Big cooks for huge appetites

By The Steak Whisperer

It’s fairly common knowledge that this past NBL1 (National Basketball League 1) season, the FoB Squad took on the challenge of providing courtside meals for sponsors of the Warwick Senators. What the male and female players around that league found out was that with the FoB Squad onboard, the postgame player meals at Warwick Stadium had therefore taken a massive step forward.

Game after game, week after week, home and visiting teams, men and women, were being treated to protein rich, carb light-ish main meals featuring:

• The Burger Baron’s Smashburgers featuring his otherworldly Baron’s Burger sauce
• FoB steak rolls with the Burger Baron’s chimichurri
• The Steak Whisperer’s “Silly” Cheesesteaks (essentially a very unique angus pure picanha steak roll)
• FoB Steak Nachos and Tacos

By the way, shout out to our good friends at Torre & Mordini Gourmet Meats and new pals at Trigg Pizza (just sayin’, great pizza).

Courtside sponsors love it because the burgers for instance, were created under the excruciatingly exacting measures and processes, penned by The Burger Baron. Little wonder then that heartwarming feedback such as, “Absolutely the best burger I’ve ever had” and “I’m literally thinking about what FoB are cooking days ahead of the game…” has become the norm around the stadium foyer, training facility and warm-up courts. It feels great. But there is a challenge for the FoB Squad to overcome every week as well.

Large humans, enormous appetites and tight windows

It’s not unusual for the FoB Squad to plate up 200 serves of main menu items per game. And because the games are run on a tight schedule, the cook and service timelines are even tighter. The women’s match-up ends and within 5-10 minutes we’re serving up to 30 mains. Ten minutes later, we need to produce between 75 and 95 mains for sponsors; then mains for 25 volunteers, then 13 officials and by the time the men’s game has drawn to a close, we’re ready to do a live prep and serve for 30-40 very big men, most with massive appetites.

It’s a challenge but we love it. Oh, and because quality assurance is something I take personal responsibility for, that means the FoB Squad probably needs to test 5 serves along the way [Ed. I could come and help… seriously, I’m available!].

Athletes also love a side of anticipation & entertainment with their meal but a big “no” to fries

A number of the meals we dish up to athletes are made to order and tailored for individual preferences:

• A triple patty for an energiser bunny point guard
• No chimi or fries for a wet-behind-the-ears, carb-conscious forward
• All the burgers and steak rolls you can pile onto this tray for the high energy power forward/centre from a faraway land (again, hold the fries, give me more protein!).

In all honesty, I’m horrendous with names, especially in the middle (or at the end) of a hectic service, up to my elbows in steak butter, burger mince and extra-virgin olive oil, but I never forget a player’s special request. Especially, if they’re polite, good humoured and can pull-off a passable President Trump impersonation (extra steak roll for you!)

The thing I’ve learned in terms of customer service/retail theatre is that customers will forgive a short wait if they’re invited into: 

• a brief conversation
• a chance to see their roll, burger feast or steak sliced/assembled/presented before their eyes
• impromptu Q&As on grilling, BBQing and life in general.

As some of the home and visiting point guards and coaches tell us, winning is about controlling the tempo, focus and quality. Agreed. That’s also the key to keeping these talented players from all over the league (and the world) lining up for more postgame platters from the FoB Squad.

Hey, if you have a hungry team of athletes, administrators, salespeople, executives or staff that you want to feed and/or entertain, make an enquiry at feaston@feastonbeasts.com and… Feast on!

The Steak butter odyssey is the perfect finish to the start of a feast

By the Burger Baron and The Steak Whisperer

Happily, the dark days are behind us where someone can carelessly douse the quality steak in supermarket tomato or BBQ sauce without being whisked away and thrown in prison to face a life of indentured servitude. I remember as if it was yesterday, my dear departed father looking on in disbelief as barbecue loving Aussies would nonchalantly pour beer on their steaks gleefully watching them bubble and moan on the hot plate before whipping them onto a paper plate and immediately drowning any hopes of a flavoursome piece of beef in a deluge of Heinz or Rosella's finest.

It was hard to watch as a youngster and even harder as a full-grown man to fight back angry tears of resentment when I hear that this practise, that no one really talks about in polite society, still persists. But I do empathise with those that feel embarrassed and driven to avert their eyes at the sight of a naked steak in elegant repose, displayed on a vacant plate – sans sauce to cover its char-less shame. [Ed. Hey man, is everything okay?] Sometimes we simply must consider the “sauce”.

My esteemed colleagues, The Bearded Canadian and The Burger Baron, have distinguished themselves again and again by creating all manner of steak spices, chimichurri varietals and even fruit-based companions to enhance the robust, ketonic, character of the cut. However, these are not gents that rest easy on their culinary laurels. Far from it. Known for both a lively imagination and an almost maniacal inquisitiveness, it's come as no surprise that butter and it's complex and utterly delightful relationship with steak has fallen under the intense gaze of the FoB squad. Let's have a look.

Compounding the issue of steak plus butter

The creation, presentation and ultimately the taste and texture of FoB’s new favourite compound butter was recently rigorously assessed at two of our “tastings” at FoB Central. Here’s The Burger Baron with more:

“So, our mate from Melt Espresso Bar gave us some nduja which is “well spicy” [Ed. A frightening harbinger from our heat-seeking Burger Baron!!!!]. And on their recommendation, we incorporated it into a compound butter. Now this nduja was so-o-o-o-o spicy, and I am the kind of freak that puts Carolina hot sauce on every meal, be warned, I had to dilute it with double the amount of butter to avoid the possibility of panic attacks. However, with some additional ingredients and flavour colours (Ed. What?] some elements of sweetness were brought to the fore and we finished with a delightful accoutrement. And I think you’ll agree that the finished product looks fantastic!”

Consider the source sauce – another amazing recipe, kinda…

Here at FoB, we’re known to keep pushing the possibilities and flavour profiles until it becomes clear we’ve gone too far… and then pull it back. It’s the only way to discover and develop some of our wonderful, otherworldly classics like The Bearded Canadian’s flayed BBQ duck breast in a chilli jam glaze rice-paper roll [Ed. Still recovering!]. So, let’s let The Burger Baron tell us about his latest sauce odyssey.

“…but just when I'm thinking that perhaps I've taken it too far, I realise that I haven't taken it further enough.

Turning our attention to steak frites, I found myself working on a medium rare porterhouse on a bed of shoestring fries. The occasion called for a sauce, so I went with an au poivre sauce and garnished the steak with garlic chives.

The “AP” sauce is hard to describe. It's kind of a compound butter on steroids [Ed. Hungry ASADA officials enter the chat…], that is to say it has about 17 different ingredients brought together via a number of quite complex processes. It's like a party in your mouth, but not like a street party with BBQ sausages. Rather, it’s the kind of high-end aristocratic soiree complete with elegantly prepared canapes that Train gets invited to. The sort of soiree I'm rarely invited to. [Ed. Given your hardline rules on burger regulations I'm not surprised that liberal-minded, low-end burger providers would rather you left your feasting judgements at home.]

Anyway, here’s a basic recipe.

A basic AP recipe 

I was slaving for hours over the weekend over this peppery AP sauce, but it worked and if you give it a go, I think you’ll love it too. Now variety is the spice of life, so this is just a basic guide with more than enough wriggle room baked in for you to get creative and make it your own. 

So, we start with a steak butter base. 

• We take a bunch of steak trimmings grill it in the pan to render out a whole lot of fat 
• We add a very generous serve of butter (again, this Marco Pierre White) 
• Toss in rosemary and thyme and let that sit in there for at least an hour 
• Now add garlic (to taste) and strain into a container. That’s your steak butter and that's… step one 

Let’s continue:

• Take a whole bunch of shallots, chop them up and throw them in a pot
• Add a little bit of olive oil and maybe a bit of chicken stock if you’re feeling adventurous
• Then add cream with a little rosemary and thyme 
• And now for the fish sauce, sweet soy sauce 
• Now it’s time to grind and add some toasted red Szechuan peppercorns, green szechuan peppercorns.
• Mix in with you steak butter, patiently, carefully, lovingly and voila!

From here you can apply to your rested steak or indeed, finish your steak by gently spooning your AP sauce over your steak as it completes its final lap of your pan.

It’s fragrant, flavoursome and ready for you to…

Feast on!

Or how to derail Train’s Great Steak Fundamentals!

By Johnno

It takes a man with a particular set of skills and a lot of time on their hands to successfully argue a point about steak with Train. He’s literally built a reputation and a brand on knowing how best to prep and cook a steak, simply. 

Nonetheless, as Train puts it, 

“Feast on Beasts is a community built on the foundations of mutual respect and trust for all those that believe that feasting on beasts is the bone marrow butter that binds our society and separates us from the animals.” 

Yup, slightly insane but makes perfect sense the second time round. Alrighty, let me whip you through the theory of the “reverse, reverse” sear method of creating large quantities of juicy, beautifully presented steaks while saving time and anxiety. 

5 steps to reversing the reverse sear for a great result… consistently!

Okay, so if we can agree that a great steak, after being rested, will present with a beautiful char or bark that’s dark, offers a little more than token resistance to the knife’s edge before giving way to a consistent, edge-to-edge pink hue, here’s what to do.

1. Set your oven to 180 degrees
2. Get your pan (cast iron is probably best) on the stove and set it to “jet afterburner hot” as Train might say, or do the same on the hotplate of your BBQ.
3. Season appropriately (i.e. generously) after applying your choice of binder (e.g. olive oil).
4. Sear: Rule of Thumb here is to go 1 (one) minute per side, just to get some colour happening.
5. Slide into the oven for 10 minutes if you’re dealing with a tiny 200g steak (i.e. entrée size). Please note though, that I actually like to go ever slightly longer but at 150 degrees to get to an internal temp of 52 degrees (medium rare) or 54 degrees (medium).

In perhaps a vain attempt to appear open-minded, Train actually did an A-B test of sorts back at FoB Central to see for himself – and the pics speaks for themselves. 

Let’s hear it from the man himself:

“Yeah, they were okay… no seriously, a great call but you really need to be on top of temp and time and this is where a food thermometer may help you out tremendously. Unless you’re me (Ed. Ridiculous).”

Okay, that’s the beginning, middle and end of the story. Go forth and cook kilos and kilos of steak. You don’t have to try this method, but you’ll be glad you did.

Feast on!

By House of Goff 

Last week, the good lady wife informed me that she was craving a hearty steak for dinner, so I dutifully journeyed by car to the local supermarket (that normally maintains a balance of quality and value) to see what sort of bargain I could scrounge up. 

Imagine my abject horror upon sighting a tray of thick-cut RUMP steak for $26.99/kg!!! [Ed. This is your first written warning for overuse of exclamation marks… but sheesh, that’s getting up there] It was only a few years ago that I could find whole rumps for $12-16/kg, knowing where to look, but it seems those days are sadly, behind us. Thankfully, I managed to find a tray of lovely looking thick porterhouse steaks on the shelf below for $20.99/kg, a price I could stomach. I'm sure there's many Feasters out there who have also felt the pinch of rising beef prices. 

As a lover of beef myself, it's something that's weighed heavily on my mind of late. After my rump steak price shock, I wandered through the aisles, contemplating a future that - for the sake of fiscal responsibility - might include a noticeable decrease in steak consumption. 

However, as I passed through the Mexican section I was struck by a moment of inspiration. No, it wasn't a new hot sauce coming into stock [Ed. We may need an intervention, your hot sauce addiction is real, man!]. It was a memory of something I had cooked in recent months, and the ingredients with which I could attempt a fresh take on an old favourite. 

Steak. Tacos. 

Hear me out. What is a person to do when they regularly crave the taste and texture of delicious steak, but don't want to break the bank? 

a) Add more vegetables to their plate 
b) Eat a piece of fruit 
c) Salad? 
d) Steak tacos 

If done properly, steak tacos allow the flavour and the texture of the meat to shine through, along with a variety of flavours including salsa and cream to make for a party in your mouth, while stretching your protein dollar further. 

Allow me to introduce you to one of my now favourite go-to beef cuts - the skirt steak. It is traditionally the most popular cut of choice for steak tacos and Chinese stir fry, but, in my experience, it needs to be handled with some care for best results. 

After my beefy epiphany (ebeephany?) [Ed. That is QUITE enough of that – second written warning], I rushed for a can of chipotle chillies in adobo sauce and a can of tomatillos (the little green and slightly sour cousin of the tomato) and hurried back to the meat section. I also managed to find a delightful looking 1kg, vac-sealed bag of skirt steak for $19.99/kg - now we're talking! 

Here’s what’s up, what’s next and what’s delicioso! 

Now to walk you through my process for preparing steak tacos and two different versions of a salsa; one when you're seeking good value, the other for when you're looking to impress a group with some flavours they may be yet to encounter.

Core Ingredients: 

½ to 1kg of Skirt Steak 

Tacos (I prefer soft so as not to mask the texture of the steak) 

1 Medium Brown Onion 

Sour Cream 

Cheese (Grated fresh) 

Coriander (unless it tastes like soap to you) 

Oil/Salt/Pepper/Vinegar 

Salsa Verde (Value): 

2 Green Capsicum 

Handful of Jalapenos (to suit heat level, pickled jalapenos work here too) 

1 Tsp Ground Cumin 

Smoky Tomatillo Salsa (Bougie): 

1 Can of Chipotle Chiles in Adobo 

1 Can of Tomatillos (6 or so fresh ones are better but good luck finding any) 

Garlic 

1A) Salsa Verde Option 

• So to start off, if you're trying the salsa verde, crank your oven to 220°C and line a tray with baking paper. 
• Then just throw your capsicum and jalapenos in there with a drizzle of oil until soft and slightly blackened. 
• Remove and place in a covered bowl to steam for 10-15 minutes. This will allow you to peel the skins off easily (if you're using chopped pickled jalapenos, don't bother for those). 
• When that's done, add your roasted goodies to a food processor with a quarter of your brown onion, a quarter cup (125mL) of water, 1 Tsp of ground cumin, a splash of vinegar (unless you used pickled jalapenos), a small handful of coriander and a generous pinch of salt or two (adjust to taste). If you prefer a lighter, thinner consistency, just add more water. 
• Transfer to a bowl and set aside. 

1B) Smoky Tomatillo Salsa Option 

• Grill your tomatillos in a pan on medium-high with a splash of oil until soft, about 10 minutes 
• Put aside to cool. 
• Add a tsp or two of diced fresh garlic (or a bit more if from a jar) to a food processor, along with 3 chipotle chillies from your can, your cooked tomatillos and a generous pinch of salt 
• Pulse until pureed. You might also like to add 1 Tbsp or so of brown sugar to taste if you'd like to balance the sourness. 
• Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

2) Skirt Steak 

Prep: 

• I find skirt tends to have a lot of silver skin membrane on one or both sides and some hard fat chunks, so I spend five or more minutes removing all that and getting it nice and clean. 
• Give it light oiling and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. 
• Meanwhile, get a pan or BBQ ripping hot with some oil. 
• If you opted for the "Bougie" salsa, blend up your remaining chiles and adobo sauce in a food processor, and give your steaks a generous brushing over with the resulting paste. 
• Fight back the steak-snob in you that fears pasting brown sauce on a steak will make it taste like a sweet BBQ sauce [Ed. You can almost hear Train grinding his teeth!]. The chipotles will add richness and smokiness that actually complements and enhances the umami flavour of the steak, rather than masking it. [Ed. (giggling) Oh, Train, this is glorious!] 

Cook: 

Now, I might get in trouble for this, as the politically correct answer for how one likes their steak done is generally medium-rare... BUT, I suspect because of the thicker-than-average muscle fibres found in skirt, it tends to turn out more tender if you get it more to the medium end of the medium-rare spectrum. [Ed… sorry Train] 

Rest: 

Allow your steak to rest for at least 5 minutes. 

Slicing: 

Now, this part is particularly crucial for skirt steak. I find when most people go to slice a steak (and you imagine a long rectangle), they simply slice across the shortest direction. If you were to do that with skirt however, you will generally be slicing parallel to the muscle fibres, creating an extremely chewy experience. Because it seems silly and difficult to cut slices down the full, long length of the steak, I tend to split it into thirds or halves first, then identify which direction the muscle fibres are running and slice across/perpendicular to that direction. This means the steak should separate and fall apart in your mouth, rather than your teeth having to break down every muscle fibre. 

Serving: 

Give your sliced steaks a nice salting before serving. 

3) The Rest 

Dice and grill your onion with some oil and a pinch of salt until caramelised and grate your cheese. 

Now, I'm not going to tell you what you can and can't put on a taco, but personally, I find it best to opt out of lettuce and tomato on a steak taco. I would rather preserve the taste and texture of the steak, rather than obfuscate and drown it out with a variety of crunchy, watery ingredients. However, this still leaves room for our salsa and coriander, not to mention our delicious, soft and fat-filled ingredients such as sour cream, grated cheese and even avocado if you like. 

If I could impart one favourite tip of mine in closing, it would be to opt out of microwaving your soft taco wraps. Instead, slap them down, one at a time, straight onto your gas burner or BBQ grill, for 5-10 seconds a side. This will cut back on some of the doughy mouth-feel and enhance the flavour and texture slightly. 

I hope you enjoy this as much as me, and that it helps you find ways of stretching your budget to include some of your favourite protein, perhaps in a fresh and interesting way… Feast on!

Here’s what to look out for 

By Johnno 

Okay, let’s get one thing straight. A good steak from an excellent butcher is always going to be better than a good steak from a supermarket. It’s just the way it is. Good butchers hold themselves to a certain standard because their produce is their reputation, their livelihood and their passion. Whereas supermarkets are typically stocking produce on the basis of mass appeal or popular niche markets (and if you need to know more about that you should probably ask Train). 

The other thing to understand is that the premium quality you might experience at an excellent butcher will come at a… premium. This means that to the average shopper, waygu ribeyes will not be a nightly occurrence. As premium steaks (think tomahawks, ribeyes, scotch fillet and tenderloins) power past the $50/kg at your more fancied butchers, people are turning to the supermarket fridges for their everyday or every other day steaks for $20+ less/kg – fair enough (but don’t forget to treat yourself from time to time too). 

The question is, do you then need to abandon all hope of enjoying a beautiful steak until the finance clears? No. Not at all! 

Next time you’re at the supermarket, just keep these tips in your head and you won’t be sorry.

Fats vs fiction 

It’s true that solid masses of crayon-hard fat encircling a smallish steak can be… unappetising, but that doesn’t mean you should be looking for the leanest cuts. You’ve heard of marbling and you understand that this interstitial fat contributes heavily to flavour. Well take a moment or two to find a packet of steaks that features this magical network of awesome flavour running through it like a roadmap. They are out there (or in there) and your patience will be rewarded. Sure, the fridge doors might fog up a little, but you need to plate great steak… and that matters - a lot!

Colour counts, but not as much as you think 

For years we’ve been taught that red meat should be red – bright red. That’s why rumours swirled (and in some cases, rumours proved to be true) that some steaks, mince and roasts were deliberately touched up with a bit of colour to make them look more visually appealing. Appalling but there you go. But since the advent of vacuum-sealed packs or “vac-pack”) products, things have changed. Obviously with the lack of oxygen within the vac-sealed packaging, the meat will darken significantly and when you break the seal, after a few moments, the colour will return as the meat “blooms”. 

Okay, so we don’t need to worry to much about the colour then? Yes and no. Imagine if you saw a very appetising rosy-red steak in a vac-pack. This is by no means a deal-breaker but it does warrant a pause. And if you don’t like hanging around at supermarkets for ages, maybe that pause for thought becomes a deal-breaker, who knows? Common sense and awareness is key. Always ask yourself – why is that like that? Also, you can always ask friendly staff – see what they have to say. 

Final note on colour. Of course, if the meat is green or has white specks on it, keep looking. Remember, steaks and the like are meant for your tastebuds and tummy, so don’t ignore your gut if you feel something’s not quite right. If in doubt, keep looking.

Treat your steak with care and consistency 

So the steak you’ve selected from the fridge at your local supermarket wasn’t hand-selected and lovingly presented by your quality-obsessed butcher (Shout out to Fussy Meats and Torre & Mordini Gourmet Meats). Does that mean that you should resign yourself to a less-than-satisfactory eating experience. Of course not.Use similar techniques and seasoning you normally lavish on your celebratory scotch fillet, on your “super steak” and, if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll still enjoy a very pleasing result. 

Alright, keep your eyes peeled and… Feast on!

Creating steak magic with mayonnaise  - don't judge... yet! 

By The Bearded Canadian 

If you’re in a bind as to how to bring your steaks alive without resorting to adding sauce, I want to share my latest discovery with you right now. 

By the way, there’s nothing wrong with creating beautiful aromatic sauces to complement your meaty main, in fact, I believe that that is a wonderful skill, I’m now convinced Train has yet to master [Ed. And it’s on!... Yes!!!]. While reliance on the simple wonders of salt, pepper and oil and perhaps some garlic are deservedly praised, the act of maintaining a culinary curiosity is just as valuable. Also, please keep in mind that “resorting” is the key word. What I don’t want for you is to cook a piece of steak, taste it and realise that it’s bland and disappointing. That’s when you find yourself resorting to sauce. And as Train often says, “if you find yourself on the verge of despair and topping a tired steak with tomato sauce, maybe just flush it down the S-bend and retain at least a pinch of dignity.” Harsh but perhaps fair. [Ed. An olive branch?] 

Okay, back to my discovery. Train quite rightly hammers home the fact that when it comes to grilling steaks, salt, pepper and oil are mandatory, but why does he stop there? [Ed. Soooo, no olive branch?]. One of the reasons for applying olive oil is to help bind the salt and pepper to your gorgeous steak. But surely, we can think of and add other ways. I know our good friends at Cheat Meats will often apply a coating of mustard to help bind a rub to their steak dishes and that’s one of the factors that got me thinking. And if you like steak and eggs… 

Logic is a weird thing, isn’t it? If you follow the logic behind certain flavour combinations you’ll chance upon a whole lot of interesting ideas just waiting to be plated up. Take for instance that breakfast (or lunch) staple of champions, steak and eggs. What a combo. Steak and oil, salt and pepper, mustard and steak – they’re all great combos that work beautifully together. 

So speaking of combinations, here’s one that I trialled to take the place of the olive oil combination to bind the SPG: 

Egg yolk, salt, pepper and dry mustard, a touch of brown sugar, lemon juice and vinegar and yes, Train, olive oil – 100% extra virgin olive oil. And yes, those ingredients will indeed make a very nice mayo. But take a look at the images I’ve put together to see, as I did, the difference that the made-from-scratch mayo makes. 

SPG olive oil bindSPG Mayo bind SPG, coffee rub, mayo bind. And yes, I ate them all and they were delicious all in their own way. Hey Train, variety is he spice of life [Ed: and it’s on again!]. Try it for yourself and… Feast on!

By Train 

“Don’t screw it up!” 

That’s the phrase a lot of you might have echoing through your brain as you unwrap a richly marbled, plump, 2-inch-thick ribeye that cost anywhere between $45-65/kg. Chances are you bought two or maybe even three of them which means you’re obviously cooking for an audience. And let’s face it, because we’re all friends here, in a group of say 5 guests, one of them will find it funny if you do overcook or undercook or in some other way mistreat your sizable investment in a sizable feast. 

“DON’T screw it up!!” Yup, it gets louder. 

But let me help you quiet that unhelpful negative self-talk [Ed. Amateur psychology as well, Train? Impressive.”] Here’s what you need: 

• A formula 
• A rule 
• 5 steps to remember 
• 3 ways to have fun with it. 

Full disclosure, I’m a purist of sorts and I don’t like using temperature probes. I generally just… use the force. (Ed. Okay, Luke…) The problem is that relying solely on gut feel does mean that you need to corral every ounce of concentration you have and keep it laser focused on the grill the whole time. This is great if you’re all by yourself and you know you won’t be distracted by the need for a drink, the toilet, your phone, blinking etc. That pretty much rules out being sociable or having a good time when people come over. These 10 tips based around my 50-40 rule will help you out. 1. Room temperature ribeye is the best ribeye. As per previous guides, do not take your ribeye from the fridge and put it on the grill unless you enjoy humiliation, scorn, waste and derision. Instead, leave it out to arrive at room temperature in its own sweet time. We love a 1-1.3kg ribeye from our friends at Torre & Mordini Gourmet Meats and have found that it can take a good hour or more to get to where we want it to go temp-wise. 

2. Moisture is still your enemy, and it always will be. It’s a huge steak so you’ll need two or three squares of absorbent paper towel to pat it down and make your steak presentable. 

3. Get your guests involved. Properly seasoning say 3 of these monsters is a big job, particularly if you’re using standard salt and pepper grinders. By the way, there are few better forearm exercises than grinding enough salt and pepper to cover these delicious portions. If you don’t want forearms like ham hocks, simply pour salt into a bowl, pepper into another bowl and sprinkle liberally. LIBERALLY! Remember, a lot of this (up to 30%) is just going to disappear. 

4. Olive oil. The debate still rages on within the FoB ranks as to whether the oil comes before or after the seasoning. I say after, some of the guys say before… try it both ways. But make sure you use it. Okay so some will say, hey, what about mustard, what about coffee rubs etc. That is strictly to taste. Personally, I do ease up on the S&P if I know I’m going to use a coffee rub but, I shy away from mustard etc if I’m familiar with the cut and trust my butcher – I want to taste the richness of the meat, glory in the abundance of marbling and generally celebrate a cut unsullied by additional flavours. If I’m not sure about the cut or I’m feasting away from FoB central, anything goes in the name of experimentation – obviously drawing the line at salad… obviously. 

5. The 50-40 rule. Again, you want to be social, enjoy yourself, while also making this whole adventure seem effortless. That means you’ll need breaks in the play, hydration and banter. Well, here’s your chance. Just before you pat down your three, four, five or more ribeyes, preheat your kitchen oven to 50 ˚C (or thereabouts) - fan-forced. When the time is right, you’re going to arrange all these stunning monuments to bovine goodness on the middle tray and leave them there for no less than 40 minutes. But we also found that this rule works at 40 ˚C for 50 minutes or 60 ˚ for 30 minutes. The mathematicians among us have already cottoned-on to the fact that they all add up to 90. 6. Take a break, laugh, shoot some hoops, shoot some pool, shoot the breeze, it’s all good! Eat some of those entrees, forget about the ribeyes and enjoy yourself. You just spent a lot of money on premium steaks, relax and enjoy yourself. But stick to the formula. 

7. PANIC! No, not really. Calmly remove these huge hunks of deliciousness from the oven and display them to a stunned crowd of guests. Brilliant! The waiting hotplate next to the grill should be white hot (figurately speaking) and the sizzle when you lay your steak upon it should rival the sound and temperature of jet afterburners. Glorious! Sear each side for 30-60 seconds but treat the fatty side to a generous 90. 8. Timing is everything and depending on your preferred level of “doneness”, grill each side for between a minute and two minutes. Remember the tip from the porterhouse cheat sheet in the last issue? After the turn, slide the steak down to the cooler part of your grill. 9. R ‘n’ R. Rest and rumination. Leave your herd of steaks to rest on the board under an untucked aluminium foil canopy for an agonising 7 minutes. By the way, you won’t last that long – no one can. 

10. Adoration time. Remove said canopy with your own trademark flourish, present, slice and fall back into your chair, pretending to be spent. You are a champion, your place in steak lore is now secure and it remains only for you to… Feast on! 

I feel like you know this already but just for easy reference, here are the internal temp. guides for you once again. 

Rare = 48˚- 50˚  Medium Rare = 52 ˚- 54 ˚   Medium = 58 ˚- 60 ˚ 

Chars!

By The Bearded Canadian 

Okay, why are we here? Answer: to have a whale of time creating beautiful, succulent meat dishes that will eventually pass into legend. One of the important steps towards creating said legendary dish is of course, seasoning your chosen protein. But there is seasoning and then… there is seasoning. I hope you’ll come to recognise mine as the latter. 

And the reason I create and experiment with spices is that making your own spice allows for better control of taste, texture and quality, not to mention saving you some serious dosh!  [Ed. The bearded one is really embracing Australian vernacular and we love it!] 

So without further ado, here’s my take on the classic Montreal Steak Spice – here’s what you’ll need: 

• 4 Tbs mixed whole peppers  
• 4 Tbs Coriander seeds 
• 2 Tbs Whole All Spice 
• 4 Tbs Dill seed 
• 2 Tbs Granulated Garlic 
• 2 Tbs Mustard Seed 
• 4 Tsp Sweet Paprika 
• ½ tsp Korean chili 
• ½ tsp red chili flakes 
• 1 tsp Aleppo Chili flakes 
• 3 Tbs kosher salt 

Now one of the best things about rubs is that you can change them up. It's entirely up to your tastes, add more or less salt, up the heat with different types of chilli or even consider adding some rosemary for even more depth of flavour. It’s up to you. 

Pro Tip: toast the whole seeds by placing them on a dry pan at medium low heat. (No need for oil). When they start smelling fragrant remove from the pan (don’t leave them on for longer than 5 mins) let cool, then grind them to your desired coarseness. In my humble (Ed. Funny, I like it) opinion, toasting spices give an entirely different and more sophisticated flavour profile. 

I've added this spice mix to a cheap and cheerful scotch fillet to boost the flavour! Don't be afraid to apply generous amounts of rub to give thicker cuts like this. Remember to coat all sides and pat down for best results. 

N.B. Spices start losing their flavour as soon as they are ground but by grinding your own whole spice and keeping them in an airtight jar you will keep them fresh for weeks. You can opt out on grinding your own, but why would you? Just takes a few pulses on a blender or spice grinder or… get those forearms a workout with the ol’ pestle and mortar. Come now. You can do it… it’ll help you grow a mighty beard.

Huzzah! Enjoy, and let me know how you go at feaston@feastonbeasts.com

Wow!!

The art of producing mouth-watering steaks… every time. 

by Train 

Ready? 

1. Room temperature – let the steak arrive at room temp. naturally. DO NOT even glance at the microwave! 

2. Pat your steak with paper towel. Moisture is your enemy! 

3. Season your steak – we beg of you. GENEROUSLY, coat in olive oil and gently “pat” and cover with salt and pepper (perhaps even a touch of fresh ground garlic… perhaps). 

4. Sear your steaks on each side on a hotplate heated to approx. temp of the sun. Count to 7 on each side but count to 31 on the fat cap. 

5. Lay freshly-seared steak on the hottest part of your grill for 1 minute. Rotate 90 degrees anti-clockwise and grill for another minute. 

6. Turn your steak over and grill for another minute. Rotate and grill for 30 seconds. Slide the steak towards the cooler part of your grill for the final 30 seconds. 

7. Rest the steak under an untucked canopy of aluminium foil for 5 minutes 

8. Remove canopy with a flourish and look on in wonder as your perfect steak is revealed to an adoring audience. 

9. Slice your beautiful creation. Perfection! Yes, it’s real and you did it. 

10. Don your feasting shirt and… FEAST ON! 

Internal temp. guide for great steaks your way: 

Rare = 48˚- 50˚  Medium Rare = 52 ˚- 54 ˚   Medium = 58 ˚- 60 ˚ 

www.feastonbeasts.com e: feaston@feastonbeasts.com 

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