Continue reading Flashback to the Seventies: Korean Barbecue

Continue reading Ask a Sommelier - Burgers and Wines with L20's Chantelle Pabros

It's not quite summer yet, but my stomach didn't get the memo and I'm craving flame-cooked red meat. So until it's warm enough to cook outdoors, I'll open the windows and use my grill pan indoors instead. Grilling is not only a healthy way to cook because it call for minimal oil -- it also adds a smoky, rich note to your food. Make it even more flavorful when you add a simple marinade created from things already in your cabinets.

Continue reading Spring Grilling

Hamburger is one of those amazing foods that can taste great in all its forms -- not just molded into burgers, meatballs, and more, but also in both cheap and pricey incarnations, each offering its own set of benefits. But as much as I adore my cheap neighborhood burger or a big patty thrown on the barbecue, nothing comes close to the wonder of a simple wagyu burger.

While a nice steak might break the bank, wagyu isn't all that bad for a special dinner here or there. For example, you can get 12 8 oz. burgers for $85 through Allen Brothers. Yes, it's pricey for a burger, but it's no different than splurging on a nice cut of meat, or heck, having a mediocre dinner out. It's more worth it to make a wagyu burger and some sides than pay the same amount of money for regular ol' chain restaurant fare. It offers not only stellar flavor and texture, but also the comfort of beloved mainstay meals.

Wagyu is so intensely marbled with fat that it becomes a wonderfully tender and juicy burger that's much better in simplicity than fanciness. The key is to pick a few ingredients that won't overpower the meat, rather than the usual tomato, lettuce, onion, pickle, etc. For me, that perfect concoction is a little soy sauce in the pan while the burger cooks, some caramelized onions beefed up with a little soy as well, some fresh mozzarella cheese, and just a little mayo and mustard. The result has wonderful flavor and moistness, all pointing to the meat rather than being a distraction.

If you've been swayed by the wonders of wagyu, how do you serve yours?

Behold, baseball fans, the burger designed to save you money at the ballpark.

The West Michigan Whitecaps, a minor league ball club, announced a grand slam/whopper-like addition to its 2009 food lineup this month and it's a heavy hitter.

We've seen giant foods before. But this burger, named for its ballpark, boasts "five thirds of a pound" of beef, nacho cheese, chili, salsa, tortilla chips, lettuce, tomato and refried beans on an 8-inch sesame seed bun.

"The Fifth Third burger is not for the casual eater," says Matt Timon, the director of food and beverage for the club. You don't say?

At nearly 5,000 calories and costing $20, this burger is billed as a meal fit for four.

Would you eat it?

[Via Ben's Biz Blog]

Reading a post at The Kitchn about trying a new cut of beef got me thinking:

How many people loyally follow a certain cut of beef?

I follow it, to an extent, when I'm eating out. When I was young, I was obsessed with large, juicy pieces of prime rib. These days, especially when I hit Ruth's Chris, I grab the rib eye. But that's a combination of flavor and meat greed. I make it out for a good steak so rarely that when I do, I want something big. The fact that it's also delicious makes the large and juicy rib eye down-right perfect. But outside of beef gluttony at a steak house, I've never favored a particular cut of meat.

If I see a meat counter, my eyes glaze over in love and I just find the best and tastiest-looking cut I can afford, unless I'm hunting for a particular cut to make a particular dish. It never occurred to me that people would be loyal to just one small piece of a rather delectable beast.

Are you? Do you always grab the same cut? And if you do, why?

WC Fields once said "I love children ... if they're cooked properly." As a dedicated meat eater, I tend to have similar feelings about vegans.

While some of my best friends deny themselves the joy of animal products, I simply can't imagine completely divorcing myself from cheese, honey, milk and all the wonderful foods that come from animals. On some level, the idea of approaching life from a tofu haze seems almost suicidally self-abnegating.

In fact, while I have occasionally practiced vegetarianism, I am, at heart, a true carnivore. For health reasons, I try to limit my consumption, but I believe, both philosophically and sensually, that meat is an important part of my diet, if not everyone else's.

But which meat is the best? For health reasons, I'd probably go with chicken or turkey, but if it came to richness, my answer might be duck or veal. In terms of flavor, the answer could be lamb or beef, but for extravagance, it's hard to top a nice big buffalo filet mignon. Then again, in the summer, nothing beats a good grilled swordfish steak ... except for maybe a piece of lightly seared tuna.

Vote for your favorite meat after the jump.

Continue reading Meat Madness: Vote for Your Favorite Meat!

Continue reading Bourbon and Burritos at Carl's Jr.

Continue reading Heart-Stopping Cuisine - The Wave of the Future?

Continue reading Tip of the Day - Increase the Meat Flavor in your Stew and Soup

Continue reading CHOMPr Hamburger Grasper