Saloon Steakhouse Chef's Blog

Preparing a Rhone Wine Dinner

saloonchef — Thu, 10 May 2012 19:34:13 +0000

On Thursday, April 26 we offered a Rhone Wine Dinner paired with wines from the South of France. Heritage Wine Cellars partnered with us to match up the courses with fantastic wines.

Set in our intimate Wine Room, we had about 25 guests. Check out the menu below!

Welcome Course: Various Salamis and Cheeses

Sweetbreads with Sweet Potato Frites & Black Cherry Demi

Cassoulet with Balsamic Reduction

Coq A Vin with Mushroom Ragout

Duck Confit with Brussel Sprout Risotto

Napoleon

Next up on the calendar: 6-Course Greg Norman Wagyu Beef Dinner on Thursday, June 14 in partnership with Buedel Fine Meats. Call us to make your reservation now!

How To Prepare a Salt-Crusted Whole Snapper

saloonchef — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 21:51:39 +0000

The weather in Chicago seems to be cracking and the sun is shining so our minds turn to Spring and lighter dishes. This week Chef Boris is offering a salt-crusted whole red snapper. The salt and the egg whites form a sort of plaster, keeping air out and sealing in the flavor and tenderness of the fish.

Take a look at the “reveal” after the fish is roasted and then check out the recipe below. Or join us for dinner and let Chef Boris do all the work!

Salt Crusted Whole Red Snapper

3 egg whites
2 cups sea salt
2 cups flour
3 tbl spoons parsley
1 tbl spoon blackening spice
1/2 cup water

Mix these ingredients to create a plaster and chill for 10 minutes.

Take a cleaned, whole 2 pound snapper and rub with salt, pepper, garlic , thyme and olive oil. Place 3 lemon circles on the fish, wrap with parchment paper.

Seal the fish with the salt crust and bake at 375 degrees for 22-25 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.

Giving Back to The Community

saloonchef — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 20:32:24 +0000

Students from the Chicago Military Academy in Bronzeville provide a proud welcome at LNVB's recent fundraiser featuring guest speaker Lieutenant General Honoré.

At the heart of any good restaurant is its community. They are our patrons, our heart, our very reason for existing! We give back every chance we get and most recently we are partnering with Leave No Veteran Behind, a fantastic organization that invests in veterans to help them get back to work after their service.

LNVB is a non-profit service run by veterans that provides educational, employment and community service opportunities for veterans facing economic hardship. Learn more and get involved at leavenoveteranbehind.com.

Other worthy organizations we’ve partnered with include the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, the United Cerebral Palsy Association, the Anti-Cruelty Society and 1-800-Runaway. In addition, we work with the Lookingglass Theater, The Chicago Bulls and the Windy City Rollers. We even sponsor one employee’s volley ball team!

To launch the partnership with LNVB we are donating $5 for every T-Bone steak sold in the month of March. Come on in, get a great steak and support your community!

~ The Saloon

Meet Brandon, Our Wine & Spirits Guru

saloonchef — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:33:00 +0000

I learned about wine from my mother, a high-end server by trade with a love of fine wines. Family and holiday dinners always centered around her personal wine selections and as I got older she imparted a basic knowledge and a deep love for the stuff. She taught me that white wines paired better with fish, and that lighter dishes and red wines better compliment red meats and heavier dishes.

When I was older I had the opportunity to travel and sample the wines of the world in Italy, France and Napa. Once I got out on my own and did some further research and gained my own experiences I learned that wine pairing is an intricate and can be very creative part of the meal. Increasing my knowledge of wines and food enabled me to get creative: I learned that a Pinot Noir could go with pan seared scallops or a finely seared pork chop and big, that fruit-forward reds that are high in acidity can cut through richer dishes like a heavily marbled ribeye steak. Learning not only about the characteristics of the grapes but also how each vineyard and even each vintage treats them differently allows you to find the perfect accompaniment for any dish at any budget.

Brandon in our Wine Room, available for private parties up to 35 people

The way I approached our beverage program at The Saloon was with a base of traditional California Cabs that always make a fantastic pairing with our famous cuts from Buedel Fine Meats, while adding in some more exotic and lesser known varietals that pair with our entrees (like the Monkfish Saltimbocca) which allows us to give our guests a new experience and educate them about more obscure wines. In addition to our captain’s list (wines by the bottle), we have been working to offer more options and varieties of wines by the glass. My current favorite is a Chilean wine: the Santa Rita Carmenere ($13 glass). It’s one of our January featured wines. It’s rich, earthy and pairs with hearty winter dishes like Beef Stroganoff, available this week on our lunch specials. Get it (and these wines) while you can!

What are your favorite winter wine and meal pairings? Let us know in the comments!

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Tomahawk Short Rib: Chef Boris’ First Video

saloonchef — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 02:52:00 +0000

Watch as I reveal my method for braising and seasoning my Tomahawk Short Rib.

What makes it a “Tomahawk” Short Rib? It’s the larger version of the frenched bone-in short rib. As with all cuts, leaving the bone in increases tenderness and juciness while enhancing the flavor of the meat. We get our cuts from Buedel Fine Meats.

Feel free to try my method at home or leave the cooking (and the dish washing!) to us! Make a reservation today at 312-280-5454. The Tomahawk Short Rib is still on the menu but is a seasonal dish so it won’t last forever. Get it while you can!

Happy eating,
Chef Boris

Family in the Kitchen

saloonchef — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 04:31:04 +0000

Executive Chef Boris and Sous Chef Rufino bonding in the kitchen before the Goose Island beer dinner on December 1.

Utilizing organic herbs in the kitchen

saloonchef — Fri, 09 Dec 2011 23:07:42 +0000

Fresh herbs are plentiful in the spring, summer, and fall and luckily we have a fresh organic bounty from our owners’ gardens.

We try to use fresh herbs whenever possible, using thyme in our rubs
and rosemary for braising.

We infuse many sauces with lemon balm a member of the mint family, which gives them a nice sharp jolt of lemon to fish and soups.

Herbs on our Tomhawk Short Ribs, available on our winter menu

In May when the herbs mint, thyme, chocolate mint, oregano, chives and
lemon balm are popping out all over we dry and freeze them for use in winter stews and soups.

Right about now we are happy with our hot soups and stews, but come January we’ll be looking forward to spring’s herb bounty (and the sunshine that produces it).

Chef Boris

Local Food + Local Beer = Reason to Celebrate

saloonchef — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 17:25:01 +0000

Celebrate Local Food and Beer with The Saloon’s Goose Island Beer Dinner on this Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011.

When you join us on Thursday, you’re supporting locally made beer and a local restaurant with The Saloon (and a locally trained Chef, Boris Kirzhner!).

1st Course
Mini Citrus Ostrich Brats
Paired with 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Light and Citrusy

The Citrus in the Ale only enhances the Brats

2nd Course
Trio of Filets Crusted with a Trio of Peppercorns
Paired with Pepe Nero, a Peppercorn-infused Belgian Farmhouse Ale
The peppercorn essence in the beer enhance the trio of peppercorns (black, green and pink)

3rd Course
Braised Duroc Pork Cheeks with Matilda Gravy & Grits
Paired with Matilda, a Belgian Strong Pale Ale
The Cheeks are braised in Matilda, adding a spice to the already sweet cheeks

4th Course
Chef’s Choice Dessert
Paired with Bourbon County Stout
The Big Surprise of the Evening will enhance the limited release stout, dark as a “black hole with thick foam the color of a bourbon barrel”

Known for being a great locals’ secret watering hole for the best steaks in town, we love nothing more than to welcome regulars and first-timers alike. If you haven’t already, this is your chance to establish a connection with The Saloon, our staff and our Chef, Boris Kirzhner. There are only a few spots left so make your reservation today!

We hope to see you soon,
Brandon
Wine & Spirits Manager

Natural & Sustainable Veal?

saloonchef — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:14:22 +0000

Veal has always been an earthy, tender and delicate product. Because it is a young product that is mild and gentle, a lot of people eat veal that have high cholesterol or are at high risk for health issues. The animals are always raised on their mother’s milk so the animals don’t have the chance to eat contaminated feed. You can rest easy when you enjoy our veal, provided exclusively by Strauss Free Raised Farms.

What does Strauss Free Raised mean?
Free to Roam – never tethered or raised in confinement
Raised on natural open pastures alongside mother & herd
Never raised in feedlots
Unlimited access to mother’s milk
Strictly vegetarian fed – never receiving animal by-products
Never ever administered growth hormones
Never ever administered antibiotics
Never experience the stress of industrialized farming
Traceable to place of birth
Agriculturally sustainable & environmentally friendly

You can learn more about veal done well at Strauss’ website.

Chef Boris

How I learned about brining

saloonchef — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 22:22:00 +0000

Brining pork or chicken will make them more tender and allows you to infuse flavor into the meat with juniper, brown sugar, smoked wood chips or other seasonings. Historically, brining would be used to help prevent spoilage of the meat by killing bacteria. I learned a lot about my brining from my grandma Sara, a holocaust survivor. In Ukraine all pigs were free range and grass fed and she slaughtered her own pork on her farm near Kiev. She taught me how to brine, how to butcher, how to cook all different parts of the pork.

Come enjoy our bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with a sweet potato-andouille hash and brown sugar glaze for two weeks starting today.

-Chef Boris