"steak" news and stories

Impress your next date with this killer steak-and-salad recipe from Kitchen Daily expert Tyler Florence. He's serving up a seared beef tenderloin alongside a crisp wedge of romaine smothered in a creamy bacon and blue cheese dressing. It's half the price of a steakhouse meal -- but it packs twice the flavor.

Get Tyler's recipe for Steak and Bacon Blue Cheese Wedge Salad.

• With the arrival of three new steakhouses, the River North neighborhood of Chicago has really steaked out its territory. (Ahem.)
• Speaking of stakeouts, if you're hoping to spot one of Chicago's many celebrity chefs, read on.
• You've had the deep-dish pizza. What else does Chicago have to offer? Try these dishes.
• It's the "beet generation." (Sorry.) Why is it they're suddenly every chef's favorite?

OK, so maybe you don't have $5,000 to eat the the Vegas burger-and-booze excess-a-thon that chef Hubert Keller is offering up (read today's post "A Burger and A Bottle for 5 Grand"). Outback Steakhouse has you covered. From January 12 to February 22, the steakhouse chain is offering a sirloin steak along with grilled scallops and shrimp (oh, and some mango salsa and veg), starting at $10.99, according to Nation's Restaurant News.

Look at it this way. Opt for Outback's Steak & Seafood Mixed Grill instead of the Fleurburger over at Mandalay Bay, and that gives you almost $4,985 more (let's not forget tax and tip) to blow at the craps table, should you be in Vegas. Or take in about 400 movies, should you be elsewhere in the country.

Happy National Filet Mignon Day!

Taking the French phrasing for a dainty or small fillet of boneless meat, filet mignon is one of the pricier, more tender cuts of beef and is sliced from the tenderloin muscle in the short loin. Typically 1-2 inches high and 2-3 inches wide, filet mignon is remarkably tender but lacks the stronger beef flavor apparent in cuts with the bone attached.

Prized for its melt-in-mouth tenderness, filet mignon is most often cooked by grilling, broiling or sauteeing. In fact, many argue that it's a guaranteed success no matter what the preparation. Chef Thomas Keller wrote in his French Laundry book, "It's easy to cook a filet mignon or to sauté a piece of trout, serve it with browned butter à la meunière, and call yourself a chef. But that's not really cooking. That's heating." If you want to elevate the already extraordinary dish to the next level, we suggest accompanying it with some compound butter or a sauce like Bobby Flay's tarragon pepper sauce.

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Each Thursday, we round up a selection of scrumptious links from our friends over at YumSugar. Here's what they've got cooking this week:

• The King of Texas graciously shares his tips for grilling steak.
• Giada remains svelte by eating whenever she wants -- you can too.
• Enjoy these cupcakes instead of the hackneyed wedding cake.
• The Best New Chefs bring it at the Aspen Food & Wine Classic.
• Pepino el Pyu is the perfect Colorado cocktail.
• Exclusive, revealing shots of the Voltaggio twins.
• Even chefs can rough it in tents.