As You Like it...

We recently had a guest over for dinner at the digs. Since the weather was reasonably good, we unfroze a couple of steaks from Nick’s and decided we would grill them. We got some baking potatoes, and some mushrooms for a sauce (more later), together with some greens for a salad, just a homey dinner focused on conversation and companionship, hopefully aided by some good chow.

Having dined with our guest before, we knew that there was a preference for “well done” steaks. After a couple of glasses of wine, we got into a discussion on “how do you like your steaks?”. Our guest apologized for wanting it cooked that way, and recounted how there have been times in restaurants where recriminations were made for ordering it that way. I know there are sometimes asterisks on menus leading to some comment about how they cannot guarantee the quality of a steak cooked past medium, yadda yadda, and often will punish the person by serving up a hunk of (often butterflied) charred leather from the blazing grill. What crap. You know what? It is possible to cook a steak to pinkish gray or even gray without completely burning it. It might take a little more care and attention, but it can be done. A kitchen should be able to respond. True, there may not be as much juice with it, but that’s when a good sauce will help. It seems to be popularly believed that the best steak must be rare, and oozing blood to be a “real steak”. Whoops! There’s that word again! – Best.

Well, what’s best for this person is a well done but not destroyed piece of meat. They know what they’re going to get, and that’s what they want. Nobody should be put down for wanting something different from what you might personally prefer. A restaurant is there to give you what you want, not what they want you to have. If they can’t supply it, they shouldn’t be in business. Nobody should ever have to be embarrassed or apologize for ordering what they want and how they want it prepared: “Of course. Thank you, we’ll take care of it.”

As for our protein, Penzey’s Chicago Steak Seasoning was applied about 20 minutes prior to cooking, the grill preheated (as much as my pitiful grill will allow), and I committed the steak to the hottest (as much as my pitiful grill will allow) part of the grill just long enough to mark it and form a little caramelization. I then flipped it to a cooler portion of the grill and allowed it to cook further without forming any more crusting. I left it there until the press test (and okay, the instant read thermometer) indicated a wellish done consistency and temperature, and transferred it to a platter in the warming drawer for about 15 minutes while we enjoyed the salad. I sliced the steaks diagonally in about a half of an inch slices. The meat was moist and a very nice light gray color with a nice crust. I fanned it on the plate, applied the mushroom sauce and it was much enjoyed. Not all that hard.

Oh, the sauce was pretty good. Just some sliced mushrooms sautéed in (lots) of butter until they were nice a moisty brown, added some heavy cream and about a half teaspoon of fresh chopped tarragon, a spoonful of Dijon, salt and pepper and allowed it to reduce until a good consistency. Starch was the standard baked potato and sour cream. Why mess with success.. . Voila! Nice meal all around. Good friends, food, and wine (Solomons Island Winery ’07 “Maryland Artist Series” Cab Franc/Merlot) and all were

DFD

PS: There is a concert today at noon in St. Mary's Hall at St. Mary's College - Bach, Beethoven, Brian (Ganz) and Beverly (Babcock) - along with friends Jose Cueto (violin) and Suzanne Orban (cello). More nothing to do....