Traditions
Picanha: Why the Sirloin Cap Rules Our Sunday Grill
Picanha, the top sirloin cap with its thick fat layer, is a Sunday regular around Doral. How to buy it, score and salt it, grill it on skewers or as steaks, and slice it right.
The Journal
Notes from the counter: how we buy, cut, season and rest meat, and the people who taught us.
Traditions
Picanha: Why the Sirloin Cap Rules Our Sunday Grill
Picanha, the top sirloin cap with its thick fat layer, is a Sunday regular around Doral. How to buy it, score and salt it, grill it on skewers or as steaks, and slice it right.
Traditions
How to Build a Meat Board That Feeds a Crowd
In South Florida the party starts at the counter, around a board of cured meats. How much to buy, which meats to mix, a Miami-style twist, and how to keep it safe in the heat.
Technique
Resting and Slicing Meat: The Five Minutes That Matter Most
Great cooking can fall apart in the last few minutes. How long to rest steaks, roasts, and poultry, how to find the grain on tricky cuts like tri-tip and brisket, and how to slice cleanly.
Buying Guide
Dry-Aged Beef Explained: Crust, Flavor, and What You Pay For
Dry-aged steaks cost more and look stranger than anything else in the case. What happens during aging, how many days to choose, and how to cook these steaks so the extra cost pays off.
Technique
Searing Steak in Cast Iron Without Smoking Out the Kitchen
A cast iron skillet gives the best indoor crust, but it can also set off every smoke alarm. Dry steaks, the right oil, a patient preheat, and frequent flipping fix most of the problem.
Kitchen Science
Dry Brining Steak: What Salt Really Does Overnight
Salt a steak 10 minutes before cooking and you get a wet, gray crust. Salt it the night before and you get deep seasoning and a fast sear. Here is the science and the timing.
Grill Notes
Low and Slow Pork Ribs on a Charcoal Kettle
No smoker? No problem. The snake method turns a standard charcoal kettle into a steady 250 F cooker for tender spare ribs and baby backs, with a bend test to tell you when they are done.
Grill Notes
Taming Flare-Ups With a Two-Zone Charcoal Fire
Flames around a steak look dramatic but leave a sooty, bitter crust. A two-zone charcoal fire gives you a hot side for searing and a safe side for when the fat starts to catch.
Buying Guide
How to Pick a Great Steak From the Butcher Case
Marbling, thickness, color, and a few smart questions. A butcher's checklist for choosing ribeye, strip, sirloin, and more, plus how to store steaks once you get them home.