Product Description

You’ve dreamed about it all week: the prime porterhouse patiently waiting in your butcher’s case for you to bring home wrapped in brown paper. You can’t wait to fire up the grill, season the well-marbled red meat, and slap it over the hot coals. You can hear the sizzle as it cooks, smell the tantalizing aroma; you can practically taste the perfectly seared, juicy steak. You never intend to overcook it, but sometimes you do, ruining a thick, expensive steak.

Never fear. Morton’s, The Steakhouse shares the secrets that have made its name synonymous with fine steakhouse dining for twenty-seven years to ensure that the home cook’s steak turns out exactly as he imagines it. Morton’s Steak Bible offers indispensable tips, steakhouse lore, and more than 100 irresistible recipes perfect for meat lovers, grillers, and fans of their seventy restaurants worldwide.

Before divulging Morton’s recipes for every cut from filet mignon and T-bone to skirt steak and ground sirloin, Morton’s Steak Bible starts at the very beginning, providing excellent tips on how to cook like a steakhouse: what to look for when selecting meat, how to cook it on a grill or under a broiler, and of course, how to time your masterpiece to perfection. There are also “Celebrity Clips” sprinkled throughout, amusing anecdotes about visits to Morton’s by its most famous guests, including Frank Sinatra, Tiger Woods, Queen Latifah, and Jackie Gleason.

In addition to world-famous steak recipes, Morton’s Steak Bible includes chapters featuring everything you’ll need to round out your table, such as the Key Lime Mortini and Smoked Salmon Pinwheels in “Cocktails and the Food We Eat with Them”; Salad Niçoise with Pan-Seared Tuna and Velvet Lobster Bisque in “Salads and Soups”; Baked Lemon-Oregano Chicken and Lamb Chops with Baked Apples in “Other Steakhouse Favorites”; Creamed Spinach and Hash Brown Potatoes in “Side Dishes”; and Morton’s legendary Hot Chocolate Cake and Upside-Down Apple Pie in “Desserts.”

With 3.3 million guests dining at its upscale restaurants throughout the United States, Canada, and Asia every year, Morton’s has clearly earned its place as the authority on all things steak. Beautifully illustrated throughout with vibrant full-color photographs, Morton’s Steak Bible is the definitive guide to steakhouse fare and will instantly become a coveted addition to the home of any meat lover or grilling aficionado.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #53518 in Books
• Published on: 2006-05-23
• Released on: 2006-05-23
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 240 pages

About the Author
Klaus Fritsch teamed up with Arnie Morton to found Morton’s in 1978. Trained as a professional chef, he currently serves as vice chairman to the company. Fritsch lives in Chicago. Visit mortons.com.

Mary Goodbody is a nationally known food writer, consultant, and cookbook editor who has worked on more than sixty books. She lives in Connecticut.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
BEEF FILET OSKAR

Without question, this is an indulgent way to serve steak. The filet
steaks (filets mignons) are served with lump crabmeat and our very own
Béarnaise Sauce. Look for large asparagus because they will best
support the crabmeat and look great on top of the filet. Just as you
look for the best meat, buy the best lump crabmeat you can. Everything
for this very special dish must be first-rate!

Wine recommendation: Pinot Noir or Red Burgundy

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS

--Six 8 to 9-ounce filets mignons, each about 2 inches thick

--Vegetable oil cooking spray

--Seasoned salt

--12 slices very thin white bread

--12 large asparagus spears

--12 ounces fresh lump crabmeat (2 loosely packed cups)

--2 and one-quarter (2.25) cups Béarnaise Sauce (recipe follows),
warmed


Béarnaise Sauce

-- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

-- 1 tablespoon dry white wine

-- 1 teaspoon dried tarragon

-- Half (.5) teaspoon chopped shallots

-- 2 cups Hollandaise Sauce (recipe follows)

-- Salt


Hollandaise Sauce

-- 5 large egg yolks

-- 1 and one-half (1.5) cups Clarified Butter

-- 1 and one-half (1.5) teaspoons fresh lemon juice

-- Eighth of a teaspoon of Worcestershire sauce

-- Dash of Tabasco or other hot pepper sauce

-- Quarter (.25) teaspoon salt

-- Eighth of a teaspoon of freshly ground white pepper


TO PREPARE

1. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them rest at room
temperature for 30 to 60 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill or preheat the broiler and position
a rack 4 inches from the heating element. Lightly spray the grill rack
with vegetable oil cooking spray. The coals should be medium-hot for
the charcoal grill. The burners should be on high for the gas grill.

4. Season the filets lightly on both sides with the seasoned salt.

5. Lay the bread slices on a work surface. Using a 3-inch-wide round
cookie cutter or water glass, cut out 12 rounds. Transfer the rounds
to a baking sheet. Bake, turning once, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until
the croutons are light golden brown and crisp. Watch them carefully;
they brown quickly around the edges. Cool on wire racks.
6. Lower the oven temperature to 300°F.

7. In a large skillet filled about halfway with boiling water and set
over medium-high heat, blanch the asparagus spears for 2 to 3 minutes,
or until fork-tender. Cut each asparagus spear in half crosswise and
then split each half lengthwise. Lay the split spears in a single
layer around the perimeter of an 11 x 17-inch baking pan. Place the
crabmeat in the center of the pan. Heat the asparagus and crabmeat in
the oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or until heated through. Remove from the
oven and cover to keep warm.

8. Meanwhile, if using a charcoal grill, grill the steaks for about 5
minutes. Turn, using tongs, and grill the other side for about 5
minutes for medium-rare, or until the desired degree of doneness. If
using a gas grill, grill for about 5 minutes. Turn, using tongs, and
grill the other side for about 5 minutes for medium-rare, or until the
desired degree of doneness. If using the broiler, broil 4 inches from
the heat source for 8 minutes. Turn, using tongs, and broil the other
side for 7 to 8 minutes for medium-rare, or until the desired degree
of doneness.

9. Cut each filet in half against the grain and put each portion, cut
side up, on a crouton. Put two croutons on each serving plate. Put
four asparagus pieces (two with tips) on top of each filet half to
form a squared crosshatch (#) design. Divide the crab evenly among the
plates, resting it on the asparagus. Spoon Béarnaise Sauce over each
serving and pass any extra sauce on the side.


Béarnaise Sauce

Although it may seem like overkill, if you want to embellish the
already extravagant Hollandaise Sauce, turn it into Béarnaise with the
addition of shallots and tarragon, white wine, and white wine vinegar.
Delicious! We particularly like it with swordfish, and of course it’s
a natural with filet mignon and prime rib.

Makes about 2 cups

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the vinegar, wine,
tarragon, and shallots. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until enough
liquid evaporates so that it barely coats the bottom of the pan.

2. In the top of a double boiler set over simmering water, heat the
Hollandaise Sauce, whisking to keep it from separating. Add the
vinegar-shallot mixture and continue whisking. Season to taste with a
little salt.


Hollandaise Sauce

Hollandaise is a lovely, rich, slightly tangy sauce that complements
beef as well as vegetables such as asparagus and artichokes. While
it's not an everyday accompaniment, it can be the pièce de résistance
of a special meal. Some home cooks fear making hollandaise because it
has the tendency to break (curdle). Our method is as close to
foolproof as you can get. Make the sauce shortly before serving; it
does not hold well.

Makes about 2 cups

1. In the bottom half of a double boiler, bring about 2 inches of
water to a boil over high heat. The water should not touch the bottom
of the top portion of the double boiler. Reduce the heat to medium so
that the water is simmering.

2. Put the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons of water in the top of the
double boiler and set over the simmering water. Whisk the eggs
continuously for 2 to 2.5 minutes, or until the eggs are thick and
foamy and their color lightens. Watch the eggs carefully; they must
not scramble and cook. Remove the top of the double boiler from the
heat.

3. In a small saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Very
gradually add half of the warm butter to the eggs, whisking
constantly. Add 1 tablespoon of water and continue to whisk as you add
the rest of the melted butter and the sauce emulsifies.

4. Stir in the lemon juice, Worcestershire and Tabasco sauces, salt,
and pepper. Return the top of the double boiler to the heat over the
simmering water (add more water to the bottom of the double boiler if
necessary). Cook gently until the sauce registers 110° to 120°F. on an
instant-read thermometer. Serve warm.

Customer Reviews

Morton's Steak Bible
Great find! Especially if Morton's is a favorite spot for steaks etc. The recipes are straight forward and anyone who thinks a great steak is hard to prepare will be surprised. The secret as you can see with this "bible" is not to "over-do" it with spices, marinades etc., let the flavor of the beef shine through. Highly reccommended.

Makes it easy to cook like Morton's at home
I had a hankering for creamed spinach made the only way I like - Morton's style. I bought this book and never looked back. Month after month of pumping out hashed browns, creamed spinach and Cajun ribeye... all of my friends think I'm a chef and I've gained at least 10 pounds.

This book is a must for an red-blooded steak lover. Now I dream of luring a cow into my apartment.

SO MUCH TO LEARN!
I use this cookbook at least 1-2 times a month. It lets you know how to make everything or where to find it. The pictures are amazing. I have to have pictures! I got this book as a gift and since we use it so often I like to try to purchase one for friends and family on special occasions, so they'll have the same enjoyment. I have learned so much about this book and unlike visiting Mortons it didn't cost me and my husband 300+. Of course I would rather be at Mortons than in my own kitchen... :) Point is " You should get this book"! You can learn a ton!