Feel The Meatmentum

Sometimes you just need a steak.

But, because you’re a totally unAmerican librul soshulist elitist, it needs to be a local, biodynamic, 100% grass-fed ribeye seared but good in an iron skillet with peanut oil and finished with beurre de Maître d’hôtel made from shrimp butter, lemon juice, parsley, pepper, and a dribble of Belizian habañero hot sauce.

I’m in Connecticut right now for the opening of a group show that I have work in, so make fun of me all you want while Joe “Mentum” Lieberman is my Senator for two days. I will say that this meal offers two instructive attributes for regular Murkins looking to up their culinary game:

1. Shrimp butter is better than regular butter. Having a compound butter on hand is a dead easy shortcut to culinary elitism. Also.

2. You know how every cookbook in the world tells you to bring your steak to room temp for an hour before you cook it? Well, in this case the steak was only half-thawed when it hit the skillet. The result? I got to sear the living shit out of both sides of it and keep the center rare how I like it. Especially if you have a wimpy stove, this method offers the ability to maillard the daylights out of your exterior and still have a juicy pink interior (which, let’s face it, is what we’re all looking for). Not frozen, mind, but pliable yet still kind of firm. Another case where laziness/happy accidents/poor planning can actually be your friend if you pay attention.

I let it rest for ten minutes to equalize the temperature, and then cut it up and served it with roasted quarters of kabocha squash and a sautéed-then-steamed mix of brussels sprouts, kale, and pak choi dressed with cider vinegar, mirin, and Worcestershire sauce. That darn butter just sort of drooled all over everything, as is its wont. Unfortunately, this is where the manly myth founders on the rocks of reality; if I was a real man, I would have eaten this all by myself. As it was, I cut it into pieces and it fed all three of us. It’s so hard to put food on your family.

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11 Comments

  1. February 18, 2011

    That IS nice and bloody. Sigh. The one “bad” thing about getting awholelotta beef from a farm is that the nice pieces like yours are few and far between. Frankly I think the fattier cuts are lots more tasty (sans shreemp butter) but it does require a lot more jaw exercise.

    have fun at your show

  2. February 18, 2011

    lieberman wouldn’t touch that plate of traife…

  3. Janet
    February 18, 2011

    Mmmmm, steak and done the way I like it.
    Real men share with their families. A few years ago, my husband went to San Francisco for business and I tagged along to play tourist. One night after his meetings we went to Harris’ Steakhouse. First, let me say the steak was great. Nicely aged and tender. The shock I got was the size of portions. The smallest was 8oz going up to 24oz. How anyone can eat that much meat is beyond me. Normally at home, I buy one steak (8 – 10 oz) and we share it.

  4. Peter
    February 19, 2011

    El: Stewy things are always good. Also, I can’t say enough things about sous-vide for tougher, less fatty cuts.

    Claudia: That’s because he’s holier than thou.

    Janet: Portion size is the main issue with much restaurant food. It’s good to share.

  5. February 24, 2011

    Sharing is caring, Peter. Lovely sear, lovely temperature. I hate to admit it but after seeing Jamie Oliver put worcestershire in his cabbage, I’m putting it in all kinds of leafy sautes lately. I’m sure you never saw him do that though…

  6. Peter
    February 24, 2011

    I haven’t because I haven’t watched TV in years. I happen to have this bottle of WS from the local soy sauce company, and it’s been finding its way into things lately. I figure it’s soy, vinegar, and anchovies all mixed together so how can it not work?

  7. February 25, 2011

    I don’t just want steak. I want that steak.

    And yeah, I would eat the whole thing. I’m selfish like that. My husband wouldn’t eat it if I offered it to him anyway. More for me!

  8. Peter
    February 25, 2011

    You’re lucky. Make steak tonight! That’ll teach him.

  9. March 3, 2011

    Yum!!! And I love that you divided it between 3 people. I think we eat too much meat as a whole. My husband and I went on a red meat kick when we bought some for a party a few weeks ago, so we bought some more last week. It was amazing and I think I’ve had my fill of red meat for at least 2 months! We rarely eat it, not because I don’t like it, but because it’s expensive and I try to buy the bare minimum at the store. I direly want to do a beef share!

  10. Peter
    March 3, 2011

    Sharing is the way to go. I’m about to get half a lamb. It’s still not cheap, though.

  11. March 4, 2011

    We were looking at lamb shares just today! I’d be more likely to do lamb than beef, since I like it more.

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