So, it’s Monday . . . and this Friday my hunk-o-beef of a husband and I are traveling to NYC for a long weekend.

We need it.

Guess what we’re frantically searching for before we get there.

The best steak in town.

I know, it’s hard to believe.

Since we know we won’t be able to grill up our own T-bones in the hotel room, a steakhouse will have to do.

But where to go?

We’ve done Sparks. Check out our experience here.

And Peter Luger’s only had a 3:45 or 9:45 reservation time available.

Neither sounds like “dinnertime” to me.

So, we’re up a creek. In Manhattan. And that’s hard to do.

It should be an interesting journey trolling the streets of Midtown in search of a steak without reservations. But we’re crazy like that.

You know that thing called a “recession” we’re supposedly in? The steakhouses in the tri-borough area apparently never got that memo. They’re booked solid.

Score one for the beef industry.

Now, if I could just score a steak . . .

Illustration courtesy of iabeef.org.

Today, class, we will be discussing a form of the word “steak” that does not get its fair share of airtime out here in the real world.

Apparently, “steaky” is actually a word that has meaning to people other than obsessive bloggers who spend hours pontificating about steak.

I, myself, have used the word “steaky” to describe something that is totally awesome. (See aforementioned obsessive blogger reference.) But I did not know the word was making the rounds in society outside of the steak community.

“Steaky” now has its own entry in the Urban Dictionary. And I am so proud I have tears welling up in my eyes.

Here’s what it says:

Steaky 

 Adjective.

1. Steak-like. In reference to steak.

2. Generally a positive comment of approval or recognition.

Steaky is derived from the word steak. Steak being a tasty piece of meat of high quality. Things that are steaky thus possess steak-like qualities without actually having any implied reference to the meat.

A: I just aced the test!

B: Steaky! 

A: A love this band, their music is so steaky.

B: Their steakiness is unmatched.

cool awesome alright right-on neat

by Famous James Splinter

Notice the words I have highlighted in red above. Those are synonyms for “steaky.” And by the looks of them, “steaky” has been around since the ’70s. I don’t think I’ve used “right-on” or “neat” for decades.

So there you have it. Steak’s impact has moved BEYOND the world of food and has infiltrated the American lexicon.

Well done, steak. Well done.

Definition excerpt courtesy of UrbanDictionary.com.

I love, love finding new ways to cook a steak.

This one is quite ingenious.

Like tea? Ever thought of using it to flavor your steak?

Ms. Mabel Menard gives us her recipe for a SMOKIN’ steak. Check it out!

Tea-Smoked Steak Recipe

This was borne out of experimentation and improvisation. I wanted to make tea-smoked duck but didn’t have all the ingredients, so I improvised with what I could find in my pantry. It worked so well I decided to try smoking steak instead. You’ll need a heavy pan that can accommodate a steamer rack.

Ingredients

4 flat iron steaks (about 6 ounces each)

seasoned salt or Vulcan’s fire salt

1/3 cup loose dark tea leaves

1/3 cup raw rice

3 tablespoons raw sugar

1 tablespoon five spice powder

OR 1 tablespoon pumpkin spice

Serves / Yields

4

Preparation Instructions

Liberally sprinkle salt on both sides of the steaks. In the meantime, line a heavy pan with heavy duty foil. Cover the bottom of the foil with a thin layer of tea leaves, followed by rice, sugar, and spice. Cover and heat until very hot. Pat the steaks dry and place in a steamer rack. Put the steamer rack on the pan. Cover tightly. Heat on high for at least 1/2 hour, depending on desired doneness. Remove and let sit for about 10 minutes before slicing thinly.

Helpful Hints

It’s great as part of an appetizer platter. You can also use it with salads.

Credit

This recipe was provided by Mabel Menard from Chicago.

Recipe courtesy of TheSpiceHouse.com.