Steak, WF Style. It's What's for Dinner

This week I give you another Irish pub review, a note on proper Guinness drinking, and finally you'll see some WF cooking.  

Another Irish Pub!  The Field, San Diego.  On a recent work trip in San Diego, I found myself uncommitted (unsupervised?) for a couple of hours near the Gaslamp Quarter.  This area is chocked full of bars and pubs.  Seems like every other establishment is a bar. 

Naturally, there are multiple Irish pubs.  The Field is one.  Further investigation was required.  I mean, it would be rude not to, and I was raised better than that. 

The inside is what you want from an Irish pub.  It has the décor that all good Irish pubs have, but more.  Check out the thick dark posts in the middle of the room.  Ahab could chase a white whale on a boat made from those.

What really grabs your attention when you walk in is the great big beautiful hearth.  This is in San Diego.  Not exactly the frozen tundra.  I wonder if it's ever roared with a fire fit for a pagan ritual.  I hope so.  Either way, really cool part of the ambiance of this pub.  

The staff at the Field was friendly though somewhat absentee. 

So, how was the Guinness, WF?  I’m glad you asked  A solid pour.  Good foamy head, and I could see the hint of red when the light hit it.  A little on the bitter side, so definitely not perfect.   And now some Guinness porn (note the dreamy looking portrait setting):

I’d come back to the Field.   Fo sho. 

A Note on Drinking Guinness – if you’re truly drinking the Guinness Koolaid, there are some ‘rules’ to this whole Guinness thing. Your first drink should be significant, almost like you’re parched beyond belief.  Shows a true appreciation of this magical elixir.

Some say your first drink should be to the top of the G on the glass.  Others say it should ‘split the G’.  

Yes.  That’s a thing. 

Naturally, I ascribe to the latter.  Anything that’s worth doing is worth doing right.  Here’s how to split the G with your first drink:

It's a beaut, Clark.  

Steak with Blue Cheese and Risotto.  Hey WF!  You said you like to cook.  You haven’t posted any of your food.   You’re an impostor.

To which I say – that’s fair. 

Side note for the vegetarian reader– you may want to skip to the risotto discussion.  Yes, I'm talking about you, Bubba.

For a recent dinner with the Red, I decided steak was on the menu.  For me, ribeye is my go-to steak.  Tenderloin is beautiful, but generally flavorless.  New York strips can be good, but you have to buy high end cuts to make sure there’s enough marbling.  Flanks steaks are fun, but they’re not every day steaks.

So, ribeye it is.  They always have marbling, even if you don't buy Prime or above.

But, I'm only cooking for 2 and therefor only need one steak to share with the Red.  So, a prime ribeye it was!

Here’s one of my favorite techniques.  Season the steak liberally with kosher salt, fresh black pepper, and granulated garlic.  Let the steak rest uncovered on a rack in the fridge for a few hours or, ideally overnight. 

I know there are people who swear you shouldn’t salt a steak until right before it goes on the grill.  I could agree with those people, but then we’d all be wrong.  Salting before draws the proteins out, which helps get a good crust.

Take the steak out and bring it to room temperature.  Let it sit for an hour uncovered.  Maybe more for a thick steak.  You can’t skip this and put a cold steak on a grill.  You’ll end up with dreaded bullseye steak (thick gray circle with a red center).

Eww.

Rub with olive oil and grill or pan sear the steak to rare.  Yes.  Rare.  Like not over 110 degrees.  Stick with me.  Let it sit on a rack for a few minutes.  Then put blue cheese crumbles on top. 

A note on blue cheese – for my money, Point Reyes is the best.  It’s funky, tart, and a little salty.  Perfect.  I’m sure there are better blue cheeses at a little fromagerie in Paris.  But, I’m not there and I have regular access to this:

Back to the steak.  Put it under the broiler until the cheese is bubbly goodness.  Let it rest for a few minutes on a rack.  It will slide into medium rare. 

What to serve with this beauty?  We each had a big salad with red leaf lettuce and Persian cumbers.  I also made beautiful risotto with green peas, parmesan, and Irish butter.  Here’s the food porn (including the spectacular wine we had). 

A note on risotto – Yes.  It is a challenge to make, but that’s what I like.  To make good risotto, you have to have patience and make a lot of bad risotto.  Also, risotto is meant to be served ‘on the wave’.  A smooth flowing texture with a fair amount of moisture.  The one above is a decent representation of this.

The problem?  Risotto stays ‘on the wave’ for a few minutes.  After that, it’s just a really good rice dish.  When the risotto is ready, it’s time eat!  The moment the risotto is ready is not the time to start making tea. "I'll be right there."  I'm talking to you, Red!

The review?  The steak was spot on.  Buttery, a little salty, and tangy from the cheese.  The risotto had complex earthly flavors, with a hint of white wine in the background and peas that still has some snap to them.  The plating was a little sloppy (see the glob of risotto on the far left). 

The wine was a 2021 Rancho Chimiles from Stags Leap Wine Cellars.  Not those impostors over at Stags Leap Winery.  We’re talking about the winery that beat the French in a blind tasting at the Judgement of Paris in 1979.

Mon Dieu!  We lost to the stupid Americans?!

This wine wasn’t the wine that beat the French wines.  That’s SLV.  This is one of their ‘side projects’.  But, SLWC just doesn’t make bad wines.  This was a little minerally, bold, and a little dry.  Perfect for a steak.  

The World is full of amazing places.  Go see them.  This is Green Lake.  It’s southwest of Bridgeport, California, in the Sierra Nevada foothills.  Yes.  I took that photo.  With an iPhone.

It’s a good hike to get there.  But, as you can see, it’s worth it. 

 Happy cooking. 

WF