11000 Steaks, Triple-Cooked Chips, and a Disgraceful Amount of Butter
Between them, two Derbyshire caffs serve further than 12,000 steaks every time- and now, for the first time, their Administrative Cook is lifting the lid on exactly what makes them so popular.
At The Red Lion at Peak Edge Hotel and Cocina at Casa Hotel in Chesterfield, steak is n’t just a menu option- it’s a miracle. Each eatery serves around 500 steaks a month( that’s 1,000 between them), with beaneries ordering everything from ribeyes and sirloins to dramatic sharing cuts like tomahawks and chateaubriands. In the last 12 months alone, nearly 4,000 fillets and chateaubriands have been sold across the two hospices, with sirloin the most popular single cut at The Red Lion. Now, Administrative Cook Alan Rigby is participating, for the first time, the real secrets behind steak perfection- from why strain and provenance matter to the simple home- cuisine miscalculations that can ruin a good cut.
The beef slow- grown, naturally reared, and original
The steaks at both caffs are sourced simply from Walton Lodge Farm Estate, possessed by Casa hospices author Steve Perez. Nestled in the Derbyshire country just twinkles from the hospices, the ranch rears native Belted Galloway and Highland cattle. These slower- growing types are given time to develop naturally- commodity Alan says makes all the difference. “ Because the cattle are allowed to grow at their own pace, you get an awful depth of flavour and a rich, natural colour, ” explains Alan. “ The marbling- those fine stripes of fat – is crucial. It tenderises the beef and creates that melt- in- the- mouth texture beaneries really notice. ” Provenance, Alan adds, matters just as important as strain “ Cattle that live well produce better beef. Stress and poor quality of life affect the flavour you occasionally taste as a metallic shadow. At Walton Lodge, the care and terrain are alternate to none, and it shows on the plate.
The cooks respect the meat
For Alan, the perfect steak is n’t about chasing the most precious cut. “ People assume you need a fillet or ribeye, but cut is actually the least important part. Admire the meat, cook it with care, and you can make any cut shine. That’s what makes a great steak.I love the marbling and consistence- however lately, our ranch director Craig has indeed made me reevaluate sirloin. The diet and quality of husbandry come through so easily in the flavour. ”
By the figures steakhouse success
• 11,000 steaks a time served between Cocina and The Red Lion.
• 500 steaks a month, per venue on average.
• Fillet & chateaubriand- the best- dealing cuts( nearly 4,000 vended last time).
• Sirloin- the top single cut at The Red Lion.
• Most popular side- home- made triadic- cooked chips, followed by dauphinoise potatoes in downtime and Caesar salad in summer.
• Most popular sauce-classic peppercorn. “ Though with beef this good, ” says Rigby, “ the meat speaks for itself. ” The miscalculations home culinarians make Alan also highlights the most common crimes he sees when people cook steak at home- risks indeed endured home culinarians fall into • Not resting the steak “ It’s the step people skip most frequently- generally because of space, time, or empty kiddies. ”
• Cooking the steak wet “ Always stroke it dry before cooking. humidity on the visage creates brume rather of sear. ”
• Salting too early “ swab only when you’re ready to cook- else, it draws out the authorities and dries the meat. ” So, what’s his own system? “ For me, it’s a heavy cast- iron visage, a deep sear, and a shy quantum of adulation. That’s what gives you the flavour, the crust, and the aroma that makes people’s heads turn as the plate leaves the kitchen. ”