I had the pleasure of showing my small-town parents around the big city of Toronto this weekend. As fellow foodies, I knew that I had to show them some good spots where we could get some quality eats. Among Momofuku, Chinatown and the Distillery District, I think they were impressed with what this busy city has to offer. While walking through Chinatown, we made a quick stop to Kensington market to get some cheese and check out Sanagan's Meat Locker. I found a cut of meat labelled "Bavette Steak (from the flap)", selling for $10.99/lb. I've never heard of this cut of meat, so I asked the butcher to tell me more about it. He said that it comes from the less tender area of the meat, similarly to skirt and flank steak. It comes from the belly of the animal, and is the piece of meat under the removed flank and fat. It is best cooked no more than medium-rare, and must be cut against the grain. It is a thin slice of steak that is tougher than other cuts, however it is packed with strong, meaty flavour. I found a simplistic recipe for this steak that includes marination and a quick grill on high heat. It is topped with an olive parsley pesto that enhances the intense flavours of this cut of meat. I got this recipe from a cookbook titled "The Best of Rose Reisman", written by Rose Reisman herself. |
If I were to make this product, I would keep it simple and try to highlight the flavours of the beef. I would start by seasoning the bavette with salt and pepper then marinating it in some minced garlic, a squeeze of lime and chill flakes. After letting the flavours penetrate the meat for a few hours, I would grill it quickly on a flaming hot barbecue to ensure the flavours and juices are locked in while creating a crunch on the exterior.
This would be served atop crispy sweet potato fries with smoked paprika and sea salt, with grilled white asparagus on the side for some added dimension and texture. The serving size would be approximately an 8oz steak, which would cost me $5.50. So I would charge roughly $20.00 for this plate, as I would want to make some profit from both the meat and its accompaniments.
This would be served atop crispy sweet potato fries with smoked paprika and sea salt, with grilled white asparagus on the side for some added dimension and texture. The serving size would be approximately an 8oz steak, which would cost me $5.50. So I would charge roughly $20.00 for this plate, as I would want to make some profit from both the meat and its accompaniments.