american steak

With the December holidays upon us, it is a time of year for celebrations with family, friends and office colleagues. Depending on your comfort level with managing a gluten-free diet, it may be a season you welcome with open arms, or one you approach with concern. Regardless of where you are on your personal gluten-free journey, American Steak & Seafood restaurants can be one of the safer choices for an optimal dining experience.

These restaurants are great representations of the bountiful harvests of American farmers, fishermen and ranchers. Produce, meat and seafood are typically prepared in a culinary fashion that produces wholesome and satisfying eating out experiences. The range and style of Steak & Seafood houses in America is diverse. Whether you are dining at a single independent restaurant or a large restaurant chain, each establishment has a unique atmosphere and feeling. There is the classic New York style steakhouse with its career waiters in white coats and bistro aprons, or the casual wait staff at family-oriented theme restaurants. Some restaurants choose the fusion approach of blending other international cuisines with standard steak and seafood dishes, while others give you the feeling of eating at an authentic western saloon.

American Steak & Seafood restaurants will carry a variety of beef cuts and follow the scale of quality set forth by the U.S. government. Beef is graded for quality by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) graders according to standards established by the USDA. Grades are based on the amount of marbling (flecks of fat within the cut of meat) and the age of the animal. These quality grades are an indication of palatability characteristics such as tenderness, juiciness, and flavor. While there are eight quality grades for beef, the top three grades available to most consumers are prime, choice and select.

In addition to beef, you may find lamb, pork and chicken on the menu. Many types of seafood are also typically available including Maine lobster, Alaskan king crab, oysters, mussels, salmon and shrimp. Again, the preparation of these dishes is minimal and in most cases involves baking, boiling, grilling, pan frying or steaming.

Starch dishes available are usually potato-based, such as baked potatoes, French fried potatoes, mashed potatoes, roasted potatoes and hash browns. Rice dishes and pastas are also available. Vegetables play a big part in this type of cuisine. Both in salads and in side dishes, you may see asparagus, artichokes, broccoli, carrots, green beans, hearts of palm, different types of lettuce, olives, onions, potatoes and tomatoes. Herbs include basil, garlic, rosemary, and thyme.

Since Steak & Seafood restaurants are ubiquitous throughout the US, you will have few issues finding suitable venues near your home or while traveling for the holidays. If you live in or are visiting Pennsylvania, New York or New Jersey, one restaurant chain is continuing to build a significant reputation within the gluten-free community. Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse restaurants are becoming known for their gluten-free menus, their commitment to providing quality service to each gluten-free guest, and most recently complimentary gluten-free desserts with a coupon as described below in the Restaurant Spotlight!

For those wanting to explore Steak & Seafood restaurants in other parts of the country, outlined below are sample questions to ask restaurant personnel without gluten-free menus when ordering hamburgers, French fries and flourless chocolate torte! To ensure that your meal is gluten-free when a restaurant does not have a gluten-free menu, you need to be prepared to ask specific questions to the server, manager or chef, depending upon your level of comfort and preferences.

As an example, when ordering a hamburger as your meat entree, you need to ask:

•Do you make the hamburgers with bread crumbs?
•Do you prepare your burgers with any seasonings? If so, what types of seasonings are used?
•If packaged seasonings are used, does the ingredient list include wheat, rye, barley or gluten?
•Since I can't eat any gluten, wheat or bread, can I have my burger without a bun?
For French Fries, you need to ask the following questions:

•Are your fries fried in the same fryer as your onion rings or breaded chicken fingers?
•Are your fries flour dusted?
•Are your fries seasoned? If so, what types of seasonings are used?
•If packaged seasonings are used, does the ingredient list include wheat, rye, barley or gluten?
For a flourless chocolate torte dessert, although the name implies differently, you still need to ask:

•Is any wheat flour included as an ingredient?
•Are any bread crumbs added to this torte?
•Is wheat flour used to dust the pan prior to baking?
Also, remember that if the answer from the server, manager or chef, to any of these questions is yes, (besides the “no bun” request), then you will need to choose a different entrée, side dish or dessert. Be sure to continue to ask the right questions to ensure safe gluten-free dining experiences. Great gluten-free meals await you and the American Steak & Seafood experience continues to be a classic cuisine option. With so many menu possibilities available, you can be sure to find something delicious for everyone in your dinner party. Eat, Drink and be Merry! Happy Holidays!

Restaurant Spotlight
Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse

For gluten-free guests, all Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse restaurants offer a gluten-free menu. No matter which of the 54 locations you choose to visit, a substantial number of gluten-free options are available everyday. Each restaurant offers prime rib, delicious steaks, unlimited Farmer’s Market Salad Bar and much more. Their philosophy is simple — to provide great food, exceptional value and friendly service to each and every customer they serve. Charlie Brown's is known for its high quality, fresh food and good value, serving USDA Choice or better mid-western beef including Certified Angus Beef.

Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse roots can be traced to 1966, when The Jolly Trolley opened in Westfield, NJ. Over the past 40 years, they have grown to over 50 locations and have expanded into New York and Pennsylvania with more restaurants planned for the future. Reflecting their neighborhood locations, each restaurant is unique, and restaurant size and seating varies widely. All locations feature comfortable dining rooms; casual, friendly bars and lounge areas; and the Farmer’s Market Salad Bar. Many locations also offer private banquet rooms.

Now through March 31, 2008, Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse is offering complimentary desserts to the gluten-free community exclusively through Glutenfreeonthego.com, as another demonstration of their significant support to the gluten-free and special diets community. Guests must purchase a gluten-free entrée and present the coupon to their server to receive their complimentary gluten-free dessert.

Coupons are available from each of the 54 Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse Qualified Listings featured on Glutenfreeonthego.com, the world’s largest on-line directory of gluten-free restaurants. Simply visit Glutenfreeonthego.com to download and print your coupon, and then present it to your server at any location. There is a limit of four (4) complimentary desserts per table, per visit; however, there is no limit to how often you dine!

Also, in an effort to ensure the highest levels of satisfaction, Charlie Brown’s Steakhouse would like feedback on your gluten-free dining experiences to help further understand your future needs and expectations. After your meal, be sure to return to any Charlie Brown’s Qualified Listing on Glutenfreeonthego.com and participate in the brief customer satisfaction survey. So, stop in today for a tasty gluten-free dining experience. No matter where you are, you can expect the same friendly service, great value and delicious gluten-free food each and every day of the week!

thank you glutenfreeda.com

Lamb Steak over Israeli Cous Cous with Cranberry Sherry Mint Sauce

When I found myself with a cut of lamb known for having an incredibly tender texture (the top round roast–it comes from the upper hind leg), for some reason, steak was on my mind rather than the usual roast. I’d never had lamb steak before, so I thought that this could be a fun change–I’d just give them a quick, buttery pan sear (since its not grilling weather at the moment) and top it off with a simple sauce. Being autumn and all, cranberry seemed like a great thing to focus on sauce-wise–and like pork, lamb with fruit always makes me happy.




The lamb was indeed very tender. The resulting steaks had a crisp, buttery, exterior with a juicy and just-a-little-pink interior (random aside: why aren’t lamb steaks more common?!)–very tasty. The cranberry sauce I made to go with this was very similar in style to one I’ve made for the past few Thanksgivings. Aside from the usual sweet/tart thing you get from cranberry sauce, the mix of sherry, mint, rosemary, and balsamic adds an earthy, nutty, sharp, herby, yet bright dimension to the sauce that just screams autumn without overwhelming the lamb. This was all served over a bed of Israeli cous cous (I prefer it over the regular cous cous for no good reason whatsoever) since lamb and cous cous always go together in my head. The cous cous had a fantastic flavor on its own, and as a place to capture all errant sauce and juices, it was that much better.

A nice thing worth mentioning about this dish: its quick and easy to prepare. The steaks, sauce, and cous cous can all be done in parallel and well under a half hour, so if you’re looking for something fun to do for dinner during the work week, give this one a try.

And as mentioned before, the lamb in this dish is courtesy of the very fine folks at Lava Lake Lamb. Thanks again, Lava Lake!

•1.5 lb lamb top round roast
•salt
•pepper
•butter
•Cranberry Sherry Mint Sauce
◦1 2/3 cups sherry
◦1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
◦1/4 cup brown sugar
◦big handful mint leaves
◦3-4 sprigs rosemary
◦1/4 tsp pepper
◦12-ounce bag fresh cranberries
◦1/4 cup sugar
•Cous cous
◦butter
◦1.5 cups Israeli cous cous
◦2.25 cups chicken stock
◦pinch of saffron
◦2 shallots
◦6 cloves garlic
◦1 bunch swiss chard
◦handful of mint leaves



Admire your lamb roast. Trim any excess fat/bone if necessary. Cut it into individual steaks (whatever thickness floats your boat). Season with salt and pepper all over.




Start the cranberry sauce by mixing the sherry, balsamic, brown sugar, finely diced mint, rosemary, and pepper in a saucepan. Bring to boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Drop the heat to a simmer for 10 minutes, after which, you should discard the rosemary and mix in the cranberries and sugar. Continue to cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally until the berries burst and the liquid reduces some, roughly 5-10 minutes. Set the sauce aside, off heat.




Heat up a large sauté pan over medium high heat and melt some butter. Add the lamb steaks to the pan, taking care not to crowd (work in batches if necessary). Brown for 3-4 minutes per side (depends on thickness) and remove them from heat.

Some time during all of this, you should prepare the cous cous. In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat and then add the dry pasta for about 3 minutes. Stir occasionally to give a good, uniform, golden color. Add the stock and saffron, raise to a boil, and then drop the heat to a gentle boil, covering the pot and continuing to cook for about 12-15 minutes.

In a separate pan, sauté the diced shallot, swiss chard (leaves and stems!) for 6 minutes, add the minced garlic for a minute more, and then add this along with the finely diced mint into the cooked cous cous. Give things a good stir and season to taste.

Finally, add a mound of cous cous to each plate, place a lamb steak on top, and add a good scoop of cranberry sauce. Enjoy!

do steak

Cut from the larger of the chuck shoulder roast, this steak is usually no more than an inch in thickness. Typically weighing in around 10 ounces this steak usually has very little fat. Like other steaks of the chuck primal, this steak has loads of flavor, but tends to be tough. This is an excellent steak for braising, but is equally great on the grill if it has been marinated and isn't cooked much beyond medium. The center cut of this steak is known as a ranch steak

This might just be the most famous steak, if it weren't called by so many different names, more commonly called a New York Strip Steak. As the name implies the Top Loin Steak comes from the top of the short loin primal. This is a tender, flavorful is certainly a favorite and is one of the most versatile steaks.

Steak Glossary
Find out more about all the different types and cuts of steak, the most popular cut of beef.
..7-Bone Steak
Named for the "7" shaped cross section bone that runs through this cut. The 7-Bone Steak comes from the shoulder primal and is generally too tough to do anything but braise.
Arm Steak (Swiss Steak)
This steak is cut from the bottom of the round. This is generally a tough steak that should typically be braised and not grilled. While you can soften this cut up with a marinade, this is a steak that should be used for stews or other dishes where it will be cut up before being served.
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Boneless Chuck Shoulder Steak
Cut from the larger of the chuck shoulder roast, this steak is usually no more than an inch in thickness. Typically weighing in around 10 ounces this steak usually has very little fat. Like other steaks of the chuck primal, this steak has loads of flavor, but tends to be tough. This is an excellent steak for braising, but is equally great on the grill if it has been marinated and isn't cooked much beyond medium. The center cut of this steak is known as a ranch steak.
Boneless Top Loin Steak
This might just be the most famous steak, if it weren't called by so many different names, more commonly called a New York Strip Steak. As the name implies the Top Loin Steak comes from the top of the short loin primal. This is a tender, flavorful is certainly a favorite and is one of the most versatile steaks.
Chuck Eye Steak
The Chuck Eye Steak is cut from the chuck eye roast (Chuck Primal), lower down from the rib primal. This means that this steak is a similar cousin to a Rib-Eye Steak, but isn't as tender or flavorful. A good lower cost alternative.
Flank Steak
The flank steak is technically not a steak, but has become so popular in the last few decades that it can't be ignored. The flank is the belly muscle of the cow and is typically cut into small pieces. The flank is very flavorful but contains almost no fat and will be tough pretty much no matter how you cook it.
Hanger Steak
The Hanger Steak has started to become more popular and is showing up on more and more butcher shelves. Problem is, most people have never heard of it and don't know what to do with it. This Diaphragm section is very flavorful but can turn out dry and tough if you don't prepare it correctly.
Mock Tender Steak
This steak obviously got it's name from an advertizing executive since it isn't actually anything like tender. This tough little steak comes from point of the chuck primal next to the Top Blade.
Porterhouse Steak
The Porterhouse is kind of a composite steak coming from the point where the tenderloin and top loin meet. Basically an oversized T-Bone steak the porterhouse is thicker cut and has much more of the tenderloin relative to the loin portion. If you remove the bone and cut out the two steaks that basically make up this steak you will get a tenderloin steak and a top loin (or New York Strip Steak).
Rib Steak
This steak is the same as the Rib-Eye Steak with the bone still on.
Rib-Eye Steak
The Rib-Eye is cut from the roast that sits at the top of the rib primal. As a roast is known as a standing rib roast or, more commonly, Prime Rib (though technically only if it is prime grade beef). The Rib-Eye is a boneless cut. When the bone is attached it is called a Rib Steak.
Round Steak
Typically this is a thin steak from the middle of the top round roast, from the round primal. Usually there is a large circular bone on one end of this steak. The round steak can be grilled or broiled but will need to be marinated. This is going to be a tough steak and ideally is braised.
Round Tip Steak
Cut from the tip of the round primal, the round tip steak is typically untrimmed (still has fat along the end). If trimmed it can be called a trimmed tip steak of ball tip steak. Because this steak is cut from near the tenderloin it is very tender, and much more tender than other round steaks. This means that this can be a very economical steak.
Skirt Steak
One of the flat steaks the Skirt Steak is tough but wonderfully delicious. If you live in the U.S. (or someplace that learned to butcher from Americans) then the Skirt Steak comes from the plate primal. If you live in the U.K. then it comes from the flank. Either way it has a lot of marbling and connective tissue. This makes it flavorful, but tough.
T-bone Steak
The T-Bone Steak is crosscut from just below the porterhouse and like that giant steak has a section of the top loin and tenderloin (though just a little bit) seperated by a t-shaped bone.
Tenderloin Steak
This steak is cut from the beef tenderloin, part of the short loin primal. It is greatly desired for being the most tender but of beef. Several steaks are actually cut from this region, the Filet Mignon, Châteaubriand, and Tournedos. The extreme tenderness of these steaks comes at the cost of the flavor (though still very good).
Top Blade Steak - Flat Iron Steak
Probably one of the must under appreciated steaks, the Top Blade Steak may be more commonly called the "Flat Iron Steak". This tender and flavorful little steak is cut from the top blade roast and comes from the chuck primal.
Tri-Tip Steak
This one steak brings more questions than any other. Originally a California cut, this steak (and roast) has become increasingly popular because of the superior flavor and because it is a steak built for grilling. The tri-tip steak is cut from the tri-tip roast. The tri-tip roast is a triangular section of the sirloin primal and comes from the point where the sirloin meets the round and flank primals (tell your butcher this if he doesn't know what a tri-tip is).
Under Blade Steak
Cut from the under the shoulder blade, the under blade steak is similar to the 7-bone steak and the top blade steak though not as tender as either. Typically this cut is left as a roast, but can be cut into steaks. This cut is not good for grilling or broiling and should only be braised.