Don't f*^k it up

"It's the most expensive thing on the plate," a chef I worked for once said. "Don't fuck it up." 

I worked the line in many restaurants over many years in San Francisco kitchens, grilling, searing, roasting and braising beef, pork, lamb and goat. That was in the 1990s, when the average price of a steak was $3.20 a lb. Now that same steak is almost $10 a lb.

There are so many things to think about when cooking a steak.

• How thick should a steak be? 

• How long before cooking do you season it? 

• Does it sit with the salt, or go straight onto the grill or into the pan - and how much salt to use?

• Should you turn the steak repeatedly or only once?  

• How long should it rest before serving?

• What is the difference between grass-finished and grain-finished steak?

  
  

There have certainly been fist fights and even minor wars fought about these things. Even sauces can be controversial, but then again, they can also take a steak to the next level.  Fresh chimichurri or a red wine and butter reduction?  A pan sauce or barbecue? 

Like most things in life, you don't have to get every detail exactly right. But the more you know the less likely you are to "fuck it up." 

Our Cook the Perfect Steak class will give you more tools in your grill tool-belt, whether you are a beginner or you've cooked steak your entire life. We'll address the questions above and more, and even cook and compare grass-fed beef and grain-finished beef. And all without so much as a fist fight.

The class will be held Saturday June 20th from 1 to 4. It's the perfect gift for Dad's (it's Fathers Day on Sunday June 21st) or anyone who loves steak.

I look forward to seeing you there.

~John

Sign me up!