This is a special message from the Beef Checkoff Program.
The sluggish economy hasn’t diminished the crave appeal of beef one bit. According to a recent checkoff-funded study, 63 percent of patrons prefer a strip steak over other proteins after a long week. But it does make restaurant customers choose the occasions more carefully when they indulge in a longed-for “reward” steak.
However, restaurant operators are finding creative ways to provide luxurious and satisfying beef eating experiences at prices they can afford more frequently. A proven tactic is to match tasty and tender economical cuts of beef, or smaller portions of premium beef cuts, with original, full-flavored, chef-crafted accompaniments that boost the overall value and appeal of the item.
For example, take the Brasato di Manzo at Double Zero Napoletana, an upscale Southern Italian restaurant in Atlanta. It’s a dish of tender braised short ribs served with smoked sweet potato puree, veal demi-glace, spicy red cabbage, crispy shallots, pickled sweet peppers and sage. Priced at $25, the bright colors and big flavors of the sides, not to mention the luscious beef, invite patrons to treat themselves well on occasions when they are not ordering Double Zero’s $32 grilled beef tenderloin.
“Short ribs, at least in fall and winter, are a great way for us to offer beef at affordable price points,” said Chad Crete, culinary director of the Castellucci Hospitality Group in Atlanta, which has three local restaurants. “We’re always working hard to do that.”
The dish is made with chuck flap meat (NAMP 185A), an economical cut of the beef chuck that is actually the same muscle as the short ribs. “What’s also great about it is the 100-percent yield because there are no bones,” added Crete.
Beef, even in small portions, has an unmatched knack for adding value, satisfaction and selling power to a dish. That makes it perfect for the small plates, tapas and bar menu items that are trendy these days.
That is the point of Happy Hour Every Hour, a small plates menu with single-digit price points offered every evening in the bar area of Cattlemens, an eight-unit chain of Western-themed steak houses based in Santa Rosa, Calif.
The favorites include a Beef Kabob made with chunks of marinated New York strip, tenderloin and sirloin glazed with teriyaki and sprinkled with sesame seeds, priced $6, and Tri-Tip Tacos filled with sliced tri-tip beef, roasted corn salsa and feta cheese, priced at $4.
“People still order the big porterhouse or prime rib dinner when they come in for special occasions,” said John Frenzel, director of marketing. “To encourage them to visit more frequently on a casual basis, we find innovative ways to use products that we currently sell in ways that have higher value, including using bold flavors.”
At Spice Market in Atlanta, Onion and Chili Crusted Short Ribs with egg noodles and pea shoots, priced at $21, appeals to customers as a shareable item as well as an entrée.
“Our whole concept is sharing,” said executive sous chef Shean Suter. “If you order two or three different items with a group of people it adds to the companionship and good times.”
In Boulder, Colo., the neighborhood restaurant Oak at Fourteenth offers patrons the pleasure of beef at a range of price points. On the affordable side is Grilled Fatty Holstein Beef with grits, ramps and wild mushrooms, a small plate priced at $12. It is actually made with the chain meat, the small muscle that runs the length of the beef strip loin. While many suppliers and even some kitchens grind this trim, chef and co-owner Steven Redzikowski turns it into a money maker that he said helps him hold the price of New York strip steak at a relatively moderate $27.
“We cut it in 2-ounce portions and rub it with thyme and rosemary and grill it to order,” said Redzikowski. “It has a nice, rich flavor and the stone-ground grits, wild mushrooms and spring ramps are killer.”
At TAG restaurant in Denver, Local Hanger Steak is a long-running hit. Chef-owner Troy Guard intrigues his customers by pairing the hanger, a cut from the diaphragm of the beef carcass known for being tasty and cost efficient, with truffle herb watercress salad, Colorado-grown fingerling potatoes cooked in duck fat and a drizzle of demi-glace that takes four days to make from scratch.
“We’ve had it on for three years, and every time I try to change it up, I get the riot act,” said Guard.
For more information about beef cuts, recipes and menu strategies, visit BeefFoodservice.com.
