I like to think that I can cook a pretty good steak. I mean,even though I work in a pastry kitchen and don't cook savory food as often, culinary school has got to be good for something. However, I realize that not everyone has that kind of advantage in the kitchen.
The Times Online is here for you. They have an article with five steps to cooking the perfect steak. It's pretty simple and straightforward. Along with the five steps are a cooking time guide and a photo slide-show of each of the steps.
If you're having trouble mastering steak, check it out. The article has great advice and some yummy pictures. Does anyone have more tips for cooking steaks?
On last night's episode, we finally learned which four contestants will attend the show's finale in Puerto Rico. As a result, the episode really focused not on whose dishes were great or the best, but rather which contestant was not as good as the others. It was a bit like a game of musical chairs, where it didn't matter where you sat, as long as you weren't the last one standing.
First we hear that the USDA has recalled 143 million pounds of beef, then that the recall extends as far back as two years. Now this news: a fourth herd of cattle in Minnesota has tested positive for bovine tuberculosis. Maybe I'm just overly sensitive to bad beef now. Though it is unlikely that humans can contract tuberculosis from beef because "any animal showing these signs is withheld from the food supply. In addition, adequate cooking destroys the bacteria. Further, the milk pasteurization process at processing plants destroys any potential bacteria," still, it makes me wonder if I should just swear off red meat for a while.
I'm just going to think about that while I finish the last few bites of my steak.
When it comes to the meat for your chili, you have a lot of options, and even options within options. Chili can be made with beef, poultry, or it can eschew meat altogether and go vegetarian. Turkey, chicken and vegetarian chilis are all fine, but I am a beef girl when it comes to chili.
A lot of people use ground beef for chili, which produces a very uniform, somewhat "fine" chili, but since ground beef cooks rather quickly, there is less of a reason to use a slow cooker. I prefer my chili a bit chunkier, so I buy a large piece of any of the less expensive, slightly tougher cuts of beef. Does that make me a cheapskate?!?! Maybe a little, but the reality is that the tougher cuts of beef are flavorful and hold up well during the slow cooking process that allows flavors to develop.
Preparing the Meat for Chili: I bought a 2 lb rump roast, partly because I love the word "rump," but mostly because that's a good cut to use for chili. Rinse the meat, pat dry, and cut into ½" cubes. Dredge the cubes in about ½ c flour that has been seasoned with salt and pepper and shake off as much of the excess flour as you can.
Heat 2-3 Tbsp canola oil over medium high heat and brown the coated beef on all sides. Set aside.
I recently posted a list of the 88 worst fast food items. That list was based on the amount of trans fats in various fast foods. Now Men's Health has weighed in and picked the 20 Worst Foods in America, and this list is based not only on fats but also calories, sodium, and carbs.
Obviously, when you're talking fast food, a lot of it is going to be bad for you, but I guess it's good to have a list of specific foods and categories. For example, they name the McDonald's Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips (5 pieces) witih Ranch Dressing as the Worst Fast Food Chicken Meal. The Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo'd Power Smoothie gets the Worst Drink nod. It's 900 calories, with 10 grams of fat and 166 grams of sugar.
Ha, just kidding! But I had to get your attention, right? Actually, men and women are equal in the kitchen, though they have their differences. I learned about the differences between men and women the first time I went to the beach (ba-doom bang - thank you everyone, I'm here all week!).
Esquire has a really nice section called Recipes For Men, where they feature a bunch of recipes from men, for men. Of course, don't worry ladies, we're probably making these for you tonight). Lots of meat and potatoes, sure, but spaghetti, lobster, and stews too.
It comes from Charlie Gipe, the executive chef at Hershey's and sounds like maybe a pop food version of mole sauce. You use four cups of Hershey's chocolate syrup, which sounds like a lot, but there is also four whole lemons and vinegar so I'm sure that balances the flavor. Full recipe after the jump.
When I first saw the headline for this AP story, "Danny Devito opens restaurant in Florida," my first thought was, wow, Devito's career sure has hit a bad patch.
But then I read the story and realized he's not cutting ribbons or having his pic taken with kids, he's actually the co-owner of the restaurant. It's in South Beach and is called Devito South Beach. It's described as an "Italian chop house," and has some rather nice steaks on the menu, but they also have sushi and pasta dishes.
Devito has a couple of movies coming out this year and is a regular on FX's It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia.
We all have our opinions about what the "perfect" steak is. For me, the perfect steak is any cut (I'm not picky), cooked rare on a charcoal grill with nothing but salt and pepper to season. We all also have our own tips and tricks on how to make the perfect steak.
Laurent Tourondel, executive chef and owner of BLT restaurant empire (that's BLT for "Bistro Laurent Tourondel," though "bacon, lettuce, and tomato" isn't so bad either). Tourondel comes from classic French restaurants such as the Michelin three-star Troisgros in Roanne, France, and Cello in New York, so he's kind of an expert. He calls his steak "The Supremely Cooked Steak," and I don't think I would doubt him. He takes 4-6 pounds of porterhouse or bone-in ribeye that is cut 1½ to 2" thick, seasons it with salt and pepper, and while I am all for a good go on the grill, Tourondel sears his steaks on both sides in a cast iron skillet, then finishes them in a preheated oven.
I'll be honest, I have no idea if this is actually something that they do regularly in Chicago, or if it is just the name for the style of cooking, but either way it is still one of my favorites. Whenever I go to a steakhouse I order mine Chicago-style, which essentially is cooked to order in the center, but charred on the outside.
Just thinking about this last night was enough to make me brush the snow off my barbecue. I added some spices to a rib-eye cut and tossed it on the grill, no recipe required. Since I like my steak rare to medium-rare, I simply cooked the steak on the maximum heat setting my barbecue has, and grilled each side for about 3-4 minutes. If you like your steak more well-done, cook on medium heat until it almost reaches your desired doneness, then crank the heat or even pan-fry at the end, just to sear the outside.
I'm sure there is a long, detailed story as to why this method of cooking is referred to as "Chicago-style", so if any of you out there know, feel free to enlighten me.
Funny post over at Boston.com's Dig blog. They list a number of items that you can get with $50, including the season two box set of Grey's Anatomy, a car model, and an entire dinner at one of Boston's finest restaurants. Or, you could get one omelet.
That's what they're offering for brunch at Tremont 647 in Boston. And before you say, "$50 for, what, a ham and cheese omelet?!", note that it is stuffed with foie gras, lobster, shrimp and steak (gah - except for the steak and eggs it sounds like my meal in hell).
I've often wondered what I would eat if I was ridiculously wealthy. Would I start eating at the finest restaurants all the time? Would I eat only the best steaks? Would I have a personal chef? Would I spend money on $50 omelets and other expensive foods we always here about, like $100 hamburgers and $10,000 bottles of champagne? If I was ridiculously rich? Yeah, probably.
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)
Spoiler alert!
I recently posted a list of the 
Men are better cooks than women.
If you haven't started your cookout yet, maybe this is something you'd like to try: 
When I first saw the headline for 
Here's an interesting idea: 
We all have our opinions about what the "perfect" steak is. For me, the perfect steak is any cut (I'm not picky), cooked rare on a charcoal grill with nothing but salt and pepper to season. We all also have our own tips and tricks on how to make the perfect steak. 
I'll be honest, I have no idea if this is actually something that they do regularly in Chicago, or if it is just the name for the style of cooking, but either way it is still one of my favorites. Whenever I go to a steakhouse I order mine Chicago-style, which essentially is cooked to order in the center, but charred on the outside. 
Funny post over at Boston.com's 
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 
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