Former Bills to Open High End Steakhouse in Buffalo

[stony]

So using the sous vide style do you just use ziploc bags, or do they need to be vacuum sealed?

In a pinch, they'd both work, but using a vacuum sealed bag is generally the preferred method.

[NoSaint]

In a pinch, they'd both work, but using a vacuum sealed bag is generally the preferred method.

ive been using ziplock without issue - i held out because i didnt want to get a vacuum sealer too, but havent had issues.

 

and have done some things (creme brule for instance) using small canning jars.

[DirtyWarriorMan]

My god, you guys will B word about anything. A nice steakhouse owned by Bills guys? Sounds awesome. If it doesn't last, OK. I still like the idea.

[PromoTheRobot]

I will have to check it out next time I'm in Buffalo!! Thanks for he recommendation.

Same here.

[KDIGGZ]

Nice idea but too bad they didn't open one as it's own thing. I can't imagine a lot of people going to the Avant hotel to have a nice night out. I probably can't afford to eat there anyhow. Let me know when Fred opens an Applebee's

[BarleyNY]

ive been using ziplock without issue - i held out because i didnt want to get a vacuum sealer too, but havent had issues.

and have done some things (creme brule for instance) using small canning jars.

My only issue with ziplock bags is that a few have leaked after being frozen. I make my own sausage in fairly big batches and always need to freeze a bunch. I need a new vacuum sealer for this. Mine doesn't have a variable vacuum setting so sausage, scallops and other easily squished food has gotten smushed. The ziplock bags work fine unless I need to freeze. My work around for the sausage is to freeze them in ziplocks and transfer them to vacuum bags while frozen before I thaw them to sous vide. Incidentally I've had superb results with sausages at 140 for 2 hours, then a quick sear.

[stony]

ive been using ziplock without issue - i held out because i didnt want to get a vacuum sealer too, but havent had issues.

 

and have done some things (creme brule for instance) using small canning jars.

That's cool, I've heard them used for pates. I've yet to go the sweet route. Will have to give it a go.

[WotAGuy]

with or without ketchup?

 

Ketchup? Of course not. What are you, an animal?

[gordong]

Before the Chophouse there was EB Green's

they are both still in business, so there must be a market for it....

[aristocrat]

who else gets their steak well done? crispier the better!

[26CornerBlitz]

Maybe Corey Knox can finally get a job.

[eball]

who else gets their steak well done? crispier the better!

 

Well done is a little too dry for me, but I'll admit I'm pretty sick and tired of being told that if I don't eat my steaks bloody I don't know what good steak is.

[Jauronimo]

 

Well done is a little too dry for me, but I'll admit I'm pretty sick and tired of being told that if I don't eat my steaks bloody I don't know what good steak is.

I can understand that. I always thought that sentiment was pretty extreme. In my opinion, if you eat your steak any more done than medium rare then you really don't know what steak is.

[BarleyNY]

Well done is a little too dry for me, but I'll admit I'm pretty sick and tired of being told that if I don't eat my steaks bloody I don't know what good steak is.

I can understand that. I always thought that sentiment was pretty extreme. In my opinion, if you eat your steak any more done than medium rare then you really don't know what steak is.

 

Just like with hot sauce, IPAs and so many other things sometimes people take things too far for the wrong reasons. Medium rare is generally considered the best way to eat a steak, especially the leaner cuts. Fattier steaks can be better at medium and extremely tough, fatty, collagen heavy cuts of beef can require even higher temperatures be broken down properly. A filet mignon and a brisket point might both be beef, but they are very different things and need to be handled very differently. Also with traditional cooking methods it's difficult to get a steak properly cooked throughout. That often leads to a "medium rare" steak being nearly raw in the middle or way overcooked except in a narrow center band. That's where the sous vide comes in. It'll cook the steak perfectly every time. I wasn't a medium rare fan until I started using one. Now I love it that way.

[Jauronimo]

 

Just like with hot sauce, IPAs and so many other things sometimes people take things too far for the wrong reasons. Medium rare is generally considered the best way to eat a steak, especially the leaner cuts. Fattier steaks can be better at medium and extremely tough, fatty, collagen heavy cuts of beef can require even higher temperatures be broken down properly. A filet mignon and a brisket point might both be beef, but they are very different things and need to be handled very differently. Also with traditional cooking methods it's difficult to get a steak properly cooked throughout. That often leads to a "medium rare" steak being nearly raw in the middle or way overcooked except in a narrow center band. That's where the sous vide comes in. It'll cook the steak perfectly every time. I wasn't a medium rare fan until I started using one. Now I love it that way.

The mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.

[Augie]

Which place in town (assuming Buffalo) serves elk?

In Atlanta about a mile from my house (Soho). Surprisingly good.

 

 

You guys are way too fussy. Here's my method:

 

• remove Steak-umms from freezer.
• season with salt.
• place in microwave until meat boils
• place meat between two slices of Wonder bread and savor the goodness.

The Culinary Institute might get mad at you for giving away their secrets.

 

 

Ketchup? Of course not. What are you, an animal?

Haven't you read? That's what schools serve kids so they get their daily vegetables in.

[hondo in seattle]

I've had few steaks out that are as good as what I can make myself at home. The best steakhouse I've been to is St. Elmo's in Indianapolis. Great cuts of beef that are cooked beautifully. I've not been to Black & Blue, but would like to try it sometime. The wife and I used to hit Jo Jo's regularly for drinks and snacking before it closed, but never made it next door.

 

So here's what I recommend for a perfect medium rare steak. Buy a sous vide set up. I have the Anova immersion device and cook in a cambro that I notched out a hole in the lid for the Anova. I usually make filet mignon or other tenderloin steaks. Thicker is better so I try to get pieces in the 1.5" range. I season, bag and cook for 1 hour at 130F. Meanwhile I get my charcoal grill as hot as it can go with the coals right up against the grate. When the steaks come out I pat them dry and put a little bit of fat (butter) on them and quickly sear them on the open grill. About 1-2 min per side. Keep them moving and flip as needed. The point here is to get a crust, but not cook them any more. The higher the heat the better. No need to rest with the sous vide so plate immediately on pre warmed dishes or serving dish.

 

You can also use a blazing hot pan instead of a charcoal grill. I do that sometimes, but I'd warn against using a gas grill. Even the infrared things don't work. Gas grills just don't get hot enough so getting a decent crust takes too long and the steaks cook. I tried it once and they came out med/medwell. Never again. If you use a pan don't try to cheat by putting oil or butter in it instead of on the meat. At the high heat needed it'll jump and spatter out. Put it on the meat. And open your windows and turn on your vent full blast. I routinely set off my smoke detectors when I pan sear. You can speed up and dial in the crusting process with a Searzall topped torch, but it isn't necessary. I usually use one for the pan, but not the grill.

 

When I read the first line, I was dubious. It's hard to cook a great steak at home. Depending on where you live, it's hard even to find nice prime quality steaks with good marbling to begin with.

 

But as a I read further into the post, well, I'm impressed, and salivating maybe more than a little.

 

The best steak I ever had was probably an (American) Wagyu ribeye at Colicchio's in Vegas cooked in a Grillworks Infierno wood-fire oven.

 

I've also splurged on slim slices of Japanese Wagyu beef at a Yakiniku restaurants a couple times.

 

I think I can find good quality American Kobe beef in butcher shops here in Seattle. Maybe even Japanese Kobe. But I lack both the skill and equipment to cook it right.

[eball]

 

Just like with hot sauce, IPAs and so many other things sometimes people take things too far for the wrong reasons. Medium rare is generally considered the best way to eat a steak, especially the leaner cuts. Fattier steaks can be better at medium and extremely tough, fatty, collagen heavy cuts of beef can require even higher temperatures be broken down properly. A filet mignon and a brisket point might both be beef, but they are very different things and need to be handled very differently. Also with traditional cooking methods it's difficult to get a steak properly cooked throughout. That often leads to a "medium rare" steak being nearly raw in the middle or way overcooked except in a narrow center band. That's where the sous vide comes in. It'll cook the steak perfectly every time. I wasn't a medium rare fan until I started using one. Now I love it that way.

 

Why?

[BarleyNY]

When I read the first line, I was dubious. It's hard to cook a great steak at home. Depending on where you live, it's hard even to find nice prime quality steaks with good marbling to begin with.

 

But as a I read further into the post, well, I'm impressed, and salivating maybe more than a little.

 

The best steak I ever had was probably an (American) Wagyu ribeye at Colicchio's in Vegas cooked in a Grillworks Infierno wood-fire oven.

 

I've also splurged on slim slices of Japanese Wagyu beef at a Yakiniku restaurants a couple times.

 

I think I can find good quality American Kobe beef in butcher shops here in Seattle. Maybe even Japanese Kobe. But I lack both the skill and equipment to cook it right.

Dude, go buy yourself a sous vide cooker. You'll be shocked at how great a cook you can be. Once you dial in what you like it's almost totally idiot proof. My wife was way skeptical, but she's totally hooked now. My Anova retails for $199, but goes on sale regularly. Use a cambro, pot or igloo cooler for a cooking vessel and a charcoal grill or CI pan for searing and you're off and running. Oh, and you'll need some freezer ziplocks or a vacuum sealer. You've probably got everything you need but the cooker right now. You will not regret it. I've been hunting for quality steaks and other cuts of meat. If you've got access to Kobe or Waygu then don't hesitate on this. That sounds awesome.

[thebandit27]

Dude, go buy yourself a sous vide cooker. You'll be shocked at how great a cook you can be. Once you dial in what you like it's almost totally idiot proof. My wife was way skeptical, but she's totally hooked now. My Anova retails for $199, but goes on sale regularly. Use a cambro, pot or igloo cooler for a cooking vessel and a charcoal grill or CI pan for searing and you're off and running. Oh, and you'll need some freezer ziplocks or a vacuum sealer. You've probably got everything you need but the cooker right now. You will not regret it. I've been hunting for quality steaks and other cuts of meat. If you've got access to Kobe or Waygu then don't hesitate on this. That sounds awesome.

Find a local farm and buy a grass fed cow--best value ever.

 

I've had highlanders, angus, limousin, and a few others, and the beef is phenomenal quality.

 

The price is astonishingly low, especially if you take the organs, bones, and tallow like I do.

Edited June 10, 2016 by thebandit27