This is a special message from the Beef Checkoff Program.
Downsizing the portions but not the big flavor, some operators are leveraging the selling power of beef in bar menu items like Flat Iron Steak Poutine, Hanger Steak Bites and Filet Mignon Sliders. Steak-centric small plates and shareable dishes like these encourage beverage orders, raise customer frequency and boost sales and profits.
At The Hamilton in Washington, D.C., the late-night cocktail crowd enjoys Flat Iron Steak Poutine on the After Midnight menu. This upgraded version of the French-Canadian specialty poutine features house-cut French fries topped with eight ounces of grilled, sliced flat iron steak, cheese curds and short rib gravy. Priced at $23, it’s an ample meal for one diner or enough for two or three to share over drinks, noted Brian Stickel, executive chef of the 24-hour eatery and nightspot. He estimated nightly sales at 35 to 50 orders.
Apart from the tasty fries and garnishes, Stickel attributed the dish’s primary appeal to the flat iron steak: “I just think it is a great cut, very tender and very flavorful.” It’s also a dish that gets the most from inventory and food cost. It cross utilizes the flat iron steak on the main menu and derives its gravy from the trim and stock left from braised short ribs.
Enticing Hanger Steak Bites are recommended with a half-glass of premium Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon on the small plates menu of Five-O-Three restaurant in West Linn, Ore.
Priced at $8 for three pieces, it is a deconstruction of the house’s popular $20 Steak Frites entrée, reported proprietor John McEwan. The hanger steak is grilled, sliced and mounted on crostini topped with sautéed spinach, blue cheese and a drizzle of red wine gastrique.
Menuing a beef-based small plate with a wine suggestion, as Five-O-Three does, highlights the sensual and emotional appeal of beef and wine and can lead to higher sales of both. In fact, research from Ipsos Public Affairs shows that 62 percent of patrons say they are most likely to order a bottle of wine with steak versus chicken or fish. What’s more, 64 percent of patrons would order a mixed drink with steak versus chicken or fish.
That is in addition to the high customer interest and buzz that beef creates to begin with.
Ipsos Public Affairs research shows that 47 percent of patrons are most interested in steak specials versus chicken, fish or pork, and 65 percent would tell their friends about a wonderfully prepared beef meal versus chicken or pork.
In addition to the flat iron and hanger steaks, two other flavorful and value-priced beef cuts well suited for bar menu fare are boneless country style beef ribs and beef shoulder tender, said Dave Zino, executive chef for the Beef Checkoff.
He suggested using the country style beef ribs in the Beef Banh Mi sandwich, which trades on the rising popularity of Vietnamese flavors. For this, the ribs are braised with lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce and soy sauce and served on a griddled baguette with pickled vegetables, cucumber, jalapeno and mayo.
Zino also cited the Tender Trio, made with three two-ounce beef shoulder tender steaks sautéed and placed on croutons with three different upscale toppings: lobster mornay sauce, sautéed mixed mushrooms and Rockefeller-style creamed spinach.
“It gives the appearance of a slider but the elegance of a steak bite,” said Zino.
Carne Asada Fries stars on the lounge menu of McKay’s, a sports-themed casual restaurant operated by the University of Southern California in Los Angeles. Executive chef Mikery Hatfield marinates hanger steak in the aromatic olive oil left from poaching garlic cloves. He grills and slices it and arrays it on a mound of fries garnished with house-made pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream and queso fresco. It is priced at $12.
When people see it, it’s an immediate ‘wow’ reaction,” said Hatfield.
Another item McKay’s patrons like to share is the Strip Steak Flatbread, also priced at $12. It has grilled and sliced hanger steak on flatbread topped with garlic béchamel sauce, roasted garlic, mozzarella and slices of roasted fingerling potatoes flavored with fresh herbs.
Two shareable items featuring filet mignon attract patrons to the BullsEye Bar of Black Angus Steakhouse. The Los Altos, Calif.-based casual dining chain operates the sports bar concept within 29 of its 46 locations.
Filet Mignon Sliders, priced at $8.99, are a trio of petite sandwiches garnished with sautéed mushrooms and garlic-bleu butter. Chunks of the same tender beef on the Steak Nachos, priced at $10.59, raise the already high crave appeal of tortilla chips dressed with four-cheese sauce, salsa, jalapenos and sour cream.
Bar items like those “give our current guests another reason to visit and newcomers another reason to try us,” said Stacy Schulist, director of marketing.
Looking to build incremental business with apps and small plates while managing operational costs? Learn how beef earns a spot at the bar from Chef Dave Zino, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, dzino@beef.org or @zcooks.com.
