Ingredients: (Makes Roughly 3/4 Cup)
4 Dried Ancho Chilies
3 cloves of Garlic
2 tbsp Fresh Cilantro
2 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Lime Juice
2 tbsp Oil (we used safflower)

Directions:
1. Reconstitute the ancho chilies (how to reconstitute dried chilies), then destem and deseed them.

2. Combine the chilies, garlic, cilantro, salt, lime juice and oil in a blender or food processor.  Blend to combine.

3. Rub the paste on the meat.

4. Optional, but ideal: Rest the meat in your refrigerator for several hours prior to cooking it to allow the flavors to start working on the meat.

5. Grill, broil, roast or cook the meat however you otherwise would.

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Technique 1:

How to Perfectly Pan Roast a Steak

We prefer strip steaks and ribeye steaks for this technique, but any steak will do.

1.Season steak generously with salt & pepper on all sides.

2.Put a sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add grapeseed, peanut or canola oil to coat.

3.When oil begins to smoke, add the steak.

4.Sear on all sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. And, don’t forget the edges.

5.Turn the heat down to medium.

6.Add a couple tablespoons of butter and a couple sprigs of fresh rosemary.

7.Baste every couple minutes. Continue cooking until desired internal temperature. For medium, cook about 8 minutes.

8.Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

9.Slice and dust with your favorite seasoning salt.

As you can see, the results from our photo shoot looked fantastic and, since we’d just launched our line of fine finishing salts, we sliced up the steak and sampled some of the salts from the artisan salt collection.

Everyone enjoyed the Sweet & Salt on the strip steak. Fennel & Salt and Porcini & Salt were also good. Fiori & Salt was surprisingly good. Truffle & Salt was too overpowering for the meat…unless you want to taste nothing but truffles.

Technique 2:

How to Grill a Steak

To prep, first dry off any surface moisture that could inhibit the development of a nice crust, and then season both sides with salt and pepper.

To grill, place on a hot, clean, grill that has been lightly brushed with a cloth dipped in oil. When the first set of grill marks have been achieved, rotate the meat a half-turn in order to develop a restaurant-style hash-mark presentation.

Flip halfway through cooking in order to do the same to the other side. Present with the cleaner grill marks up. If you have a thicker steak and are concerned with the outside becoming too dry by the time the inside has reached temperature, searing on the grill and finishing in the oven (see stove/oven instructions below) is a good way to keep this from happening.

Technique 3:

How to Cook a Steak Using the Stove/Oven Hybrid Method
On the stove, bring an oiled frying pan or cast-iron skillet to high heat and carefully place the steak in the pan with the top half angled away to avoid oil splashes.

Sear each side to develop a nice brown crust, then transfer to an oven preheated to around 400 degrees (the same pan can be used).

When the steak has reached the desired internal temperature (a probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part is an easy way to tell) remove it from the pan and allow it to rest so the internal juices can be redistributed. Skipping the rest will result in a dryer steak than you were hoping for.

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More of a technique than a recipe, here’s the method we use for marinating red meat in oil. This recipe works particularly well for Kobe beef, grassfed beef, and beef-like game meats like bison, ostrich meat and kangaroo meat.  Pretty much any meat cut can be marinated, though skirt steaks & flank steaks absorb marinades particularly well.

Basic Oil Meat Marinade
1 part canola oil
1 part olive oil
Peppercorns
Bay Leaf
Garlic Cloves
Coriander
Thyme
Rosemary

Use just enough oil to cover the meat cuts you’re marinating, and vary the quantities of other ingredients based on how prominent your want their flavors to be in the finished dish.

Directions:
1. Crush the garlic cloves with the flat of your chef’s knife, but don’t bother peeling them.

2. Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and bring just to a simmer.  Remove from the heat and let cool completely.

3. Pour the marinade over your meat in a zip-top bag, and place it in a bowl (to protect against drips) in your refrigerator to marinate for several hours or (preferably) overnight.

Variations:  Try adding cumin or paprika/pimenton to bring some heat to your marinade.

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Porterhouse with Roasted Heirloom Potatoes and Béarnaise Sauce ( serves 8 )

Wine Pairing: Napa Valley Cabernet or Monastrell from Jumilla, Spain

Porterhouses are rich, flavorful steaks and bearnaise is a rich, flavorful sauce.  The combination of the two is a luxurious classic steakhouse dish.

Steak & Potatoes Ingredients:
4 grass-fed porterhouse steaks (could substitute other premium steaks)
4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
8 sprigs of fresh thyme
24oz of heirloom roasting potatoes (we used Austrian crescent fingerlings & mountain rose potatoes)
Sea Salt to taste
Peanut oil

Plus: Bearnaise Sauce Recipe

1. Roast the potatoes.  Once they’ve finished, pull them out and increase the oven’s temperature to 400 degrees.

2. Carefully dry all surface moisture from the porterhouse steaks. Season one side liberally with the sea salt.

3. Oil a cast-iron skillet (enough to coat the bottom) with the peanut oil. Heat the skillet over medium heat.

4. Once the skillet is very hot, put the porterhouse steak in the skillet salt-side down. Salt the other side.

5. Add the cloves of garlic and thyme sprigs to the skillet.  While the steak cooks, gently tip the pan periodically to redistribute the oil.

6. Once a crust has formed on the bottom of the porterhouse, flip it, and move it to the oven to finish.

7. Allow the steak to roast in the oven until your desired level of doneness has almost been reached. The steak will continue to cook slowly (an additional 5-10 degrees) during the rest.

8. Set up a warm resting area with a clean plate and a sheet of tin foil to cover.

9. Once the steak is ready, remove its pan from the oven. Discard the thyme sprigs, reserve the roasted garlic for a later garnish. Rest your steak, covered, for ten minutes.

10. Turn off the oven, and put the potatoes back inside, using the residual heat to reheat them (but be careful not to let them overcook).

11. Slice the potatoes and plate them with the porterhouse steak and a clove of the roasted garlic (squeezed out of its peel).  Add the béarnaise sauce and serve immediately (the sauce will break down from the heat of the steak if you sauce too early).

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(makes 4 sausage sandwiches)

Ingredients
1 yellow onion
1 red or green pepper
1 head Treviso (or endive if no Treviso is available)
12 oz. buffalo sausage (or other game sausage)
Mayonnaise or aioli (we recommend homemade mayonnaise)

Cooking Instructions 

1. Saute the sliced onion and sliced pepper in butter or olive oil until translucent.

2. Wash your Treviso. Brush with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper. Put on grill over medium heat and grill until slightly browned.

3. Grill as many 4 oz. links of bison sausage as you like.

4. Brush the cut side of a baguette or roll with butter or olive oil and grill until slightly browned.

5. Assemble your sandwich by spreading the bread with mayonnaise or aioli of your choice, grilled treviso, sauteed peppers, and the sausage.

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Braised Short Ribs with Sautéed Rapini and Beans au Jus (Serves 6)

This is a perfect example of how slow braising can take an affordable cut of meat like the humble short rib and raise it to meteoric heights.  This braising liquid recipe uses both ultra-rich wine soaked vegetables and fresh un-soaked vegetables for a blend of intense and bright flavors.  Wrapping the short ribs in cheesecloth prior to braising helps keep them pristine for a magazine-worthy final presentation.

This recipe is long, and has many ingredients, but it is not difficult and the results are spectacular.

Drink Parings: Red Bordeaux or California Cabernet or Australian Shiraz

Ingredients:
2 1/2 lbs of Short Ribs (we particularly recommend Kobe beef short ribs).

Braising Liquid
1 cup Shallots, finely diced
1 + 1 1/2 cups Leeks, finely sliced
1 cup Celery, finely diced
1 + 2/3 cups Carrots, finely diced
1 + 1 cups of Onion, finely diced
6 sprigs of Fresh Parsley
6 + 3 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme
2 + 2 Bay Leaves
3 + 2 cloves of Garlic, skin on & crushed
1 bottle of Red Wine (Cabernet or Malbec)
¾ of a cup of AP Flour
5 cups White Veal Stock (how to make white veal stock)
Olive Oil
Canola or Grapeseed Oil for searing

Cheesecloth

Rapini Side Dish
1 bunch of rapini
½ clove of Garlic, minced

Plus: Stuben Beans au Jus

Directions:

1. Heat a little olive oil to a pot or dutch oven.  Add 1 cup each of all the vegetables, three cloves of garlic, two bay leaves and 6 sprigs each of the parsley and thyme.

2. Sweat the vegetables and herbs for 3-5 minutes until fragrant.

3. Add the entire bottle of red wine and bring to a simmer.

4. Let simmer for about 40-45 minutes, until the wine has reduced to a thick syrup consistency.

5. Trim any excess surface fat or sinew from the short ribs, but keep the large strips of integrated fat, which will melt into the braising liquid. Season them with salt and pepper.

6. Spread the flour out on a plate and coat each side of the short ribs, shaking off any excess flour.  Discard flour. 

7. In a separate frying pan heat canola or grapeseed oil over medium-high heat.  Add the short ribs and sear them on both of the bone-visible sides to develop a golden brown crust.  Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to sear in batches, just make sure to check the oil level after each batch to keep the fond from burning.

8. Preheat your oven to 325.

9. Once the wine has reduced to a syrup, add the additional cup of onion, 2 garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 3 sprigs of thyme, 2/3 cup of carrots, and 1 ½ cups of leeks.  Push the fresh vegetables down to make an even coating on top of the wine soaked veggies.

10. Cut the cheesecloth into a rough square a little bit larger than your pot.  Wet it with water, and lay it over the vegetables with the ends draped over the pot.

11. Nestle the short ribs in the pot on top of the cheesecloth in a single layer & fold the ends of the cheesecloth over to cover them.  Pour in the veal stock.

12. Cover the pot and bring the mixture to a simmer, then move to the oven to braise for 1 ½-2 hours until the short ribs are fork tender.

13. Remove the pot from the oven, unfold the cheesecloth and remove the short ribs.  Discard the cheesecloth.

14. Strain the braising liquid, and discard all the solids.

15. Let the liquid cool just until the fat rises to the surface. Skim off the fat.

16. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (the larger the better).  Trim the ends off the rapini and add it to the pot.

17. Make an ice water bath and have it standing by ready to shock the rapini once it’s cooked.

18. Blanch the rapini for 1-1 ½ minutes (depending on stem thickness).

19. Immediately plunge the rapini into your ice bath to stop the cooking process and set the color.

20. Put whole short ribs in a frying pan with the reserved braising liquid (about 1 cup per two short rib pieces), and simmer the liquid down to a glaze, basting occasionally.

21. Sweat the remaining half clove of diced garlic in olive oil until fragrant.  Add the rapini and sauté until  it is cooked through, but still has a crunch.

22. Fill individual bowls with the stuben beans, and top them with the glazed short ribs and rapini.  Pour any remaining reduced braising liquid over the top. Serve.

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(serves 4-5)

These kabobs have a nice beefy flavor that fades in and out with the heat of the marinade.  Have your guests drizzle on more aioli if they wish to tone down the spice.

Ingredients:
2.3lbs (1 pack) thawed bison kabobs
 ½ cup fresh cilantro
½ cup fresh parsley
Chilies (we used 1 dried habanero pepper and 1 dried aji pepper)
~1 cup peanut oil
1 tbs fresh ginger
½ cup white wine vinegar

And: Blood Orange Aioli

Cooking Process:

1.  Reconstitute the dried peppers.

2. Peel the ginger using a spoon (safer) or the back of your knife blade. Slice thinly.

3.Puree (in a food processor or blender) cilantro, parsley, chilies, ginger, and white wine vinegar. Drizzle in peanut oil.

4.  Pour over skewers in shallow dish. Cover and marinate for at least an hour in the fridge.

5. Cook the skewers on a cleaned and oiled grill. Bison cooks a little faster than beef as it is lean.

6. Serve with the aoli on the side garnished with blood oranges cut into supremes.

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If you’ve ever looked down on the humble skirt steak as inferior to more expensive cuts like the filet mignon…this recipe just might change your mind.  This dish is simple, but delicious and lets the steak and mushrooms stand on their own with just a slight thyme/butter flavor.

Drink Pairings: Oregon Pinot Noir or Sangiovese from Chianti, Italy

Ingredients:
7oz Grass-Fed Beef Skirt Steak per person ( , you could substitute bison skirt steak or Kobe beef skirt steak)
½ cup Fresh Chanterelle Mushrooms per person
2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 tbsp Unsalted Butter
1 clove of Garlic, skin on

Plus:
About 1 cup Basic Oil Meat Marinade

Directions
1. Trim off any surface fat or silverskin.

2. Transfer to a zip top bag and add enough of the marinade to cover.  Seal the bag, and transfer it to a bowl in the refrigerator to marinate overnight.

3. Remove the skirt steak from the oil, season with salt and pepper.  Cut into manageable pieces. Get some oil hot in a frying pan over medium-high heat and add the skirt steak.

4. Crush the garlic with the side of your chef’s knife, but do not peel it.

5. Once one side of the steak has developed a dark brown crust, flip it, turn the heat down to medium, and add the thyme, butter, and garlic.

6. Continue to cook the steak until your desired level of doneness has been reached, basting with the melted butter.

7. Remove the steak from the pan, cover it with foil, and let it rest for five to ten minutes before slicing.

8. Saute the chanterelles in the remaining butter in the pan until they’ve darkened, become tender, and emit a nutty aroma.

9. Thinly slice the skirt steak against the grain and plate it with the chanterelles.  Top with a little of the juices that have collected on the resting plate. Serve.

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The Southwest meets the Southeast when you plate these slightly spicy ribs with creamy grits that are spiked with cotija cheese.  The tomatillo jam/sauce adds a spicy and tangy bite.

Drink Pairings: Monastrell from Jumilla, Spain or Frappato from Sicily

Ingredients: (Makes 3-4 servings) 
1lb Boneless Kobe Beef Short Ribs (could substitute bison short ribs, or short-cut bone-in Kobe short ribs)
1/8^th cup Red Wine Vinegar
1 Bay Leaf
¼ cup Carrots, Medium Diced
¼ cup Celery, Medium Diced
1/3 cup Onion, Medium Diced
½+ quart Chicken Stock
1 Dried Pasilla Negro Chile
1 cup Polenta or Grits
3 cups of Water (for grits)
½ cup Cotija Cheese
½ cup Heavy Cream
2 ½ tbsp Unsalted Butter
2 tsp Sugar
3 tbsp Spicy Jam (we used jalapeno jam)
Salt

Plus: 3 Roasted Tomatillos (how to roast tomatillos),

Directions: 
1. Preheat your oven to 300 degrees

2. Trim surface fat and silver skin off of the short ribs.

3. Cut into manageable portions for searing (~4-5 inches wide).

4. Let the short ribs come to room temperature.  Season one side liberally with salt.

5. Lay the rib portions in oil in a hot skillet, and sear them on all sides to develop a rich brown crust.

6. Remove & reserve the short ribs, drain the excess oil from the pan, and deglaze it with the red wine vinegar.

7. Reduce the vinegar until almost completely evaporated. 

8. Return the short ribs to the pan.  Add the carrots, onions, celery, bay leaf, the pasilla negro, and enough chicken stock to come up 3/4ths of the way up the meat.

9. Bring to a simmer, cover the pot, and move to the oven to braise for about 6 hours.  Check the pot every few hours to make sure it hasn’t dried out, and add additional chicken stock as necessary.

10. When the short ribs are tender, remove them from the stove and either store them in the refrigerator overnight (they’ll be even better the next day) or reserve them while you cook the rest of the sides.

11. Make the grits:  Bring the three cups of water to a boil on the stove, and then pour the polenta/grits in a steady stream.  Keep the heat on high, and stir continuously. 

12. Once the mixture starts to thicken, reduce the heat to medium low, and continue to stir.  Be aware that at this point the grits will start to bubble, spitting molten cornmeal.  To control this, stir the pan alternating on and off the heat so that they remain hot enough to cook, but do not bubble too much.

13. Once the grits have gotten very thick and are spitting no matter what you do, reduce the heat to low.  At this point they only need to be stirred periodically.  Continue to cook until tender.

14. Crumble in the cotija cheese, stir in the cream and 2 tbsps of the  butter.  Cover the pot and let it sit over very low heat to melt the cheese and keep the grits warm.  When you’re ready to serve, taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as necessary.

15. Blend together the roasted tomatillos and spicy jam until smooth.  Move the mixture to a frying pan and add the sugar.  Gently simmer, stirring occasionally, to keep it hot until you’re ready to serve and ensure the sugar is dissolved.

16. Optional: If you braised the short ribs the day before, remove any solidified fat floating on the chilled braising liquid before reheating the ribs.

17. Put the short ribs in a frying pan along with a little of the reserved braising liquid and reheat them, basting occasionally with the braising liquid.  Just before serving, stir in a half tablespoon of butter to add shine and richness to the sauce.

18. Put a hearty serving of the grits on the bottom of a large bowl, top with the short ribs and some of the braising sauce, then finish with the tomatillo mixture.

19. Garnish with micro cilantro, cilantro, or mustard Dijon greens. Serve.

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While grilling burgers may seem like outdoor cooking’s greatest no-brainer, there are actually nuances to the grilling technique that will give you a better burger every time.  Though we’re demonstrating it here with Kobe beef burgers, this same technique can be used with all of our  specialty burgers.

The Best Way to Grill Burgers

Season both sides of the burgers liberally with salt (keep in mind that a fair amount will fall off on the grill).  While you can finish the cooked burgers with pepper (we recommend freshly ground Tellicherry Peppercorns), pepper put on prior to grilling can burn and become excessively bitter.

Place them on a well oiled, hot grill, and don’t touch them for a few minutes.  When you estimate that side of the burger is half done, give it a quarter turn to achieve those diamond-shaped grill marks that everyone loves.  When the side is finished, flip the burger and repeat the same process on the other side.

Once you’ve flipped the burgers, place the tops and bottoms of your hamburger buns (we prefer brioche) on the grill to toast.  Toasting the buns not only adds a crisp texture and toasted flavor to your burgers, but also helps keep them from becoming soggy.  After flipping is also the appropriate time to add cheese if you’re cooking cheeseburgers, so that the heat of the grill can start the cheese melting before the burger hits the bun.

Keep an eye on your burgers!  Overcooking Kobe beef or any of our other exotic burgers will destroy the flavor and tenderness that makes them special. 

Until you develop an eye for exactly what your favorite level of doneness looks like from the outside, consider using a probe thermometer to check your burgers.  The USDA recommends cooking ground meat to an internal temperature of 160 degrees, which is usually considered Well Done.  This gives you a good base temperature to adjust as you will.

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