I'll admit it. I'm a carnivore. There is nothing I like more than tucking into a slab of dry-aged PRIME Beef. My favorite way of cooking dry aged beef is very simple. Let the steak come to room temperature to relax the muscle. Rub the steak with sea salt and freshly cracked pepper.
Grill over hard-wood charcoal, preferably homemade. Homemade charcoal you say? Yes. I make my own from wood that I age and cut by hand. It's easy. If you don't have access to a few dozen fallen trees you can always buy a bag of "natural" charcoal at your local Whole Foods market.
It's very important, in fact essential NEVER to buy that charcoal that has lighter fluid cooked into it. Why? Because no matter how long you burn the infused charcoal, it will always taste like gasoline.
When I'm paying top dollar from my local German butcher (Hoeffner's in Morristown, NJ) I want to make sure that my dry-aged beef tastes like beef!
Not like lighter fluid.
Starting a charcoal grill is simple. I've never owned a gas grill and wouldn't know what to do with one if I did.
A fine choice is the medium sized Weber Kettle Grill.
I can control the heat for cooking by burning the coals on one side of the grill and using the natural convection from the curved lid to "circular" cook whatever I desire. The heat works wonders and infuses your food is a bath of luscious wood smoke.
You can even add grapevines, cherry or apple wood to the fire to add flavor.
Plus the natural flavor of hard-wood charcoal is far more pleasurable in my opinion than the flavor of gas. Just my opinion after years of cooking over wood.
Bourbon Distilleries often sell the charcoal that lines the insides of their barrels. I recently received a bag of Rye Whiskey infused charcoal from a distillery in Pennsylvania named Dad's Hat. I placed the Rye Whiskey charcoal just off the heat so that the aromatics of the Whiskey combined with the burning wood, throwing off a Rye laced smoke. On a rack of beef ribs, the aromatics were most beguiling. You can duplicate this at home. There are no secrets here! Ok, maybe one secret. When the charred meat comes off the grill, let it rest on a wooden cutting board for about three to five minutes. Why? If you cut into it hot off the grill, all the succulent juices will drain out, leaving you with a tough piece of meat.
This is my secret and one that I'm sure Chef Symon will concur with as well.
Imagine my delight when I learned that Michael Symon, the 2009 James Beard Award winning chef was coming to the Short Hills Williams-Sonoma store!
Finally, someone who gets it when teaching the careful preparation of meat!
Yes, he is a carnivore- like myself. I'm sure we'll have much in common. As a former grill-dog in the restaurant business, I can talk charred meat all day long!
Michael Symon, the author of the upcoming book named Carnivore is coming to sign his newest cookbook in our local Williams-Sonoma store.
Anyone who exemplifies the art of cooking meat will be charmed by his eloquent style and abundant passion.
Although Michael will not be doing a cooking demo during this book signing, he will fill the room with his infectious wit.
From what I hear, he disarms even his toughest critics!
I cannot wait to meet him in person and you will too.
See you in Short Hills!
Here’s the event information:
Williams-Sonoma Short Hills (Upper Level)
Mall At Short Hills
Tuesday, October 16, 2012 at 5:00pm
1200 Morris Turnpike, Short Hills, NJ, 07078
(973) 467-3641
Here’s more information about Michael:
Co-host on The Chew, an Iron Chef and host of Cooking Channel's Symon Suppers, chef Michael Symon wows even the toughest food critics, while making audiences smile with his contagious laugh.
Carnivore, Symon's second cookbook, will be out this October and feature recipes crafted for meat-lovers.
http://bit.ly/SO4sdO
I'm hoping if you are in the New York/New Jersey- Metro area, you'll come out for this introduction to a true Star Chef, Michael Symon.
Here is a simple cocktail that I invented to go with grilled beef.
The Brick Pollitt Cocktail Makes one really tangy/spicy cocktail perfect for aged PRIME Beef
Ingredients:
Royal Rose Simple Syrup of Three Chilies
Bitter End Memphis Barbecue Bitters
Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water
Ice made from your Mavea "Inspired Water" Pitcher infused with the Bitter End Memphis BBQ Bitters
Preparation:
One day prior to making your cocktails, freeze a tray of ice using your Mavea Pitcher "Inspired Water" and drop four drops of the Bitter End Memphis BBQ Bitters into each opening of the ice cube tray, freeze overnight
To a Boston Shaker (cocktail shaker) add some regular ice
Add 2 oz. Dad's Hat Rye Whiskey (or your choice of Rye)
Add 2 Tablespoons Royal Rose Simple Syrup of Three Chilies
Stir well to chill, do not shake this cocktail!
Add a couple of the Bitter End Bitters infused Mavea Water- ice cubes to a short rocks glass
Pour the Rye and Royal Rose Simple Syrup mixture over the top of your infused ice and then add a splash of the Perrier Sparkling Natural Mineral Water for a bit of fizz
Sip to a perfectly cooked steak and your hungry demeanor!
Best Chef: Great Lakes, presented by James Beard Foundation 2009 Winner: Michael Symon
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About me:
Warren Bobrow is the Food and Drink Editor of the 501c3 non profit Wild Table on Wild River Review located in Princeton, New Jersey.
He is one of 12 journalists world-wide, and the only one from the USA to participate in the Fête de la Gastronomie- the weekend of September 22nd. 2012 in Paris and Burgundy.
He attended Tales of the Cocktail in New Orleans, the Boston Cocktail Summit and the Manhattan Cocktail Classic.
Warren presented freestyle mixology at the International Food Bloggers Conference in Portland, Oregon. (2012)
Warren judged the Iron Mixology competition at the Charleston Wine and Food Festival (2012)
Warren has published over four hundred articles on everything from cocktail mixology to restaurant reviews to travel articles- globally.
You may also find him on the web at: http://www.cocktailwhisperer.com
