[chef from va]

i agree with the whole origional isnt easy thing. i try everyday to do something new and exciting. altough it doesnt always work the way i want it to. i have recently paired a mornay sauce with a ny strip it was good. i have also used a vanilla crust, sounds strange and i got some cross looks for it but it came out very good. i just add 1/2 a vanilla bean to some kosher salt and put it in the spice grinder then pulse it a few times. add some pink, black, white and green peppercorns and pulse it a bit and crust your steak. it works well with fillet but i guess you could use it for almost any cut. try using some other spices as well. being the traditional sweed that i am (lol) i like to use cardamom in veal glace and top a good ribeye. and as mentioned before by another member of the cheftalk community, compound butters ROCK for steak.

i hope this has helped and if it didnt oh well i tried.

[RitaFajita]

I thought what Davewarne said was pretty wise when he said this...

>I feel I'm getting boring, but my customers don't.

I think you have to remember that a particular customer is not there everyday like you are- at least most aren't (there is the occaional weird one that always seems to be present). Sometimes you can come up with an idea that seems trite to you (or to your boss) that is something that someone who isn't there everyday would really love to order and eat.

The onion topping I had recently was onions in balsamic vinegar. It tasted really good. I know enough about food to know that it wasn't "real" balsamic vinegar - that would have been cost-prohibitive. I was the only person at the table who knew it, though, and it tasted good anyway. The description in the menu made it sound like something I wanted to eat, so I got it, and I was happy.

I guess what I am trying to say is that a good cut of meat will always speak for itself and always be a hit. The stuff you add to it is, well, just gravy

Come up with something that tastes really good (not hard with good beef) and then write some good copy about how good your particular take on it is.

Then, let it speak for itself.

RF

[dano1]

Rita, PMFI but the repeat customers are a given in the country club world. It amazed me that the same folks would eat breakfast and lunch 5-6 days a week at the club and most would dine twice a week for dinner-and my club only opened for pm a la carte service 3 nights a week.
The C.C. scene is very unique. You have a population limited by the number of members-and their guests-to feed. Some love it, others hate it.

hth, danny

[chef from va]

i agree with the statement that was made by another that goes something like "there are some items that are just good nomater how blah they seem to you or the owner" i make a key west style shrimp for my case and it always sells. strangely it almost always the same folks buying it to. unfortunately for some of us like myself our restaurant owners or managers will never be completely satisfied by our work. we still do our best to be origional and creative. as culinarians all we can do is our best. i am a big fan of trying new things even weird things but you have to remember that everyone is not in the same mindset as some of us are. the american public in general is still in the meat and potatoes mindset. so just try to reinvent the meat and potatoes. i am working on a recipe right now that uses all kinds of classic meat partners in a "new" way. i am using a fillet of course black angus to be trendy. i am slicing red bliss potatoes as thin as i can on my mandolin and doing the same with garlic. start by searing the fillet on a very very hot grill. then layer the potatoes and garlic on the bottom and place in a pre heated pan with a little safflower oil in it. cook for a few min. just to start some nice color on the potatoes. then finish in the oven. place on plate with the potatoes up and serve with roasted asparagus. i have had some pretty good sucess with this although a few times the potatoes got darker than i realy wanted them to but who knows.

[thebighat]

I've said it before in public, and there's no shame in it....as far as creativity goes, I have good technical skills. Which means I can take your idea, reproduce it in my kitchen, and take credit for it. Like the old HBO commercial..the guy in the airport who keeps getting asked, don't you make movies for HBO? And he finally says., yes, yes I do. Did I invent Entrecote Bordelaise? Yes, yes I did.

[Kent Wang]

Am I the only here that likes their steak totally unseasoned? Of course that's only when I'm cooking for myself as most customers will demand some sort of seasoning.

Anyway, a traditional Shanghai stir-fry method is to rub thin cuts of beef in sugar then stir-fry. I'm not sure this will translate well to a whole steak on the grill as the longer cooking time might burn the sugar. Perhaps if the sugar was added to a rub with some wet ingredients like Worcestershire or soy sauce. The hallmark of Shanghai cuisine is sugar but not everyone shares my love for it.

The coffee ground suggestion sounds intriguing and I will have to try it out. Just how finely ground must the coffee beans be? I don't have a burr grinder and only a blade grinder which tends to produce less consistent results. Could I just use store-bought ground?

[judy]

One of the steak dishes that has been on our menu off and on since time began is hare'n'hounds. I found it in an old english cook book when i was stuck for something different to do with steak Grill till almost at required doneness then top with a thickish layer of dijon mustard and a layer of soft brown sugar. Flash under salamander till the sugar has melted and formed a sauce.
veeery popular

[Kent Wang]

Why is it called "hare'n'hounds"? Is this some sort of Australian colluquialism?

[coquille]

Isaac,
I know your problem, it's like nearly everything has been done before!!
I had big succes with this one :
Pat the steak down till it's really thin ( I know it's blasphemi but still...) fill it with vegetables or whatever you fancy and keep the filling together with an egg. Quick flip over on high fire presto.. everybody happy!!
At least it's different

[judy]

Who is to know?
The creative chef who published the recipe?
It was from an english cookbook. Unfortunately I cant remember which.

[dcobau]

Hi Isaac,

I am new to this forum (and pretty shy) but recently I have found a couple of new ways to deal with beef steaks in general and I thugh u (and others) might like them. Here goes:

1) Gratinated beef (this one is really for a roast, but I have adapted it for steaks)

Ingredients:
A piece of meat for roast beef
onion
olive oil
ham
cheese
bechamel sauce

Method:
Cook the meat on the stove to half readiness. Let it cool then cut it in slices but do not cut right through, the slices must still stay together. Put a slice of ham and a slice of cheese in between each slice of meat then place the meat on a greased oven dish a little bit bigger then the meat. Add the cooking juices to it then cover the meat with bechamel sauce in which you have mixed an egg yolk and parmigian cheese. Bake in the oven to taste.

2) Veal (or beef) steaks with mushrooms

Ingredients for 4:
4 veal (or beef) steaks
20 g dry porcini mushrooms
100 g prosciutto
parsley
garlic
dry white wine
olive oil
salt

Methods:
Steep the mushrooms in warm water for about 15 minutes.

Drain and mince the mushrooms and the prosciutto. Saute a garlic clove in oil till golden, remove it then saute the minced mushrooms and prosciutto for about 5 minutes. Add minced parsley then season with salt.

In another pan saute the steaks till golden brown then add them to the mushrooms sauce. Baste with a glass of wine, let it evaporate then serve.

-----------------------------------------------

If you are lucky enough to be able to purchase fresh porcinis (half your luck - in my dreams here in Oz) you should replace the dry ones with 200 g of fresh ones.

enjoy

Dave

[thebighat]

Gratinated beef as described above sure sounds a lot like Veal Orloff.

[coquille]

Isaac !!
I know the feeling, it's like everything has been done before !!
( I though I posted this before, I guess something went wrong )

I had big succes with :
Take a steak ( without bone ) and pat it really thin...
Fill it with : wathever you feel like . Perhaps vegetables, but keep the filling together with egg. Flip over on hot fire on both sides and presto, everybody happy !!
It's different but it works !!

[chefboy2160]

Hey isaac , wow , youve recieved some great tips . I lean more with cape chef on the salt and pepper on the NY and rib eyes as I just love the flavor of good beef.
The filet being the most tender and the least flavorfull normally requires some topping or sauce .
What I have done in past restaurants is to include a list of sauces and steak toppers to make the customer feel more in controll
of the dining experience . From compound butters , shrooms , onions and peppers to sauces such as Jack Daniels and maple syrup to green peppercorn . Also dry dredging such as blackened in cajun seasoning or cracked black pepper works well also . The sky is our limit my friend .
Play and enjoy . Doug..............

[Suzanne]

And now for something completely different: Scroll down to MAINS

There is a big discussion going on elsewhere as to whether this chef is an idiot or just being ironic.