Category Archives: Meat

Michael Symon’s Grilled Pork Steaks with the Surprise of Dr. Pepper Barbecue Sauce

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Juicy and so very tender, these bountiful pork butt steaks get glazed with a Dr. Pepper -- yes! -- cherry barbecue sauce.
Juicy and so very tender, these bountiful pork butt steaks get glazed with a Dr. Pepper — yes! — cherry barbecue sauce.

Have you ever held a succulent rib between your fingers, then bitten into a taste of sweet-savory, marvelously yielding meat, only to wish there was more left on the bone to enjoy?

You get exactly that with Chef Michael Symon’s “Slow-Grilled Pork Butt Steaks with Cherry BBQ Sauce.”

It has the taste and tenderness of your favorite smoked ribs — but in the much more substantial form of pork butt or shoulder steaks that are meaty and beyond.

Best yet, they get glazed and served with a thick, fruity, savory and slightly spicy barbecue sauce made with not only fresh or frozen cherries but also a can of Dr. Pepper. Yes, you read that right.

The recipe is from his newest cookbook, “Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out” (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

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Napa Meets Kansas City At Stateline Road Smokehouse

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(Clockwise from top): beans & greens; burnt ends, baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and mac & cheese.
(Clockwise from top): beans & greens; burnt ends, baby back ribs, brisket, pulled pork, and mac & cheese.

Darryl Bell has known he wanted to be a chef since he was all of 8 years old, when he was already stirring up pots of lentil and hot water-corn bread at his family’s stove in Kansas City, MO.

He more than made good on that dream, cooking in such illustrious kitchens as Thomas Keller’s Bouchon Bistro in Yountville, Alinea in Chicago, and Press in St. Helena.

This summer, he finally opened his own restaurant, Stateline Road Smokehouse in Napa, named for the major thoroughfare that divides Kansas City, MO and Kansas City, KS.

Chef-Owner Darryl Bell.
Chef-Owner Darryl Bell.

It was an endeavor that took a long two years to turn a former auto repair shop into a casual, welcoming restaurant, which I had a chance to finally visit a couple weeks ago.

Even at lunch time on a Friday, the place was packed with folks chowing down on trays heaped with smoky tender meats.

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ABsteak Makes A Splashy Opening in San Francisco’s Union Square

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Thinly sliced Australian Wagyu brisket awaiting the grill at ABsteak.
Thinly sliced Australian Wagyu brisket awaiting the grill at ABsteak.

Upscale Korean steakhouse ABsteak opened in San Francisco’s Union Square last week with flash and panache, along with plenty of fire, but no smoke, well, thanks to its custom grill-tops that vacuum it all away.

It’s the 28th restaurant worldwide for Seoul-born Chef Akira Back, and only his second one in California (the first being in Los Angeles). In the next two years, he plans to open another 10 around the globe.

Quite the accomplishment for Black who was once a professional snowboarder.

I had a chance to check out the glitzy 6,500-square foot subterranean restaurant, when I was invited in as a guest earlier this week.

The logo'd wall that greets you when you descend the stairs to the restaurant.
The logo’d wall that greets you when you descend the stairs to the restaurant.
A private dining room.
A private dining room.
The centerpiece glass wine display.
The centerpiece glass wine display.

Take the stairs or elevator down one level to find the entrance to the restaurant that’s filled with intriguing details. Look up to find a dramatic ceiling with curving and angular steel supports that change as you walk from the bar-lounge, past the showstopping 200-bottle circular glass wine display and into the dining room. Viewed together, they are supposed to evoke the bones, blood vessels and vertebrae inside a cow.

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Lamb-Spice Lamb Chops That Are Kismet

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A quick spice mix gives these lamb rib chops incomparable flavor.
A quick spice mix gives these lamb rib chops incomparable flavor.

Dare I say that smoky, juicy, and flavorfully spiced little lamb rib chops are your destiny?

They definitely are if you follow this recipe from the new “Kismet” cookbook (Clarkson Potter), of which I received a review copy.

“Lamb-Spice Lamb Chops” is one of more than 100 mouthwatering recipes in this book by the chef-owners of Los Angeles restaurants, Kismet and Kismet Rotisserie. Sara Kramer and Sarah Hymanson were named among the “Best New Chefs” in 2017 by Food & Wine magazine.

You have to love a cookbook that states from the get-go: “Yes, we’re restaurant chefs. No, this isn’t a restaurant book. Why? Because we want you to actually cook these recipes.”

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A Visit to the New Il Mercato de Che Fico

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La Mortazza fociaccia sandwich, sold by the pound, at Il Mercato de Che Fico.
La Mortazza fociaccia sandwich, sold by the pound, at Il Mercato de Che Fico.

If you’re a fan of the food at Che Fico in Menlo Park and San Francisco, you’ll be glad to know you can now easily tote some of those same specialty Italian dishes home to enjoy.

That’s thanks to the new Il Mercato de Che Fico by owners Chef David Nayfeld and Matt Brewer, that opened last month across the way from Che Fico Parco in Menlo Park’s Springline mixed-use development.

Chef Chris Timm, who oversees the market, was kind enough to show me around and let me sample some of the goods on a recent afternoon.

Chef Chris Timm.
Chef Chris Timm.
The entrance on El Camino Real.
The entrance on El Camino Real.

The gourmet market’s entrance is right on El Camino Real, so it’s easy to access, especially if you snag street parking or opt for the development’s underground garage that’s patrolled by a robot sentry no less.

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