XCIX
Charles W. Chessar
(“Beefsteak Charlie”)
TIPS ON STEAK
“Why can’t we have steaks like this one when we dine at home?” Thousands of people have asked me that question during the eight years that have given a real significance to the sobriquet, “Beefsteak Charlie.”
And my honest answer to that question has always been: “You can’t—unless your butcher is willing to hang your beef for four or five weeks—and then you probably would not want to buy it because of its appearance.”
Many people ask me how to cook a steak. There is really no secret about the way it should be done—but most home cooks put the steak into a cold broiler and light the fire. That is fatal! And it is just as fatal if the fire has only been burning a few minutes. The broiler should burn full tilt for some time—until it is blazing hot. Then introduce your steak and let the intense heat of the broiler seal it instantly. If there is a secret, that’s it!
But keep this in mind: the most careful broiling will not help if the beef is too fresh. Fresh beef simply will not do if you want the real thing. Buy the choicest cuts of sirloin or porterhouse from beef that has been hung at least four weeks; broil in the way I have described and your dinner guests will register many polite hints for another invitation. I might add that if the beef is right you will not have to worry about a sauce. Butter, salt, and pepper will properly dress the finest steak in the world.