The Dry Aged BriSkirtRib Burger

I have a new customer working on opening a dry aged steakhouse in Salinas. The butcher in me wakes up late at night these days dreaming of menu items. Warped I know, but I can't help it. When I walked in there last week adn saw the band saw, dry age rooms, and the tenderizer it was over for me. My new office is at the Grower's Pub, I may just move there.

Yesterday I was sitting around playing with menu ideas and I came across the recap of the Rachel Ray Burger Contest at the NY Wine and Food Festival. While the winner of the contest was Katie Lee Joel (Billy's wife) with her patty melt I clicked away at a tangent that took me to La Frieda's Meats in the meat district in New York.
A couple great articles chronicled the "special black label blend" that La Frieda Meats put together for the competition. I started with The Feedbag., and then moved on to A Hamburger Today.. "The Black Label blend was aimed at high-end restaurants and featured an "intoxicating" mix of skirt, brisket, short rib, and a secret cut that is actually dry aged! It has an extremely generous 70/30 meat-to-fat ratio, making for an ethereally succulent burger."

I went out to Star Market after church today and got myself a 3 Lb brisket, a couple lbs of boneless short ribs, and a skirt steak..broke out the trusty villa home grinder and went after it.

I pan seared an about a 10 oz burger-on the outside..completely cold in the center, topped it with a sliced red onion, tomato, and some sliced home cured pickles and a sprinkle of Monarch steak dust.

I have to stop typing now, it is interferring with my cardiac arrest…. I should have got last rights while I was at church.