A Carnivore's Super Bowl Party

Despite a premature end to the Saints season, the Super Bowl is still being played on Sunday against our protesting. Not only does the day feature a contest between the two best teams in the NFL, armchair quarterbacks all over the country will be competing among themselves as to whom gain the most weight during the game. The annual clash on the gridiron demands that you consume copious amounts of processed cheese food, an entire bag of Fritos Scoops, a 12 pack of beer, and half of a king cake, all while patiently waiting to see if any of this year's advertisements will eclipse the genius of the E*Trade monkey commercial or if Madonna's top will fall off during the halftime show.

Photo by renee b. photography.

Or, instead of eating your weight in French Onion dip, you can live large by grilling up a selection of the finest meats from Rare Cuts. Hell, open up a nice bottle of wine and make a wager on the coin toss while you're at it. The end of carnival is just around the corner, and as we discuss in this month's Dining Out column in OffBeat Magazine, there is no better time to indulge in a premium cut of meat, and no better place than Rare Cuts to find that perfect piece of beef... or lamb... or pork... or veal... or chicken... or duck... or quail... or lobe of foie gras. They even have 100% all beef hot dogs for the kiddies.

Photo by renee b. photography.

We promise that Owner Henry Albert is much less menacing than he looks in this picture. Just don't touch his meat clever. (No, that is not a euphemism.)

Rare Cuts
801 Nashville Ave.
(504) 267-4687
Mon-Sat: 10am-7pm; Sun: 10am-5pm

Grape Expectations

A few days ago I went to Rare Cuts to load up on research material for a future project.  I spared no expense: dry aged strip, wet aged spinalis, twice baked potatoes, creamed spinach, and a medallion of foie gras for good measure. While driving home I called The Folk Singer and told her that in light of the beautiful weather, we would be cooking and dining outdoors on that particular night. Plus, top quality beef begs for top quality wine, and so I proclaimed that we would be opening a bottle of wine from the "lower levels" - code word for the area of my wine cooler reserved for bottles only to be opened on a special occasion.  It was a Thursday, and what better reason need there be to enjoy a fine meal and nice bottle of wine.

Searching through my cooler, I decided on a bottle of 2007 Caymus, one of the most popular cabernets from the Napa Valley. TFS and I have lusted over Caymus ever since a dinner with The Pope at Charlie's Steakhouse when we shared a bottle of 2001 Caymus Special Select, probably one of the best wines that I have ever tasted. We had a few occasions to sample other vintages, but not in at least a year or two. Still, the '07 was definitely a bottle that we had looked forward to drinking.

The evening started out splendidly. We loaded up the cart in our apartment with all of the essentials and rolled it down to the outdoor grill. The wine had been opened and breathing for over an hour, plus we had our handy dandy Venturi aerator at our disposal.  The beef slowly rose to room temperature before hitting a grill as hot as Dante's Inferno.  After a few minutes, the potatoes and creamed spinach were ready to go, the steaks were well rested, and the seared foie had rendered enough fat that I was using it as butter on a crusty loaf of sourdough.

But the wine sucked. At the risk of raising my ACI and of proving myself an oenophilic fraud, this wine tasted like grape juice mixed with rubbing alcohol; a definitive California cabernet fruit bomb. But perhaps my palate is not sophisiticated enough to recognize the genius of these wines; I was not impressed with Opus One the first time that I tasted it either. Still, my expectations were high, and this wine fell far below.

The theme of this story does not revolve around the wine but the disappointment. I fancy myself an amateur wine collector and have a small collection of wine that I have mentally reserved for long term cellaring. Each time I reach into the cooler to pick out a wine to bring to a dinner party, an internal debate always ensues as to whether a particular bottle is ready for opening and if this occasion is worthy of said bottle. Usually, I err on the side of holding, telling myself, "This '05 Barolo is going to be ridiculous. There is no way that I am drinking it with The Pope's grilled chicken wings."

But the fact of the matter is that I have never tried said '05 Barolo or many of the other wines in my cooler, and there is no guarantee that any of those wines will not be a certifiable flop like that bottle of Caymus. Wine, just as life, is full of surprises. When I finally open that bottle of 2001 Valduero Gran Reserva which I have been saving, there is a chance that I may experience the same disappointment (but on a much lower level) as the young doctors and lawyers and such who study for years only to realize that their professional lifelong dream is actually a nightmare.

Thankfully, such an experience helps one gain perspective. It would be difficult to appreciate the truly great wines enjoyed over one's lifetime were it not for a number of disappointing bottles along the way. TFS and I never finished that bottle of Caymus; it's still sitting in our fridge. But the lesson did prompt us to reminisce about that cool fall evening a few months back when we boarded the streetcar and rode up and down St. Charles for a few hours while soaking in the sights and sounds and sipping 2008 Justin Savant out of plastic Mardi Gras cups. An unexpected but welcome trip down memory lane.

On to the next bottle.

The Perfect Steak

Who hasn't said or heard this lie, "I don't get steaks in restaurants because I can cook them just as good at home."

And for a large part this is true. The key to any good steak is simplicity- salt, pepper, and heat. Little more is needed. You shouldn't need a battalion of cooks, enormous ranges, or insurance to cook a good steak. But nNo matter how often you throw steaks on the grill or frying pan, small differences in the cut, quality of the meat, and temperature of the fire can cause your steaks to be slightly under or over cooked.

I've searched the world over (ok really just a few backyards) to figure out how to cook steaks perfectly at home. And I finally found it. The key is to treat steaks like barbecue-low and slow. The French have a word for this, it is sous vide. Sorry took Spanish, you have to translate yourself.

Take a deep breath, slow down there Master of the grill, keeper of the flame. Sure I am an idiot, but this is not the conclusive proof you were looking for. Let me set the scene. Last week was my dad's birthday and all he wanted to do was grill some steaks, drink wine, and sit in the backyard. With age, comes wisdom. I had been wanting to grill a thick porterhouse in the style of a bistecca alla fiorentina for some time, so what the heck.

Called Henry at Rare Cuts last week and asked for a porterhouse at least two inches thick. When I show up on Sunday he has a nearly three inch, 56 ounce chunk of man food waiting. "Hey you want to borrow the immersion circulator," Henry asks.

"Hell yes," I say.

Basically here is how it works. You vacuum seal meat, vegetables, eggs, etc... and place it into a waterbath which holds a constant temperature. After a while whatever is in the bag is the same temperature as the water, but it can never go over. Since this steak was so thick, cooking it on a grill would have resulted in a burned exterior with a cool interior. No bueno. Steak got some salt and pepper before getting shrinkwrapped, I got a machine to borrow for the night, and I was out the door.

Plugged in the machine, filled it with water, set the temperature to 130 degrees, placed the steak in the water and went outside to start the grill and drink some wine. After an hour at 130, removed the steak, set it on top of some blazing hot coals, and charred the outside. Pulled meat off the flame and let it rest. When I sliced through the exterior crust it crackled like a log tumbling through a fireplace grate. Inside was the rosiest cut of meat I've ever cooked with just a thin line of well done meat just below the surface.

Because the salt and pepper had stewed with the meat for an extended period of time, the meat had an incredible depth of flavor. A little salad of arugula and Parmesan dressed with lemon juice and extra virgin olive completed the ensemble.



Pretty certain I am going to be ordering one of these machines right quick. A perfect home cooked steak is the best reason I can find for not going out to dinner.

What You Can Get Us For Christmas: Part 1

Fact: The best thing about writing on this website is no one can ever say, "Love your writing, use it to wipe my ass/potty train my terriers/send enemies dead fish."

Fact: If you read our work, there is a ninety percent chance you like food and booze based on the search terms that bring you to our corner of the Information SuperHighway. There is a ten percent chance you are a huge fan of Lavar Burton.

Fact: You owe us some gifts. 

Now granted, the gift giving holidays are a ways off. But each week till Baby Jesus arrives and sees his shadow meaning we have six more weeks of football, we will give you tips for gifts to get your favorite bloggers. Who knows maybe you can even give it to someone you actually like.

You know what would be awesome this year for Christmas? Instead of giving me a Barry Manilow Croons the Classics CD and a pair of Argyle socks, if you dropped off a dry aged hunk of beef with my name on it. Here is how you do it. Go to Rare Cuts and purchase a "primal." A primal is just a non-portioned cut of steak (i.e. an entire tenderloin). Then Rare Cuts ages it for however long I want (tenderloin 30 days, rib eye 35+, Strip 40+). After that time elapses, they cut it up into individual steaks or roasts. They call you on the phone and you deliver it to my house. Leave it outside though or the hounds will eat it.

Now, the benefit to this is that normally you pay more per pound for dry aged beef. This is because the butcher loses part of the meat to the noble rot, so therefore it charges more on the meat he can use. But if you go through Rare Cuts they charge you the rate pre Dry Aging. While the prices aren't cheap, they will make us realize how much you appreciate us, which is the entire reason behind the season. Even better, get together a group of your blog reading friends and go in on a primal together. Then you split the cost up and each of you can give us  3-4 steaks.

2010 Challenge: Photos of Bones Favre Wishes He'd Sent Instead

Sorry, there is no way to avoid making a joke about Brett Favre's inability to once again come up big when it matters, in this case when you are talking about bone marrow. Color me juvenile. On my first visit to Feast, I sampled their roasted bone marrow, which is the meat-butter of the food world and superior to the myriad variations of foie gras popping up in every restaurant like dandelions in an abandoned lot. Bone marrow is like Nicky Hilton: less celubutante, more substance, and humbler than her older sister, Paris. Shoot, here we are again talking about X rated things. Moving on...

Sheltered by the sturdy bone of the animal from which it came, marrow remains soft and unctuous no matter how you cook it. I like it roasted the beast, when you can poke it out of the bone and spread it onto a well-toasted piece of bread. A few sprinkles of fleur de sel, a scoop of something bright (parlsley salad, some shallots tossed in red wine vinegar, a double rainbow, etc...), and you are on your way to a very good start.

Favre Marrow

First, get the marrow bones. Mine came from Rare Cuts, but any butcher worth their salt should be able to source some bones for you. These are beef bones, specifically from the leg bones of a cow, which as you may already know is an animal. So if you are a vegetarian, use a leek instead. Fill a large pot (one you would use for pasta) with cold, salted water. Into this place your bones. Place pot on the stove, and bring to a light boil, then lower to simmer and cook for twenty minutes. Crank your oven to 400 degrees.

Get a crusty loaf of sourdough, slice it, and toast. To make a parsley salad, combine parsley with a few sliced shallots, a few shakes of red wine vinegar, and toss. I was out of parsley and lazy, so I just tossed sliced shallots in red wine.

Remove bones from water and place on a sturdy pan roasting pan or a cast iron skillet. Into the oven for another twenty minutes. Then turn on broiler and cook for another 10. Serve immediately with a good, deep red wine. A Cote du Rhone does well.

The Post-Katrina Top 20: #10 - #6

We have cracked the Top 10 in our survey of the best new food and beverage improvements in post-K New Orleans. If you missed #20 through #11, you can find them here.

#10: Patois - If success were measured by TV face time, Patois would be the highest rated restaurant in the Michelin guide. But before every character on Treme was vying for a table at Desautel's, owners Leon & Pierre Touzet and Chef Aaron Burgau won the affection of diners with this local dialect of French cuisine. Like so many restaurants these days, the menu at Patois is subject to the seasons. Pheasant, duck, and rabbit are mainstays treated with different interpretations, while the popularity of the grilled lamb ribs have assured that dish will remain the same for a long, long time. Patois has also expanded locals' options for a casual yet refined brunch, when the offerings reach far beyond eggs benedict, such as the egg, pork belly, and fried green tomato sandwich.

#9: Rare Cuts - Ordering a steak at a restaurant seems an exercise in futility. Most steaks require little more than salt, pepper, and high heat to turn out an impeccable product. Saying, "Filet, medium-rare" doesn't give us an opportunity to really grade the kitchen. But we still love meat which is why we can't get enough of the thick, dry aged rib eyes from Rare Cuts. Look, you returned from Katrina. Rebuilt your house. Installed a chef's dream kitchen with granite counter tops, Sub Zero appliances, and a Viking range that would make Thomas Keller weep. Let Rare Cuts help you put that kitchen to good use. Choice and Prime steaks, lamb, pork, chicken, foie gras, and more abound at this meatporium. Three locations, Mandeville, River Ridge, and Uptown (Nashville and Magazine) mean you are never a far drive from a great cut of meat.

#8: Green Goddess - From a carnivore's dream to a whimsical place where vegetarians and omnivores can coexist in harmony. Inside a tiny space on Exchange Alley, Chefs Chris DeBarr and Paul Artigues draw from both local influences and their own worldly travels. From India to England and Vietnam to Acadiana, the menu knows no boundaries. And with an original cocktail menu, extensive wine list, and full cheese tasting to boot, The Green Goddess rivals nearly any fine dining experience in the city.

#7: Le Foret - Chances are, given the uncertain state of the economy, you have cut back your dining budget. Maybe you are cooking at home more, roasting your own chickens and pureeing potatoes. So dining at another "casual" dining spot featuring comfort food does not seem to be a good use of that shrinking dining budget. Enter Le Foret, the newest member of the pantheon of top fine dining in New Orleans (other members, Stella! Herbsaint, and August). Remember when you were a kid and your parents would go out to dinner? It seemed magical, special. They would get dressed up, eat at fancy sounding places, and come home giggling. A night on the town means something again as Le Foret recaptures the celebratory, magical element of dining out. At Le Foret you will dine on foie gras souffles floating in a glass smooth puree of butternut squash. Or a plate of escargot topped by a crown of puff pastry. The chef's tasting is the best bet in order to allow you to experience the full panoply of Certified Master Chef Jimmy Corwell's talents. Plus, when you leave the hostess will slip you a little cellophane package filled with a Madeleine. It is enough to make you giggle all the way home.

#6: Boucherie - White table cloths and $30 entrees be damned, Chef Nathaniel Zimet took his mobile Que Crawl concept to brick-and-mortar when he took over the former location of Iris on Jeannette Street. After originally focusing primarily on smoked meats, the menu at Boucherie has since expanded into far East flavors like curry leaf marinated duck breats and grilled yoghurt marinated paneer in curry. But Zimet's long time fans need not fret, because classics like parmesan and garlic butter fries, the pulled pork cake, and Krispy Kreme bread pudding still stand strong on the menu.

Farewell to Meat - Rare Cuts

Henry Albert and John Lalla
Partners, Rare Cuts

The Meat: A Mixed Grill - Rib Eyes, Lamb Chops, Spinalis, and Filet

Thirty years or so ago, the wine world was revolutionized by the growth of consumer friendly wine stores. Free wine tastings, knowledgeable but unfussy staff, and educational classes gave novice wine drinkers an incredible outlet for a growing fascination. Rare Cuts mission is to emulate the success of places like Martin's Wine Cellar but by selling meat, not wine.

John Lalla is a 3rd generation butcher (his grandfather began NATCO in 1925). Henry Albert is a self-described "steak nut" who takes a yearly trip with college roommates to visit steakhouses around the country. Together these two have collaborated to produce Rare Cuts. For years NATCO has sold to restaurants, hotels, and other institutions, but Rare Cuts is a return to the butcher shop that Lalla's grandfather started in the French Quarter.

Henry and John buy beef only from what they consider the best ranchers in the country (i.e., Harris Ranch and Brandt Beef), select cuts only to their specifications from Black Angus steers, age the beef in house, and hand-cut it to exact portions. As Lalla explains: "People spend $50,000 on a kitchen and they never use it. Or they do, and they wonder why the recipe for Emeril's Porterhouse they got off the internet didn't taste like the one they ate at Delmonico's. And I tell them, 'It is because you aren't starting with the same ingredients.'"

The meat at Rare Cuts is aged specifically by cut. What is aging? Well there are two types. The first is wet aging, in which the meat is wrapped in cellophane, vacuum sealed, and allowed to rest in its own juices. The second method and more common is dry aging, whereby a whole cut of meat, say a slab of rib eye, ages uncovered in a temperature and humidity controlled room for a period of days (for a rib eye it is 20 days). With dry aging, the outside of the meat gets a dark bark (shown below) which is trimmed off to reveal a tender, rose-colored interior. During the aging process the meat's own enzymes begin to break down and tenderize the beef while moisture evaporates. The result is a denser, firmer piece of beef.

The difference in taste is discernible. Dry aged beef has an oaky, spicy flavor, but the tenderness is the same as wet aging. After aging the beef is then cut into portions. "We sell our meat by the cut, not by the pound. We do this because we know that a 6 oz filet is 6 oz, not 7 or 5. That way when you cook it at home, you will learn that 3 minutes on each side is sufficient for medium rare," says Albert.

Another hallmark of the quality of meat at Rare Cuts is the amount of fat running through it. "My dad called fat 'the other white meat.' And it is true, that is where the flavor comes from," says Lalla.

Rare Cuts is located at 1600 West Causeway Approach in Mandeville, and they are opening in River Ridge in approximately two weeks, with more locations planned in the coming year. If you like meat and love cooking at home, you need to visit Rare Cuts the next time you get a hankering for a steak. It is not only their knowledge and enthusiasm for prime meat that makes Rare Cuts a better option, but also their respect for the ranchers, animals, and butchers who produce the meat. "If someone tells me they are going to marinate these steaks in Italian dressing, Tabasco, and Dale's, I cringe and suggest they use a different cut then the wet aged, prime filet. All a good piece of meat needs is salt, pepper, and heat," Albert instructs.

Frenched lamb chops. The fat on this lamb was incredibly soft and sweet. If pork, duck, and lamb fat were in a dance off, pork would be Ronnie from Jersey Shore, duck would be a break dancer, and lamb a ballerina.

Three different cuts from the dry aged rib eye. The two on the left are excellent examples of a rib eye with "star fat"- the white anchor of fat in the middle of the cut. The one on the right is a rib eye cut from the end with less fat.

Before cooking the meat is sprinkled generously with salt and pepper and then left to sit for a few minutes.

Then the meat is placed on a smoking hot grill. While Rare Cuts has a kitchen inside, they can't help but love to fire up their outdoor grill. The smell of grilled meat wafts throughout the parking lot and remainder of the strip mall, making them everyone's favorite neighbor.

An up close shot of the grilled spinalis. What's a spinalis? Why it's a cut that goes to 11. The spinalis, often called the "end cap," is the cap on the rib eye (the crescent shape of meat encircling the Star Fat). It has tenderness and a sturdy shape, but more importantly loads of flavor.

Red wine is a natural choice for marbled steaks, but on this Saturday morning we drank Bloody Marys and talked about the Saints. During our chat, John told me he had his butchers send over some specially cut Rib Eyes to Drew Brees's house in the shape of a Fleur de Lis, "My butchers weren't happy with me. They'd been cutting meat for 23 years, and this was a pain in the ass. But don't tell anyone about that, or everyone will be asking for them."

Ooops.