Artisan Filet Mignon Tasting

A few months back, I discovered the The Oliver Ranch Company's Artisan Steak Tasters Pack through a Twitter convo with CEO & Founder Carrie Oliver. The idea is basically like a wine tasting, but with steaks. Tasters have the opportunity to discover four unique styles of steaks from natural and organic ranches across the country, each specializing in a different breed, diet, geography and aging technique. While there were several cuts to choose from, I opted for the Filet Mignon taster pack. Little did I know, my whole understanding of steak was about to change. More pics and tasting results on the next page!

Peter Luger Steakhouse

My idea of the perfect Friday: playing some old-school arcade games while drinking beer at Barcade followed by grabbing a couple porterhouse steaks and some obscenely thick strips of bacon at Peter Luger Steakhouse with friends. B and I shared a juicy medium-rare porterhouse for two and split a bowl of creamed spinach and potatoes with the rest of our group (HG, DL, and AK). The steak was cooked to perfection; every bite oozed with a buttery goodness only a true carnivore could appreciate. I also really enjoyed the bacon (who wouldn't like bacon) and the creamed spinach. If you're looking to check this place out, I would recommend coming with a group of four or five. The portions are massive and reasonably priced. If you are going in a group of three, I'd suggest starting with the Porterhouse for Two and see how it goes. Trust me, we were able to eat an entire second meal out of the leftovers. It's also a cash only establishment, so make sure you come prepared.

Surf and Turf

On Saturday evening in DC, D and W didn't seem to mind the additional cooks in their kitchen. Scallops were breaded, beets were roasted, and shallots were diced (without too many tears). The aroma of lemon zest, crisp Wiemer riesling, and sizzling meat filled the cozy apartment. The end result was perfect- an experience that would rival (and most likely triumph over) any dinner at a nice restaurant.

Momofuku Pan-Roasted Dry-Aged Steak

Let me just start off by saying that this steak was probably the most amazing piece of meat that I have ever made, let alone devoured. For B's birthday, I decided to surprise him first with a mini beer tasting (thank you Whole Foods Beer Room), followed by a couple of steaks at home. Originally, I had planned to take him to BLT Steak or perhaps even Charlie Palmer Steak in DC. However, I thought it would be a nice change of pace to celebrate in the comfort of our own home. It would allow us more time to enjoy the beer and create less of a dent in my wallet. Plus, I had been wanting to try the pan-roasted dry-aged rib eye recipe from my Momofuku cookbook. Along the way of planning, I also acquired another recipe from Tyler Florence via my foodie friend R. I decided that it would be fun to try both recipes out during the same night. In this entry, however, I will only write about the Momofuku way.

Steak Fest

Somehow, this weekend turned into steak-fest. Top is a shot of the Grilled Ribeye Sandwich at the Albany Pump Station. Bottom is a shot of some prime rib at Matt & Jen's wedding. (Congratulations to the happy couple!)