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Carnal
Knowledge
To the chagrin of vegetarians and cardiologists,
red meat—and steak in particular—is being
celebrated in more and more rooms, old and new. Herewith,
a guide to the best steaks in town
By Charlene Rooke
To really know steak, I decide, I must look directly
into the gaping maw of the beast. I can feel its hot
breath on my face as I approach. I’ve never seen
one this big. At the insistence of its keeper
I crouch slightly and tilt my head to look in its mouth.
Bright red papillae glisten on the roof; hot beads of
moisture spit from its depths. From its craw emanates
a smell that is gamey, dark, primitive.
It’s not a cow. I’m face-to-face with a
fiercer creature: a Montague double infrared radiant
broiler that fires up to 1800°F, achieving that
coveted steakhouse sear. It’s the secret weapon
in the kitchen arsenal at the swingin’ new Pinkys
in Yaletown, where the Browns Social House folk are
out to prove they’re serious about steak. Their
beef is a superior Alberta-raised brand, triple-A Sterling
Silver, grain- and corn-fattened, like most commercial
beef. But less than a week after the opening, the grill
cooks are shaking their heads and mopping their brows,
still trying to master the Montague.
Out in the dining room the hockey game flickers over
the bar, the music is loud, and the reflection of the
giant white-bulb ROCKSTAR sign twinkles in my Mikasa
Kwarx wineglass. Pinkys is the steakhouse reinvented,
an old-new balance of traditional scalloped potatoes
and Thai chili-spiced “wicked” mushrooms;
of 22-ounce porterhouses and female-friendly seven-ounce
sirloins. You can even take your sliced leftovers, reinvented
as a horseradish-licked baguette sandwich, home in a
cute bag.
The pink ponyskin barstools, tufted leather banquettes,
chrome-ball lights, and flocked wallpaper scream new-generation
steakhouse, the kind popping up all over North America.
After years of fresh and healthy dining, of counting
calories and watching saturated fat and reducing animal
protein, the steakhouse is back, baby.
I wish I could say the Montague is the secret to a great
steak: my companion’s blue-rare filet is overcooked;
my medium-rare rib eye is under-. Something as seemingly
basic as steak cooking temperature can range widely,
from 800° to 1800°F. And there are many more
decisions to make based on personal preference. Which
grade, brand, or breed to cook. Wet or dry aging (which
all meat requires to release the enzymes that break
down proteins). Whether to jacquard with little x-shaped
cuts to tenderize the meat. And whether to sear and
rest the meat, or cook it à la minute. Oh, and
don’t forget seasoning variations, and the fine
art of creating a Chicago (deeply charred exterior).
Not to mention which cut to order based on taste and
tenderness
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