Now I realize that it's the day after Halloween and the last thing you want to be thinking about is pumpkin, especially since some of the neighborhood kids smashed your jack 'o lantern last night and you have big chunks of pumpkin to clean up off your front porch. Be that as it may, I wandered across a really fun recipe for pumpkin steaks and I couldn't help it. I had to share.
It's sort of a labor intensive recipe, in which you cut the pumpkin into flat chunks, bake it in the oven until its tender and then pan fry it. But gosh does it sound good. I'm tempted to get my hands on another cooking pumpkin and try it out. It would be a great one to tuck away for Thanksgiving, for those of you who are tired of the same squash or sweet potato dishes. The full recipe is after the jump.
Wow, this seems like a rather expensive holiday to celebrate.
It's National Filet Mignon Day, the day when you go all out and buy some steaks. I'm not a big steak eater (haven't had one in years, now that I think of it), and I doubt this day will make me break my streak, but Ask The Meatman has some recipes for Steak Diane, Beef Filet Mignon Salad, Sauteed Filet Mignon, and a couple of others.
Today also happens to be the day that Julia Child passed away, in 2004. She probably would have liked a nice steak and a few glasses of wine.
Mail-order steaks aren't necessarily anything new or innovative. We've seen Omaha Steaks, I've tried Montana Legend, but this one just makes me laugh.
Donald Trump has his own line of premium steaks. Did I miss a season of 'The Apprentice' where the winner got to run a new food business for The Donald?
Available from the Sharper Image, the Classic Collection contains two Filet Mignon steaks, two "Cowboy" Bone-In Rib Eye steaks, and 12 Trump Steaks Burgers. Nothing unusual about that selection, right?
Except that it costs $200! Good grief. Mr. Trump better deliver it himself for that price.
Several weeks ago, I had the good fortune of being invited to a tasting for Montana Legend, a direct-to-consumer rancher (kind of like Omaha Steaks) of premium Angus beef -- no growth hormones nor antibiotics, and grass-fed. "We're doing a steak tasting. Are you inte..?" and before the question was complete, Montana Legend was on my calendar. I mean come on, people. Beef.
This past weekend. They were going to be grilling different cuts aged in a variety of ways, and would also be serving other foods, so I donned my best waist-less pants and headed over to the tasting.
If ever you needed an alibi when you're caught flipping through Maxim magazine, don't say "Jessica Alba." The men's magazine has picked the 10 Best Steakhouses in the US. Strangely, there's only one from Chicago and one from Texas, but multiple places from...Florida? Who knew? Here's the list, in no particular order:
Grill 23 Boston, MA - "beef comes from a small herd of purebred steer," www.grill23.com
The Big Texan Steak Ranch, Amarillo, TX - "If you can eat a 72-ounce steak and all the trimmings in under an hour, it's free. In 46 years only 7,000 people have done it." www.bigtexan.com
The most expensive beef in the world is wagyu, or Kobe beef. It comes from cows that are not only genetically predisposed to intensely marbled meat that is very high in fat, but that get fed a special diet that is meant to improve that marbling beyond anything that other beef can achieve. To keep the meat from getting tough, it is said that some producers massage the muscles of their cows, rather than let the cows exercise themselves. With meat like this available and gaining rapidly in popularity, it is hardly a surprise, all of the world's most expensive steaks, as selected by Forbes Traveler, feature wagyu beef. Without further ado, these are the places to go - and how much you'll have to pay - for some of the best and most-expensive steaks in the world:
"103" Wagyu rib eye at Craftsteak New York (private order item), $2,800 for 20 pounds
Charbroiled Kobe Filet, Aragawa, Tokyo, $258 for 8-oz.
Select Special Kobe Filet at the Kobe Renga-tei Steak Restaurant, Kobe, $246 for 160 grams (5.6-oz.)
Australian Wagyu Striploin at the Al Muntaha restaurant, Burj Al Arab Hotel, Dubai, $169 300 gm
Japanese Wagyu Rib Eye at Wolfgang Puck's CUT at the Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills , $160, eight-ounce filet
"Wagyu no sumibiyaki" at Zuma, London, $132 (no size indicated)
Sendai Sirloin at the Ekki Bar & Grill, Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi The Price: $129 for 150g
Australian Wagyu Fillet Mignon at the Polo Club, Marriott Royal Aurora, Moscow, $101 for 12-oz.
Smoked Salt American Kobe Rib Eye Cap Steak at BLT Prime, New York, $95 (no size indicated)
After talking about Throwdown with Bobby Flay earlier this week, I couldn't resist tuning in to view the steak episode. Early on in the show, I though that Bobby was guaranteed to win; grilling steaks, and meat in general, is one of his strong suits. Then I saw the competition. Eric Dominijanni, a.k.a. Captain D, a captain in the Marine Corps stationed in the California desert knew what he was doing, not to mention that he was really fun to watch on camera.
Bobby perfected his recipe in the test kitchen and headed out to the Mojave Desert to challenge the Captain at his base. They fired up their grills and started to cook in 112°F heat. Bobby Flay got progressively redder throughout the show, either from the heat or from a sunburn, and it was pretty funny to watch, although Captain D complimented him on how well he was holding up.
Here's a spoiler: Bobby Flay actually lost the challenge, although not by much. Watch the episode when it reruns to see Bobby Flay turn (adorably) into a beet and to cheer on Captain D. You can find Bobby's almost-winning recipe here.
Update: You can find Captain D's famous Hot and Tangy Marinade recipe here (Thanks, Tony C!).
Hey, we're not the only ones grilling up steaks here at Slashfood. It was BYOB all day (bring your own beef), and more than a few of our readers shared their steaks with us!
Mama Cooks a Dirty Steak, thrown on top of the fire.
Hot Sauce Blog's Nick makes The Ultimate Steak, as prescribed by Bon Appetit.
Steak is awesome. There is no arguing that. But I will say that often, I judge a steakhouse by the quality of their side dishes. The quality of the meat is attributable to Mother Nature and the cattle rancher, and of course, the butcher, but it is the side dishes that really determine whether a steakhouse's kitchen has skills. Yes, most of the side dishes revolve around potatoes, but there are some unique vegetbales out there, too.
The Wedge - If I get no other side, I must at least have the Iceberg wedge. If the steakhouse does not have an Iceberg wedge, I cannot eat there. In fact, I wouldn't even mind if it were a single Iceberg leaf, filled with Blue cheese.
French fries - naturally. I prefer the skinny ones, you know, just as a reminder of what I will no longer be once the meal is over.
Onion rings - I am torn. Sometimes I want French fries. Sometimes I want onions rings. Wouldn't it be grand if we could have Frings?!? But of course, the greater question is, should they be breaded in a beer batter, or in breadcrumbs?
Garlic mashed potatoes - I love them smashed, with the pink potato peels mixed in and the potatoes left chunky, not smooth and creamy.
Sauteed mushrooms - It doesn't have to be fancy. They can be plain old button mushrooms. It doesn't have to be a fancy sauce either, like balsamic vinegar or a wine reduction. Just mushrooms sauteed in lots and lots of butter.
Creamed spinach - Some like the simplicity of spinach lightly sauteed in olive oil with chopped garlic. I'm not saying that's a bad thing. I love that stuff, but who doesn't love creamed spinach?!?
Macaroni and cheese - This is a tough one, because though macaroni and cheese is never a bad thing, it's hard to find a macaroni and cheese that knocks your socks off. Big fat curvy noodles oozing with cheese and cream, and topped off with an oven-broiled crust.
This one's for you. Did I miss one of your favorites? Do you think one of the 1-7 deserve to be mentionde twice? (Personally, I'd pick the Wedge seven times.) Do you disagree with any of the choices? Tell us!
The Steakhouse of My Dreams is a special place -- but you can't go get a reservation. It is my secret sanctuary. I repair there when the world is too much. Let the buxom belles of Avenue B ignore me; let editors repulse my pitches, and copy crones mangle my best phrases. I see what my life is like. I know that my Cadillac has a broken grill, and a big crack in the windshield. Indian boys pelt my windows with durian. I don't care. I just close my eyes, and I see that place of my most fevered meat-dreams.
Mastro's - They hold Awards Show parties here because it's located in ooh la la Beverly Hills. It's dark and steakhouse-y, but bring a sweater; for some reason, it feels like a meat locker inside. 246 N Canon Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90210 (310) 888-8782 www.mastrossteakhouse.com
The Palm - Fun, with caricatures all over the walls, so you don't feel like you have to be wearing a silk smoking jacket and holding a cigar. 9001 Santa Monica Boulevard Los Angeles, CA 90069 (310) 550-8811 www.thepalm.com
BOA Steakhouse - The one at The Grafton Hotel is swanky, and you might want to bring your sunglasses for all the bright bling inside. The Santa Monica location is much less stressful (on your wardrobe, that is), catering to laid back westsiders and tourists. 8462 West Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, CA, (323) 650-8383, www.boasteak.com
Nick & Stef's - It's downtown, which is a sort of pain if you don't live downtown, and not very inviting, since downtown LA after dark isn't quite happenin' (yet). However, they put their beef out on display, which is very very sexy. 330 South Hope Street Los Angeles, CA (213) 680-0330 http://www.patinagroup.com/nickStef/
Sizzler - Just kidding. Wanted to make sure you were paying attention.
Ruth's Chris Steakhouse - When there are more than say, five of a certain restaurant, you can't help but feel like you're eating at Outback Steakhouse. However, Ruth keeps it real. For goodness' sake, the steaks come out in pools of sizzling butter! 224 S Beverly Drive Beverly Hills, CA 90212 (310) 859-8744 www.ruthschris.com
Morton's Steakhouse - Ooh la la. It's like an observatory with all the star sighting you can do there. Luckily, the steaks are good, too. 435 S. La Cienega Boulevard Los Angeles CA 90048 (310) 246-1501 www.mortons.com
Pacific Dining Car - There's one downtown, which is better than the Santa Monica location according to S. Irene Virbila (LA Times critic), but Santa Monica is closer to the westsiders. It may not be the best of the eight, but if you're craving steak at 4 am, Pacific Dining Car is open. 2700 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90403 www.pacificdiningcar.com
Vegetarians might be feeling left out of our steak day celebration here at Slashfood, but there is definitely a work-around for those who don't eat red meat: portobello mushrooms. Portobellos, also called portabellas, are actually just the mature versions of brown cremini mushrooms. They are known for their size, which makes the more versatile than many smaller mushrooms. They have a juicy, meaty texture with just the right amount of chew to them. The mushrooms can be seasoned and grilled (broiled, baked, etc) much in the same way as steaks can be, too. To make a vegetarian steak with a mushroom, just clean it carefully, coat it with some olive/vegetable oil and a spice rub (or let it sit in a marinade for 30 minutes), then cook as desired until tender. I cook mushrooms this way frequently, grilling them or letting them cook under the broiler. Here are a few vegetarian recipes to get you started:
The two most popular cuts of beef for Korean barbecue are cross-cut shortribs (galbee) and thinly-sliced ribeye (bulgogi). However, marinating a whole side of beef, or in this case, a flank steak ,in the same seasonings, grilling, then slicing the grilled steak after cooking is a good way to enjoy Korean barbecue as well. Most Koreans wrap up a slice of beef with a little spoonful of rice and some red pepper sauce in a lettuce leaf, but I usually leave the rice out and double up on the hot sauce.
In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp sesame oil, 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 Tbsp sugar, 1/2 tsp. minced ginger, 4-5 minced garlic cloves, and a dash of black pepper.
Place a 2 lb flank steak in a large zipper seal bag, along with the marinade. Let steak marinate for about 30 minutes, turning the bag occasionally to cover all sides.
Grill the marinated flank steak for about 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Remove the steak from the heat and let sit, covered, for at least five minutes. Do not touch, poke or prod it.
Thinly slice the beef across the grain. Serve with whole leaves of red leaf lettuce and goh-choo-jahng (Korean red pepper sauce).
This sandwich is a great, tasty way to use up leftover steak and it's very simple to make, mostly because I rely on prepared barbecue sauce. All you need to do is chop up some onion and mushrooms (white or portobello) into small pieces and saute in a pan with a little bit of olive oil, salt and pepper until they are tender. I use a few tablespoons of onion and about 1 cup of the mushrooms, sometimes a bit more, per sandwich, but the amount is completely flexible. Vary the amounts depending on the size of your rolls. While the mushrooms are cooking, shred up some leftover beef and add it to the mushrooms once they're tender. Stir in enough of your favorite barbecue sauce to moisten everything, cook until the mixture is heated through, and serve on a fresh roll or baguette. This sandwich can also be made with all mushrooms for a vegetarian alternative.
New York strip steak is another name for the cut known as the top loin. It is a large, boneless cut of beef and each steak is usually a generous 1-inch thick when raw. The name may vary depending on what part of the country (or the world) you're in, but the cut is pretty much the same. This type of steak is very tender and is a great choice for grilling, which is exactly what I did with it. My steaks were seasoned very simply, with a bit of vegetable oil to keep them from sticking to the grill and a generous amount of salt, black pepper and red chili pepper flakes. When they were cooked, which only took a few minutes on the grill, they were tender, juicy and had just the right amount of spice.
Wow, this seems like a rather expensive holiday to celebrate.
If ever you needed an alibi when you're caught flipping through Maxim magazine, don't say "Jessica Alba." The men's magazine has picked the 10 Best Steakhouses in the US. Strangely, there's only one from Chicago and one from Texas, but multiple places from...Florida? Who knew? Here's the list, in no particular order:
The most expensive beef in the world is wagyu, or Kobe beef. It comes from cows that are not only genetically predisposed to intensely marbled meat that is very high in fat, but that get fed a special diet that is meant to improve that marbling beyond anything that other beef can achieve. To keep the meat from getting tough, it is said that some producers massage the muscles of their cows, rather than let the cows exercise themselves. With meat like this available and gaining rapidly in popularity, it is hardly a surprise, all of the 
After talking about 
Steak is awesome. There is no arguing that. But I will say that often, I judge a steakhouse by the quality of their side dishes. The quality of the meat is attributable to Mother Nature and the cattle rancher, and of course, the butcher, but it is the side dishes that really determine whether a steakhouse's kitchen has skills. Yes, most of the side dishes revolve around potatoes, but there are some unique vegetbales out there, too.
Vegetarians might be feeling left out of our steak day celebration here at Slashfood, but there is definitely a work-around for those who don't eat red meat: 
The two most popular cuts of beef for Korean barbecue are cross-cut shortribs (galbee) and thinly-sliced ribeye (bulgogi). However, marinating a whole side of beef, or in this case, a flank steak ,in the same seasonings, grilling, then slicing the grilled steak after cooking is a good way to enjoy Korean barbecue as well. Most Koreans wrap up a slice of beef with a little spoonful of rice and some red pepper sauce in a lettuce leaf, but I usually leave the rice out and double up on the hot sauce.
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