Friday Food Porn: A Gastronaut's Crush

By Jason Sheehan, Friday, Jun. 25 2010 @ 4:30PM

Categories: From the Gut

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Photo courtesy Peter Mumford

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This week's review of Crush was all about the quiet competence of a kitchen deprived of its award-winning executive chef. It's about silence and the rush, about the kind of training it takes to make a galley function just as well when the chef is in the house as it does when he is away.

This week's slideshow, though? It's all about the food and the booze which are the main draw at Crush--a too-brief tour of the scene and the cuisine as witnessed by Peter Mumford who hit Crush after I was done and shot his way through one night's service.

Photo courtesy Peter Mumford

​Peter's snaps show all that is great about Crush--from the food on the plates to the drinks being slung across the bar and the electric vibe in the dining room and wide-open show galley on a really good night. But one of the things that I found most interesting about Crush (beyond the aforementioned food and drink) was chef Jason Wilson himself who, in his absence, actually did a better job of showing what a great chef is than he could've possibly done had he been in the house.

Without their general to command them, Wilson's troops did an amazing job with the menu--working in near silence for the entire night, casually and expertly banging out food of a caliber that's rare even in Seattle's best kitchens. On a normal night, Wilson would've been there, standing at expo, doing early prep with his guys, even washing dishes on Sundays to give his dishwasher a night off. But with him temporarily laid up and forced to stay clear of his kitchen, his crew stepped up admirably and cooked in such a way that--if Crush kept its line hidden away behind swinging doors like a normal restaurant--no one would've ever known he wasn't there.

As Peter's pictures show, the food and drinks at Crush are lovely. But to get a true feel for the place and what the crew is capable of, you really have to go yourself, sit at the kitchen counter and watch the guys at work. Wilson will probably be there when you show up, standing his post behind the pass. But even if he's not, the odds are very good that your dinner will look just as good as it does in this week's slideshow. And taste even better.

I just happen to love Crush. As a matter of fact, it was the place I took my wife that very first birthday of hers we celebrated together our first year we were dating. We like the food so much that we even convinced her company to have their holiday party there the following year. I think the most important event would be held at their private dining facility some 2 1/2 years after our first date. Yup. We were married in a small private ceremony... afterwards we enjoyed a cocktail hour with pass hors d'oeuvre and a hand picked menu for a meal and a memory to last a lifetime.

I love Crush.

Seven Myths About Grilling a Steak

Cooking instructor and author of Planet Barbecue Steven Raichlen knows a thing or two about grilling a steak, and today he's debunking a few grilling myths that'll help make your weekend barbecue that much better.

The perfect steak is one of the "high holies" of the grill. So let's dispel some common myths to help you nail the perfect steak every time.

Photo by FotoosVanRobin.

Myth 1:

A steak is a steak is a steak.

Fact:

Not all steaks are created equal and each requires its own special way of grilling. Thin ones, like skirt and flank steaks, should be grilled quickly over a hot fire. Thick steaks, like a porterhouse or T-bone, require a two zone fire - the hot zone for searing, the medium hot zone for cooking the meat through. Tough, fibrous steaks, like flank steaks, should be scored on the top and bottom to tenderize them and thinly sliced across the grain when served. Lean steaks, like filet mignon, require added fat, either in the form of an oil-based marinade or a wrapping of pancetta or bacon.

Myth 2:

You should bring a steak to room temperature before grilling.

Fact:

Leaving meat out at room temperature is a formula for disaster and there isn't a respectable steak house in the world that does it. Steaks (indeed, any meat) should be kept ice-cold - and bacteria free - until the moment they go on the grill. (When you're working over a 600° to 800°F fire, it takes mere seconds to take the chill off the meat.)

Myth 3:

Salt toughens steak. Don't apply it before grilling.

Fact:

A generous sprinkling of salt (kosher or coarse sea salt) and cracked black peppercorns applied just prior to grilling gives you the savory crust and robust flavor characteristic of the best steak house steaks. Grill masters from Florence to Florianópolis back me up on this. Season steaks right before they go on the grill. Just don't season them hours ahead or the salt will draw out the meat juices and make the steaks soggy.

Myth 4:

A barbecue fork is the proper tool for turning a steak.

Fact:

Stabbing a steak with a fork serves only to puncture the meat and drain out the juices. Turn your steaks with tongs.

Myth 5:

Turn the steaks often while grilling.

Fact:

If you watch really top steak masters from around the world, you'll notice they turn a steak only once. Why? This produces a better crust.

Myth 6:

The best way to check a steak for doneness is to cut into it with a knife.

Fact:

Again, cutting the meat releases the juices. The best way to check for doneness is to poke a steak with your finger. A rare steak is soft and squishy; a medium rare steak is yielding; medium is gently yielding; medium-well is firm; and well-done is hard and springy.

Myth 7:

Steak tastes best sizzling hot off the grill.

Fact:

Like most grilled meats, a steak hot off the grill will taste leathery and dry. You need to let it rest for a few minutes on a warm plate before serving. This allows the meat to "relax," making for a juicier, more tender steak.

Finally, for flavor, sheen, and succulence, don't forget to drizzle a little extra-virgin olive oil, melted butter, or beef fat over your perfectly grilled steak before serving. Think of it as the varnish on your masterpiece.

Planet Barbecue is available on Amazon.

The author of this post can be contacted at tips@lifehacker.com

Debunking these myths and taking these facts to heart will make you the grill king for sure. The only one I take a bit of issue with is Myth 5. I tend to follow a simple timing rule that has quite literally turned out perfect medium rare meats for the past couple of years. However, it does require you to turn a nice thick steak at least 3 times.

A 1" to 1 1/2" thick steak (of just about any kind) should be grilled around 3 minutes a side/turn... turning the steak 3 times... for a total of 12 minutes of grilling. Trust me... it works.