Smoque Steak - Chicago
First there was Barry Sorkin's Smoque BBQ, a hugely popular spot for smoked meat, and now there's his Smoque Steak, which promises to be equally awesome. Sorkin believes it's time for a "different kind of steak," and he's doing his best to craft an environment and a menu that projects a reimagining of the steakhouse experience.
Read MoreAbout her first visit to Smoque Steak, the Chicago Tribune's Louisa Chu wrote that, "My early taste test revealed remarkably tender meat, cooked perfectly medium-rare, within a beautifully seared crust, indeed infused with smoke flavor."
How does pitmaster/owner Barry Sorkin do it? Sorkin boasts that his "smoke and sear process is unique." Here's how it works: the steak is seasoned and then rested before smoking lightly over oak. Then the meat is put through a sous-vide preparation, in which the steak is vacuum sealed and held in a water bath at precisely the right temperature for perfect internal, end-to-end doneness. When a steak is ordered, it's seared in butter in a cast iron skillet. This process is used for all Smoque steaks, including the ribeye (16oz of boneless prime}, filet (8oz, prime), New York strip (14oz) and the Bistro Steak (8oz) of lean chuck.
If you or someone in your group is not in the mood for, or doesn't (gasp!) eat, steak, there are some savory alternatives. You could start with brie fondue, lobster grits or salmon rillettes, for a non-meat main course, there's shrimp scampi, salmon or chicken. A popular veg-forward option is the thick-cut cauliflower "steak," smoked and seared just like the meat, garnished with chipotle butter and plated with fresh citrus greens.
Recognizing the rising consumer interest in preparing restaurant-quality meals at home, Smoque Steak has added a market that enables you to purchase, by the pound and uncooked, the super-premium red meat that was once available only to restaurants. In addition to steak, there are finishing butters, sides and other accoutrements to help you serve your guests that most remarkable meat around -- or you can just take them to Smoque Steak and have Sorkin and his crew do all the work.