Steak vs. Steak
Last week, I decided to head to the Italian Kitchen on Alberni Street to check out two varieties of the same steak side by side.
What type of nut would eat two 16 ounce steaks in one sitting? A frame of reference to help you understand, might help..
CrossFit Vancouver, the gym of champions, featuring a workout geared to total overall fitness looks at all aspects – exercise, sleep and diet. Members of the gym, given the intense and ever-changing training regimen, gradually become animalistic in their tendencies. Imagine, you’re a ravenous jungle beast and no one steak can satiate you. Well, that’s essentially I felt like that night especially after having restrained myself from eating the finger foods at an AceTech event earlier in the evening.
Rather than gnawing on the bumper of someone’s car.. you feed the beast… order two steaks, the 40 day aged rib steak and the regular rib steak.
What’s the big deal about a slab of meat that’s been sitting in the cooler for 40 days?
A 40 day aged rib steak contracts over it’s course in the cooler and it becomes denser and drier. More flavour but more meat to make a steak, too. So, it’s more costly, leaner, flavourful and complex. Most restaurants that carry this type of product have to plan well ahead to ensure they have enough quantities for their customers – if they run out, it can take days to get another batch prepared.
The 40 day aged steak is darker whereas the other steak is certainly pinker – the 40 day steak was a slight bit more tender too!
So what’s the verdict?
Overall, this process isn’t suited to a fatty steak like the rib eye but works wonderfully for the steaks like the strip loin or New York steak. So there will have to be another installment of the Steak vs. Steak sometime soon.
Next time you’re in at Italian Kitchen, definitely check it out!
Italian Kitchen
1037 Alberni Street,
Vancouver BC V6E 1A1
TEL: 604-687-2858
WEB: www.glowbalgroup.com
Comments
Comment from raj
Time December 4, 2007 at 11:33 am
Well, I look forward to someone commenting on the strip loin or the New York steak, for sure!
I’ll be checking http://www.timinganddelivery.com for when you post it.
Cheers and keep in touch!
Comment from Peter Wenkoff
Time December 9, 2007 at 8:07 am
I’m researching traditional dry -aged steak;find your comments informative. So far in my cooler (meat lab) I’ve aged a free-range fescue fed 30 month old pasture kill (no strss); to 28 days; 21 days for 18 months; I’m encouraged to age longer after reading you; perhaps in block cut after 28 days. I don’t know about 18 month olds. I don’t know of many dry aged bison places, but if you find one (free range fescue ranch kill)
I would guess you will have taken your “quest” to a new level;
Sincerely,
Peter Wenkoff
P.S.check out my site highlandbison.com; also in google under traditional dry aged bison.
Comment from Raj Taneja
Time December 12, 2007 at 3:51 am
Dear Peter,
Thanks for your thoughts. It’s definitely the ‘different chefs with a different take on it’.
My favourite steak is at Shore Club. They’re the ones who told me about wet aging vs dry aging. Shore Club is owned by Keg Restaurants. Hy’s and Gotham also fall under the umbrella.
The chefs at Shore Club are most accessible due to the kitchen setup, though.
Good luck in your quest!
Regards,
RT
Comment from Peter Wenkoff
Time August 13, 2008 at 6:41 pm
There is a mobile abattoir at Olds college,Alberta in the process of being accepted or certified.There appears to be a light on the horizon toward a proper legal kill.Your long wait for a good bison steak at a restuarant may soon be over.
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Time May 10, 2009 at 9:13 am
[...] on various journeys, enjoying a threesome (two 16oz steaks and I) at Italian Kitchen (see ‘Steak vs. Steak‘), moderating the ‘WE Love STEAK‘ flickr group for the voyeuristic folks out [...]
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Time December 4, 2007 at 7:30 am
[...] as steak goes, although good, I’ve had better. I’ll actually be going where raj went (Italian Kitchen Vancouver) for a 40-day dry-aged steak next week, and am looking forward to it! [...]