Peter Luger Steaks

[msmofet]

btw i have never been to a steakhouse that has cut my steak!! i would never accept it that way!! i am a firm believer of SENDING it back if it isn't to my liking (if i am a regular i ask for a replacment if not and i am not sure if they will MESS with my food i just send it back and have it removed from the bill). growing up poor and having in the past delt with tight times i firmly believe in getting what i pay for!!

 

[GB]

OK Andy, curiosity got the better of me so I called them. I started with their Brooklyn location and they could not answer my question there so she transferred me to their office who could not answer either. I then tried their Great Neck location and got someone who knew about the process although I am not sure he really knew what he was talking about.

I mentioned what you posted here and said that we have always heard you should rest meat after it comes off the heat. His response was "I am not sure what you mean by resting" so that made me wonder about him in the first place. He then told me that when the meat comes out of the broiler it is not cooked. It is just seared. he then said something else that made me wonder about him. He said it was seared so the juices are locked in. Well then he contradicted himself and continued on to say that when they are sliced the juices mix with the butter and the steak is then finished under the broiler while it cooks in its own juice and butter combo.

I find it a very odd way to do it, but then again I have never eaten there so I would certainly be wiling to try it and reserve my opinions until after I ate.

 

[Andy M.]

btw i have never been to a steakhouse that has cut my steak!! i would never accept it that way!! i am a firm believer of SENDING it back if it isn't to my liking (if i am a regular i ask for a replacment if not and i am not sure if they will MESS with my food i just send it back and have it removed from the bill). growing up poor and having in the past delt with tight times i firmly believe in getting what i pay for!!

They pre-cut the porterhouse steaks that are meant for more than one person. They separate the filet and sirloin parts from the bone and then cut each into 1" wide slices.

It would be awkward for two diners to try to do that at the table.

 

[JohnL]

Great detective work GB!

 

[Andy M.]

OK Andy, curiosity got the better of me so I called them. I started with their Brooklyn location and they could not answer my question there so she transferred me to their office who could not answer either. I then tried their Great Neck location and got someone who knew about the process although I am not sure he really knew what he was talking about.

I mentioned what you posted here and said that we have always heard you should rest meat after it comes off the heat. His response was "I am not sure what you mean by resting" so that made me wonder about him in the first place. He then told me that when the meat comes out of the broiler it is not cooked. It is just seared. he then said something else that made me wonder about him. He said it was seared so the juices are locked in. Well then he contradicted himself and continued on to say that when they are sliced the juices mix with the butter and the steak is then finished under the broiler while it cooks in its own juice and butter combo.

I find it a very odd way to do it, but then again I have never eaten there so I would certainly be wiling to try it and reserve my opinions until after I ate.

Thanks for doing that, GB.

It sounds strange to me as well. The juices still end up on the plate rather than in the meat.

 

[msmofet]

They pre-cut the porterhouse steaks that are meant for more than one person. They separate the filet and sirloin parts from the bone and then cut each into 1" wide slices.

It would be awkward for two diners to try to do that at the table.

i understand if it is for 2 people but i am the STEAK lover in the family and when we DINE out i am usually the only one who gets a thick whole steak ( ie strip or such)(hub gets tips or sliced open sammies).

 

[ChefJune]

You answer my question and I'll answer yours.

I have no idea, Andy. I have never been there, and I didn't see the show, so I don't have a clue how or why, or any of it. I can't imagine cutting into a Porterhouse steak and then putting it back into the oven.

 

[jennyema]

YouTube - Peter Lugar Steakhouse

 

[justplainbill]

Peter Luger background

YouTube - Peter Luger

 

[Andy M.]

At the 3:00 minute point of the video, you can see what I described in the OP. No answer as to why, just the visual.

 

[GB]

That video is not necessarily the true time line Andy. It is edited.

 

[Andy M.]

That video is not necessarily the true time line Andy. It is edited.

They showed the process I described. Steak comes out of the broiler gets cut up and put back into the broiler before service.

 

[GB]

They don't show what they edited out though. There is a cut between the time it comes out of the broiler and when it is cut up. That cut could be the resting period that they just did not show because it would make for very boring TV to watch a steak sit on a plate for 3 minutes.

 

[Andy M.]

They don't show what they edited out though. There is a cut between the time it comes out of the broiler and when it is cut up. That cut could be the resting period that they just did not show because it would make for very boring TV to watch a steak sit on a plate for 3 minutes.

Picture the busy Peter Luger kitchen at dinner time with a sea of steaks on plates, resting and waiting to be cut up!

This video is different from the one I saw Sunday. Not sure if that was more conclusive.

BTW, it's on again Thursday evening. (8:00 or 9:00 PM). The Peter Luger segment is first. About 15 minutes into the show you wil hqave seen what I describe.

 

[GB]

Picture the busy Peter Luger kitchen at dinner time with a sea of steaks on plates, resting and waiting to be cut up!

Isn't that what you would expect to see though? It was surprising to hear that they do not rest the steaks so before seeing this process wouldn't you expect that when their steaks come off the heat they rest them?

 

[Andy M.]

Isn't that what you would expect to see though? It was surprising to hear that they do not rest the steaks so before seeing this process wouldn't you expect that when their steaks come off the heat they rest them?

But your conversation with the restaurant person seemed to confirm the video.

 

[GB]

Well yes and no. If you read back in my conversation with the person there you will see I was not convinced he knew what he was talking about. He first acted like he had no idea what resting meant and then proceeded to tell me about resting. He also said they seer the meat under high heat which locks in the juices so they don't spill out when cut (which you and I both know is false), but then went on to say that the juices that come out (I thought you said you seared it so the juices didn't come out) mix with the butter and the steak cooks in that.

I do not know what role the person i spoke to plays at the restaurant. He could have been the janitor for all I know. I doubt he was a chef though because I stupidly called during lunch time.

 

[Andy M.]

Well yes and no. If you read back in my conversation with the person there you will see I was not convinced he knew what he was talking about. He first acted like he had no idea what resting meant and then proceeded to tell me about resting. He also said they seer the meat under high heat which locks in the juices so they don't spill out when cut (which you and I both know is false), but then went on to say that the juices that come out (I thought you said you seared it so the juices didn't come out) mix with the butter and the steak cooks in that.

I do not know what role the person i spoke to plays at the restaurant. He could have been the janitor for all I know. I doubt he was a chef though because I stupidly called during lunch time.

I guess we'll never know for sure.

 

[GB]

You are retired Andy. Go apply for a job and let us know the secret

 

[Arky]

Also consider that they may have rushed things for TV. In actuality they may let their steaks rest, but a camera watching a steak rest for 2-3 minutes doesn't make for captivating entertainment.