I love meat

Anyone that knows me knows this.

Yesterday Dan and I visited the Meat Hook and I must say I'm smitten. We picked up a lovely dry-aged steak for two, and opted for a sampler of all their house-made sausages (as well as some house-cured kimchi, a favorite of mine).

Dinner last night

The helpful guys behind the counter gave our steak a nice salt and pepper on each side, so we were good to go as soon as we got home.  I opted to pan-sear each side and the finished in a hot oven (450 degrees). The whole operation took maybe twenty-five minutes (five minutes each side, five in the oven, ten to rest). I prefer my steak on the rare side, just heated through, really. It was DELICIOUS! Nice and meaty, with that extra tenderness and sweetness that comes with the dry aging. The fat rendered really nicely. There was a good crust with a creamy, candy-like texture on the inside.

On the side we rocked some serious brussels sprouts and a green salad. For the sprouts I cleaned and quartered enough sprouts to put a single layer in my trusty 8x8 pan. Tom (our butcher) included two smoked sausages, a Kielbasa and an Andouille. I usually use my reserved bacon drippings for roasting vegetables, but as this was a special occasion I decided invite the Andouille to the party. No salt, no pepper, no additional fat, just the sausage and the sprouts.


A quick trip in the 450 degree oven resulted in the sweet-salty ambrosia you see at your right. I don't normally roast veggies so hot, but from now on I will. There was a good bit of caramelization on the sprouts, and the sausage provided ample fat and flavor.

If you get the chance, I highly recommend swinging by the Meat Hook. I know I've found my favorite place for flesh in NYC.