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2010-01-20
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FOR SUPPLEMENTARY PHOTOS, PLS VISIT: http://babedolphin.blogspot.com/2010/01/bistecca-hk-dec-2009.htmlThere exists many styles for that piece of steak to be prepared. It can sometimes become confusing for those of us who regularly eat out and even for chefs too! Finally, I decided to take matters into my own hand and do my due research to debunk the myths! 1) Charcoal Grilling: In English, this is guaranteed to be 100% Charcoal Grilled.2) Char-Grilling: In reality, more often than
http://babedolphin.blogspot.com/2010/01/bistecca-hk-dec-2009.html
There exists many styles for that piece of steak to be prepared. It can sometimes become confusing for those of us who regularly eat out and even for chefs too! Finally, I decided to take matters into my own hand and do my due research to debunk the myths!
1) Charcoal Grilling: In English, this is guaranteed to be 100% Charcoal Grilled.
2) Char-Grilling: In reality, more often than not the steak is NOT grilled on top of a bed of quality Charcoal, since this carries an ambiguity in English. You see, 'char' could point to the fact that its only grilled until Charred-on-the-Surface, slightly burnt. On the other hand, real Char-Grill's definition apparently refers to no.1 above. A Self Reminder: I shall stop using this ambiguous word to avoid confusion from now on.
3) 炭烤或炭烧: A lot of times, I read Magazine's refer to 炭烤 or even 炭烧 but in reality its often misleading and just cooked via Gas Flame Grilled, Grilled from a Gas-Flame based or Infrared based Broiler, or Volcanic Lava Rock Grilled, etc. Sometimes, the Charcoal Griller or Lava Rock Griller is mixed with Infrared Heater Elements underneath, or combined with Smoking Wood. Sometimes the Charcoal are already well 'spent' and no longer burns, its just lying idle there to redistribute the flame into even radiant heat and impart some flavour from old charcoal dust. It becomes all the more confusing when numerous possibilities branches out....! Do not trust what you read - TRUE 炭烧 are hard to come by.
4) Grilled: is a very general term. Used by itself, it usually refer to Steel Plate Griddle cooked much like Teppanyaki, or Flame-Grilled on wire mesh, or even on a Pan. Sometimes for steaks, it refers to Broiler-Grilled rather than Broiler-broiled.
5) Pan Fried: Its considered boring sometimes and everyone at home has done it at some stage, but the ultimate frying technique and equipment used are highly relevant!
6) On top of these: many other methods to cook a piece of meat exists:
Due to the inconveniece of additional Fire Regulations requirements for real Charcoal Grilling restaurants, most shops in HK nowadays cook their steaks in a Steakhouse Broiler, sometimes called a Char-Broiler, some restaurants combine it with other Grilling or Roasting methods either to start or finish off the process! The possible combinations seem endless.... Steakhouse Broilers should not be mixed up with normal heating element based Broilers or a Salamander, a sort of inverted Broiler. Steakhouse Broilers are specifically designed and built for a purpose and hardly utilised in normal restaurants, since they're expensive equipment. Although shaped like an oven, in reality the meat/fish or even vegetable is subjected to continuous grilling via Flame or Infrared Inducted heat: this special broiler's advantage is that it can grill everything within an 'enclosed covered space' to retain as high a heat as possible for searing the outside, something even a charcoal griller cannot achieve. How did this idea originate? Possibly due to TRADITIONAL THINKING, when chefs once believed High Heat sears the Surface then Seals in Internal Juices. This theory existed long before the advent of Molecular Food Science, yet customers and most Chinese or Western chefs still believe and advertise this nowadays, even most famed Steakhouses. However its just another big load of crock and proven 100% wrong. They seem to be behind by 10 years too late somewhat. Searing the Meat's Crackly Surfaces CANNOT seal in juices - in fact, if you heat it under intense heat, the meat proteins and tissues contract faster and becomes tougher, it also squeezes out more desirable juices. On the other hand, the exact same Steakhouse Broiler is designed to grill steaks with as high a temperature as possible for as low a possible time, to avoid meat being subjected to too long a heat session, which equally makes it lose juiciness via steam evaporation. Its a paradoxical compromise eitherway! Searing to seal in Meat-juice is so often repeatedly written again and again, much like wrong information about Coffee is always passed around again and again - 95% of people end up believing something FALSE just because it was virally regurgitated. I once believed it too without blinking, what a loser...
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BISTECCA ITALIAN STEAK HOUSE carries real Charcoal Grilling, much like its BLT Steak cousin. BLT STEAK & BLT BURGER HK are licensed from the original famous BLT chains, but here, BISTECCA HK seems like a concept copied from the same named Italian Steakhouse concept started by some Korean Chef in America. Dining Concepts has had precedents, as someone mentioned that their SOHO Craft steakhouse is not a bit related to its namesake in Tom Colicchio's Craft Steakhouse in NY either. Nevertheless, the food here is good!
HERBED FOCACCIA -
A fresh baked pizza-like-focaccia was crunchy than spongily soft in middle, made with numerous herbs like Rosemary, Tarragon and Fennel seeds, then baked with Blueberries and I believe Tomatoes? Not sure! SCORE: 4.0/5
14Oz AMERICAN USDA PRIME, DRY AGED RIB EYE -
was way more beefier in taste and marbled than my BLT's New York Strip Steak, as over there they don't use USDA PRIME grade beef though its apparently Dry Aged nowadays, deviating from the US branches? Ordered RARE+, it came out MEDIUM, so its over-cooked by around 1.5 levels. It was still good nonetheless, at least it wasn't stone cold & despite the lack of grill markings just like BLT's Steak, it carried that wonderful aroma of charcoal oil and on each biteful of the meat itself. Very satisfying, this meat was way better than the one I ate at BLT STEAK in every single aspect - and for virtually the same price! SCORE: 4.8/5
WILD BOAR PAPPARDELLE -
was equally impressive. Very! For once, this was a true slow-cooked ragu style, its a thickly minced rather than hand-diced by knife version, infused correctly with a mix of my favourite herbs and redwine, this recipe really brought out the wild boar's original rich gamey flavour! Its strange to see a mid-range steakhouse execute this dish so daintily, as even Da Domenico's version took shortcuts and Sabatini's version is also different. The pasta strands are imported Italian commercial Feliciti pastas, which is quite good but had a texture of baked lasagna sheets than truly al dente, also a bit narrow to be a true Pappardelle. Still, the richness and multi-layered tasting Wild Boar ragu makes up for all of the weaknesses, it was a hearty and very memorable dish. Parmesan cheese is grated manually by the server. Interestingly, Tuscany by H next door serves a same dish but which I've yet to try for comparing! SCORE: 4.6/5
ZUCCHINI FRIES -
was also done really well too. Not quite $80-a-barrel oily unlike those 'soaked' onion rings at BLT STEAK, this was good stuff. SCORE: 4.5/5
RED WINES -
by the glass were ok affordable. A Montepulciano and Valpolicella were ordered, both tasted commercial but acceptable for its intended purpose as a quaff and as a steak's accompaniment. SCORE: 3.8/5
COOKIES -
slightly mintily chocolate and on the house. Ok-good, soft like Mrs Fields! SCORE: 3.8/5
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A MIGHTY IMPRESSIVE DINNER. POSSIBLY ONE OF BEST, MOST AFFORDABLE STEAKHOUSES AROUND OFFERING THAT RARE COMBINATION OF REAL CHARCOAL GRILLING PLUS DRY AGED MEAT. FOR THIS QUALITY OF MEAT, IT WILL PROBABLY COST MORE TO PURCHASE THE RAW CUT FROM THE SUPERMARKET: BESIDES, HARDLY ANYONE SELLS DRY-AGED USDA PRIME GRADE MEAT. BISTECCA ALSO DRY AGE THEIR ALREADY 'SOFT' TENDERLOINS - WHICH AS FAR AS I KNOW, NO ONE ELSE BOTHERS DOING SINCE MOST PEOPLE FIND THIS SUPERFLUOUS... AGED TENDERLOINS POSSIBLY POSSESS ONE OF MOST PROFOUND YET SUBTLY NUTTY, CONCENTRATED BUTTERY MEAT FLAVOUR AND IS GROSSLY UNDERESTIMATED, ITS THE PINOT NOIR OR BLUE MOUNTAIN COFFEE OF THE STEAK WORLD. I DON'T CARE WHAT OTHERS THINK THEY ALREADY BELIEVE OR KNOW, BUT I HAVE TRIED IT ENOUGH TIMES TO BOLDLY MAKE THIS JUDGEMENT - THANKS TO A CLOSE FRIEND WHO PERSISTED IN CONVINCING ME !
PS: I AM NOT FIXATED ON ONLY REAL CHARCOAL GRILLED STEAKS OR EVEN DRY AGED BEEF , I JUST THINK THIS SHOP IS A CAPABLE CONTENDER FOR ITS PURPOSE. ITS FLAVOUR ENHANCEMENT IS DESIRABLE, BUT THAT'S LIKE SAYING I MUST FROM NOW ON 'CHARCOAL GRILL' MY SHANGHAI CRAB, MY FEMALE MANTIS SHRIMPS, MY FRESH LOCAL ORGANIC CHICKEN, OR MY FRESHLY SLAUGTHERED CHINESE COW AND DON'T EVEN BOTHER EATING IMPORTED REFRIGERATED, UNFRESH USDA / CAB BEEF OR JAPANESE WAGYU. THERE ARE SO MANY PRO'S & CON'S AND CONTRADICTIONS IN EVERYTHING REGARDING EXTREME FOOD FETISHES. SOME MIGHT PREFER TO REALLY TASTE THE TRUE DEPTH OF BEEF FLAVOUR AND PREFER IT 'STEAMED IN A 蒸笼' LIKE ME, 'SOUS VIDED FOR 24 HOURS', 'SLOW ROASTED FOR 36 HOURS', 'ESTUVEED FOR 72 HOURS' OR 'BOILED IN CLEAR WATER' MINUS THE KONBU TAINTED BROTH, DRY AGED UNTIL ITS A JERKY OR PLAIN PAN-FRIED WITH LOW HEAT WITHOUT SALT. CHARCOAL OR HIGH HEAT GRILLING CAN SOMETIMES SPOIL THE NATURAL BEEF TASTE? A MID '5'.
FOR MORE PHOTOS, FEEL FREE TO VISIT: http://babedolphin.blogspot.com/2010/01/bistecca-hk-dec-2009.html
张贴
