We're deep in the "Grilling Season" so here are some tips for great steaks: The thickness of the cut of beef and the heat of the flame determines grill time. Higher temperatures will seal in the juices. Never, and I mean never, press down hard on the steak with your spatula to squeeze out juice. You will end up with a dry, tough, slab of leather unfit for man's best friend! Flip once - this isn't a gymnastics meet!!! There are some good steak marinades on the market. These help lessor cuts of beef retain moisture during grilling. Let 'em soak a couple of hours to overnight. A rub is a good idea if you like your steak a little salty and spicy. Montreal Steak Seasoning is our favorite. To tell whether your steak is done press and release gently in the center. If it presses easy and springs back it's rare. Firmer for temps on up. And people, please don't cook steaks well done - it's a crime against humanity! Good beef is meant to be enjoyed rare to medium (medium well is even overdone). Anyone who insists on a well done steak should stick to chicken. That's why most restaurants have a disclaimer for medium well and well done steaks on the menu - IT RUINS THE BEEF! Once you finish cooking - let the steak rest for 5-7 minutes. This allows the juices and enzymes to work their magic. Ya baby! Enjoy!
The current wave of "dine at home with restaurant quality food" marketing pushed by the large food producing conglomerates would make you think that you'll get real, fresh, restaurant style food right out of a package. Not so! First, didn't you pull it from the freezer section when you bought it. 2nd and more importantly, check the ingrediants on the side of the package: Sodium content and perservatives alone should send you racing to your nearest independent restaurant's door (Hey! That's us!) How else are they going to give it the shelf life, for the weeks it might sit there, let alone the days it took to truck it to the store with many transfers under God knows what conditions. YOUR FAMILY DESERVES BETTER! We utilize all fresh ingredients, many grown locally, from local purveyors. We probably have less freezer space in our 13,000 square foot restaurant than you do in your home. Yes, you'll pay alittle more. But our customers tell us that our cuisine is worth it. My team of chefs and I take great pride in our ability to deliver fresh, made from scratch under careful safety precautions, creative dishes to our tables - everytime. And we serve it to you in our incredible restaurant and do the dishes when you're done! So relax and enjoy. Go ahead, visit us and actually take an hour or two to sit face to face with family and friends, talk and eat real fresh food in a great atmosphere. It's a simple and cost effective way to elevate the quality of your life. Take time to dine out: you deserve it.
There is a potpourri of gadgets and gizmo's out there to help the home chef slice, dice, chop, and mince. Leave those products where they are on late night infomercials. A Chef's true friend and workhorse is the chef's knife. But without the proper care, your knife can become catastrophic for your precious little digits (I speak from experience). The use of a well maintained knife will have an aesthetic difference on your plates and an improved mouth-feel for your palate, while promoting kitchen safety. A sharp knife is always safer than a dull one because it takes less pressure to make a cut and is less likely to slip. Here are some helpful hints to keep your knives sharp and your fingers whole:
1. Use the correct size knife and type for the job. Hold the knife firmly and cut away from your body.
2. use a wooden or poly-ethylene cutting board. Acrylic, ceramic and other hard surfaces are horrible for your blade because they don't "give" to the edge.
3. Never store knives in a drawer. Knives should be stored in a knife block or on a magnetic strip in order to hold their edge.
4. Knives should always be washed by hand. Dishwashers jar and nick the edges.
Doug Hall is a multi talented individual with great cooking experience. He has taken on the challenge of running The Brick House Culinary Operation - no small task! He runs two menus simultaneously, plans and executes our banquet menus, insures that our inventory is always fresh and of the highest quality money can buy, while maintaining sparkling food prep and storage areas that score the highest ratings possible on health inspections.
All this while making everything from scratch! That's right - soups to desserts!
He has the passion! Along with the rest of his staff, they create many of the best dishes in the region. At least that is what our more traveled culinary guests tell us!
The goal of this page going forward is for Doug to share recipe's and technique with our loyal following. (lg will be weighing in with his two cents too!). Stay tuned!
Bon Appetit!
