RECIPE: Delmonico's Steak

Dec. 5, 2008— -- When the now-legendary Delmonico's opened in Manhattan's financial district in 1837, it broke new ground in the American dining industry. It was the first establishment to go by the French term, "restaurant," and the firsts did not end there.

Delmonico's was ahead of its time, allowing female patrons to dine without the accompaniment of a male escort. It was the first restaurant to have a printed menu, offer a separate wine list, use tablecloths and also the first to have diners sit at private tables

"GMA Now" was given a behind-the-scenes tour of Delmonico's, and here are the restaurants steak and meat butter recipes:

Delmonico Steak

Serves 6.

This is, to us at Delmonico's, the one and only Delmonico Steak. We use a boneless, 21-ounce, prime rib-eye steak that has been aged for at least six weeks. Extremely tender yet unbelievably flavorful, this steak with a bit of what we call "meat butter," a herbaceous compound butter mix that is easy to make and simple to keep on hand.

Because fires vary in degree of heat, it is difficult to estimate the length of time it will take a steak to cook. Since restaurant stoves are so much hotter than those in most homes, we have given instructions for grilling on a gas grill heated to medium-hot. At home you can grill a steak on the stovetop, using a heavy-duty grill pan. It makes a mess of the stovetop, because the grease splatters, but it cooks a pretty good steak.

We recommend using an instant-read thermometer to check the doneness. Rare steak will have an internal temperature of 120 degrees to 125 degrees F; medium-rare to medium should read 130 degrees to 150 degrees F. This should take somewhere near twenty minutes, depending upon the thickness of the meat and the heat. Above 150 degrees F, a steak is considered well-done, which is not a desirable temperature for a really good steak! A steak should sit for five minutes or so before cutting, so remember that it will continue to cook as it sits when you gauge the internal temperature.

Ingredients:

Six 20-ounce prime rib-eye steaks, at room temperature

Sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper to taste

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Meat Butter (recipe follows)

Method:

Clean, oil, and preheat the grill.

Wipe excess moisture from the exterior of the steaks using a paper towel. Season one side with salt and pepper.

Place the steaks on the hot grill, seasoned side down. Grill for 3 minutes. Season the top side and, using tongs, turn the steaks and grill for 3 minutes to just sear the exterior.

Remove the steaks from the grill and, using a pastry brush, lightly coat both sides of each steak with olive oil.

Return the steaks to the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until the exterior is nicely charred and the interior has reached the desired degree of doneness on an instant-read thermometer.

Remove fromt he grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving with a generous pat of Meat Butter.

Meat Butter

Ingredients:

3 fresh bay leaves

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons sea salt

1 pound (4 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature

Method:

Combine the bay leaves, thyme, and salt in a spice grinder and process until powdery.

Place the butter in a mixing bowl. Add the powdered mixture and, using a hand-held electric mixer, blend well.

Scrape the butter mixture onto the center of a sheet of plastic film. Pull the film up and over the soft butter and, using your hands, form the butter into a roll about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Wrap tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 week, or wrap in freezer wrap, label, date, and freeze for up to 3 months.

When ready to serve, unwrap the flavored butter and, using a sharp knife, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices, allowing one slice per steak.