It has been about a year and a half since my first visit to Allen Brothers when we had our last Chicago quick fire challenge. Although my steaks came out a bit mangled, I still had fun attempting to be a great butcher. It was entertaining just to put on the outfit….we felt like a bunch of Sumo wrestlers with hairnets. Of course it was all way too big and I could hardly walk, or move at all for that matter.
I thought it would be a good idea to go back and learn how to butcher the Tomahawk rack right. Of course it would have been nice to have had this lesson before looking like an idiot on national television, but that is neither here nor there.
My friend Jo Ann from Allen Brothers, who I originally met on the day we filmed for TC, helped set up the visit. We started off again by gearing up for battle. Pretty comfy for the most part….although the stomach guard (and the rest of the outfit) may have been designed for someone a bit taller. Guess I am used to that.
One of their most talented (and luckily for me, one of the cutest) butchers, Juan, was asked to give me a quick lesson on how not to mangle the steaks. We each started off with a rack that weighed around 40 pounds. That’s a lot of beef. As we went through the steps, it was all very logical. I think last time, when the red clock was counting down, all logic was lost, and I just wanted seven steaks. This time around we worked a bit slower and concentrated on doing it right. I am sure Juan could have had his done in about five minutes, but he was a great teacher and made sure that I was following his every move. I think the funniest part was the hook…on the show, we had those sitting next to us but it seemed no one knew what the heck to do with them. Now I learned that they can be very helpful in pulling off the fat back without having to use your super human strength. My steaks were far from perfect, and I doubt Allen Brothers will be offering me a butcher job any time soon, but they sure did look better this time around. I think they all were even close to the same weight, give an ounce or two.
The steaks that we were butchering were dry aged at Allen Brothers. The beef is aged in a custom cooler designed to create the perfect balance of humidity, air-circulation and temperature, resulting in extremely tender meat. As the beef ages in the cooler, exposed to the various elements, the enzymes break down and tenderize the meat, giving it a unique flavor. Though dry aging is a time honored tradition, it is a bit costly. About 25 years ago, a simpler technique came along for aging. Wet aged beef is vacuum sealed and allowed to tenderize faster in its own juices. I have always wanted to try a wet and dry aged steak, side by side, to see if the splurge for dry aged is worth it. Jo Ann gave me some Tomahawks aged in both ways as well as some Wagyu beef to test out.
When the beef got to the table it was a bit overwhelming. These steaks weigh in at about a pound each, without the giant Flinstone’s bone. Though we were blinded with stylish sunglasses, we could still tell the differences between the steaks. The Wagyu just has such gorgeous marbling that gives it such a rich flavor. It was deemed the winner of the test although the others were so good too it was a tight race. Only about 2% of the beef consumed in the US is prime and when you are lucky enough to indulge, it is a treat. If you come across dry aged beef at the store, I think it is worth the extra few dollars. It really does have a deeper and richer flavor. All I can say is all of those vegetarians out there (though their hearts may thank them) are missing out!
I just want to give a special thanks to everyone at Allen Brothers, especially Jo Ann, for making this episode possible. You can visit their website to order steaks to enjoy at home….summer BBQs are right around the corner and these would make your family and friends quite happy….and just let me know what time to come by, I can bring the potato salad.
When you start with high quality meat, you really do not need to fuss to make it taste great. A little salt and pepper and a hot grill and you are pretty much set. I often like to make a simple Salsa Verde to serve alongside that friends can just spoon over their meat. It is light and refreshing yet a bit bold which helps it stand up to the rich meat. Great for that summer BBQ!
Featured recipe: Salsa Verde
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