A chophouse or more particularly referred to as a steakhouse is a restaurant holding a high degree of specialization in chops and steaks. A steakhouse in the modern era is also capable of providing certain other cuts of meat, including poultry, veal, roast prime rib and seafood. Chophouses came into existence in the 1690’s in London. In the initial periods of their service, these steakhouses used to serve chops, which are specifically individual portions of meat.
Unites States got a glimpse of steakhouses in its area in the late 19th century. Traditional inns and bars invited development, thus resulting into the starting of steakhouses in the states. These houses hold great uniqueness within to play the role of casual and formal dining restaurants in the finest form.
List of notable steakhouses: –
- Alpharetta Steakhouse
- Barclay Prime in Philadelphia
- Chicago Prime Steakhouse in Schaumburg, Illinois
- Timber Lodge Steakhouse in Minnesota
- Texas Roadhouse in North America, which is one among the popular chain restaurant steakhouses.
A description of steak: –
A steak is the potential bearer of a bone, being sliced across the muscle fibers. There are exceptional cases in which the meat is sliced in the parallel direction to that of the fibers. The preparation style of steak is mainly related with grilling. However, some steaks are pan-fried too. The grilling sessions are conducted over a steak to give it a flavor similar to the ones cooked over coals of an open fire. Certain steaks are also cooked in sauce.
Steaks can also be obtained from animals coming under the grazing category such as, camel, bison, ostrich, goat, turkey, deer and kangaroo. Certain variety of fish, including salmon among the majority ones, shark, marlin and swordfish can also be awarded with a count.
A unique term peeps into the scenario. It’s called the imitation steak. This term refers to a food product made from various pieces of meat and is given the shape of a steak. For vegetarian steak alternatives grilled fruits have been given heed. These fruits include watermelon. So is the case for mushroom steak which is particularly Portobello mushroom in grilled form.
Steak with its varied types: –
- Beefsteak
Cuts of beef in their tender form collected from the rib and loin hold the capability of getting cooked quickly. They are served whole and are cooked using dry heat. Cuts of beef in their less tender form, collected from the round or chuck are cooked with the help of moist heat and are tenderized in a mechanical way.
Beefsteaks hold the capacity to get cooked to the following levels: –
- Very rare
- Rare
- Medium rare
- Medium
- Medium well done
- Well done
The grading of beefsteak is usually done for quality. Higher quality beefsteaks are usually priced in the higher range. The higher the quality, the tender and better flavored is the steak. Moreover, a better quality beefsteak takes lesser time to get cooked. Steak holds a greater possibility to get cooked quickly in comparison to other cuts of meat. This possibility makes use of high temperatures for cooking.
- Fish Steak
Fish steaks include bones and are cut in the direction perpendicular to the direction of the presence of spine. The delicate flesh of fish requires cooking for shorter duration than that of beef. However, the steaks collected from tuna, salmon, swordfish and halibut can also be grilled. Fish steaks are also unique in their nature to get poached or baked too.
- Lamb Steak
A range of cuts are required for the preparation of lamb steaks. These steaks are quite versatile in nature as they can be used as an ingredient in a variety of dishes. Such an ingredient generally goes into salads in their sliced form.
- Pork Steak
Generally collected from a pig’s shoulder, pork steaks can also be cut from the leg or loin of a pig.
- Vegetarian Alternatives
Vegetables in their sliced form can also be taken into account as an alternative form for non-meat steak. These include Portobello mushroom, cauliflower and eggplant too. Beans and legumes can be a useful alternative. Moreover, watermelon steaks can be prepared by slicing and cooking the sliced pieces of watermelon.
This was a brief glimpse into the steakhouse. It can be a fine dining restaurant for many and are quite popular in many parts around the globe.