop up a glove of garlic into little pieces, then add that, sea/kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and thyme dry-rubbed into the steak and let it sit for an hour or so at room temp. Then get that grill fired up nice and hot, lowering the temperature and then oil the grates before adding the steak and then cook it to whatever your favorite temp is. I like mine medium rare, so I basically keep it on there long enough to get the outside cooked and slightly crispy before taking it off. As always when working with steak on a grill, keep an eye on it as much as you can, don’t get distracted for 20 minutes or you’ll waste a perfectly good piece of meat.
Soy Butter Sauce — This spring, I was out to dinner with my wife and her friend in Cambridge at this awesome, awesome restaurant and it was all I could do to keep myself from licking the plate for this sauce. Take a small microwavable bowl, add 1-2 tablespoons of butter, add just a few drops (I can’t stress this enough, add more if you need it, but this is like a 1:10 thing) of soy sauce and put in the microwave until melted. If you happen to have high-grade soy sauce (like for sushi) all the better as opposed to the low-sodium garbage my wife usually buys. Pour the sauce over the steak, or leave it in the sidebowl and dunk the steak into it.
24 Responses to Getaway Thursday: A Fine Man-Meal
-
DSmizzle says:
Terrelle Pryor actually WASN’T crying after last year’s PSU game. The lack of pictures proves it.
-
Harris52ChampionshipDefense says:
Great call Bassett. Rib-eyes are my favorite grilling steaks. This sounds like a good steak to prepare for a tailgate as well.
-
JesusRevis says:
Filet Mignon for me
-
Jesus….
I used to be a Filet Mignon guy but have mature into the ribeye…. to quote a friend who owns a steak house in jersey (where I met Jay Feely last year) says…. A filet is a great steak if you wear a skirt…The Ribeye is a man steak
-
Drew, I eat all steaks, its my favorite meal. Skirt Steak, ribeye, flank steak, i eat a lot of london broil, but I usually like Filet Mignon the best because its the best cut of beef, no denying it.
-
SackDance99 says:
I like a good ribeye, but what New Yorker doesn’t love pefectly charred, dry-aged porterhous (a little filet, a little sirloin). But, if you go to a good steak house and they have a double cut sirloin on the menu, get it. Talk about a man’s steak!
-
jesus..
I hear ya. load and clear…. I have have this argument but always seem to lose it with the “steak” world.
-
JR,
Really depends on what you like. I gravitate towards the sirloin side of the porterhouse…it’s a little more marbled (fatty) which makes it juicier and more flavorful…filet mignon isn’t as flavorful, which, IMO, makes it perfect for au poivre. Steak (usually filet) au poivre and frites is my favorite bistro meal. Damn, this is making me hungry!
-
Chase says:
+1 for Porterhouse. Nothing beats it. I do recommend getting the steak cut 2″ thick and grill it over medium high heat. Sear the hell out of the outside, and the middle will still be purple, but warmed… true Peter Luger style medium-rare.
Nothing like it.
And – great call on the drawn butter. I always dip my steaks in it (or pour it on top), but I haven’t tried it with Soy Sauce yet. Thanks for the idea. Will give that a go this weekend.
-
Drew, Haha great call on fonzie. We’ve been drinking too much of the steak kool-aid.
Like I said earlier, Steak is my favorite meal so I’ll enjoy any type of cut.
Sack,
I order the NY Sirloin occasionally and its delicious, it does tend to have a little more fat on the outside which isnt my favorite but I enjoy it nonetheless.
-
JR,
Trim that fat on the outside, what I was talking about is the meat part. If you look at a porterhouse raw, you’ll see that the sirloin side has more white flecks (fat, called “marbling” in steak world). Filet mignon is a very lean cut, without as much marbling. As the steak cooks it’s both the inherent taste of the beef and the fat that “explodes” which imparts flavor. Like I said, I like filet mignon, but because of the marbling there’s no doubt that sirloin and ribeye are more flavorful.
Chase,
I like the Luger spinoffs, Wolfgang’s, Ben & Jack’s and, especially, Benjamin’s more. Tell me you also start out with a slab of the extra thick bacon (I usually go for tomatoes and onions for an appetizer…paired with the bacon) with cream spinach as a side (I go with the flow on potato). And, of course, cheese cake for dessert so the cholesterol content hits maximum heart attack! Oh, I forgot to add in copious amounts of red wine!
-
Sack,
I didnt know you were such a steak expert.
I’ve been to all of the steak houses, Peter Luger, Ruth Cris, Wolfgang’s, and my perfect compliment to a steak is a nice baket potato and some creamed spinach. Man, I am getting so hungry.
As far as steak sauce goes, if you mix A1 and Peter Luger together it forms a nice sweet and spicy sauce, try it.
-
SD99,
Awesome. 3 new steakhouses to try!
I’m on LI, so I usually go to the Luger in Great Neck or Bryant and Cooper right next door (also formidable in my opinion). I have tried many others in the area, but few have been able to compete with the top 2, imo.
At Luger, my typical meal is: Shrimp Cocktail and Tomato / Onions, Porter House for 3 (for 2 people), Creamed Spinach, and Hash Browns. For desert, it is usually the Vanilla Ice Cream with ridiculous amounts of fudge and whipped cream. Amazing.
On my list to try are both the bacon and lamb chops as an app. Haven’t had it yet, but have heard nothing but good things.
Calories = 5000 – 6000 (easily)
-
Btw, I love the Luger Sauce with bread (usually french bread) and on chicken, but never on steak.
I buy it regularly, and eat it at home all the time that way.
-
TimNY says:
Luger’s is seriously overrated. Sparks is my personal favorite.
-
myfavoriteMartin says:
no Smith & Wollensky fans here? its my favorite. i recommend starting with the raw seafood bouquet. i once ate a 40 oz t-bone there on a bet w/ my dad. everything tasted like steak for a week!
-
TimNY,
Sparks is a good call, especially the filet smothered in roquefort cheese…another heart attack waiting to happen.
Chase,
I’m on LI, too. I like Bryant & Cooper a lot and had a great meal at Burton & Doyle….nothing like sushi for a appetizer followed by some good steak!
-
By the way, wasn’t it at Bryant & Cooper that Jumbo Elliott and some other Jets got into an altercation. I wouldn’t want to keep Jumbo from his steak!
-
Prince says:
Hungry Mother = Best Restaurant in Boston right now, IMHO
And right around the corner from my house
Good call Basset. -
Prince, we need to meet up soon! I knew it was close to you but I couldn’t remember where precisely!
if you put a little olive oil on that ribeye…..the SOB gets seared perfectly on that hot grill…..
To add anyone who eats their steak cooked more than medium rare should just stick with chicken. lol
Great call on the Parsnips…became a fan myself this summer.