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Review of Strictly Steak
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Strictly Steak (Canada, UK)
By A. D. Livingston
Publisher: Burford Books
Publication Date: May 2000
ISBN: 1580800483A.D. Livingston loves red meat.
Now that we’ve lost most of our readers, the rest of us can consider a pretty darn good book.
Beyond the question, “Are there any people out there who would buy a steak cookbook?” the question I had was, “Who needs a cookbook to cook steaks?” Grill four minutes on one side, turn over, and grill four minutes on the other, right?
A.D. Livingston has told me in no uncertain terms that I have a lot to learn. His Strictly Steak is loaded with information and nearly 70 different steak recipes. The recipes are grouped generally by cooking method — cooking on the grill, in the skillet, under the broiler, in the oven, in a grilling machine, or over a campfire or hearth.
There’s a lot more variety here than just T-Bones and Porterhouses, including Turkey Steaks with Pomegranate Sauce, Turkish Mutton Chops, Good Ol’ Boy Pork Chops, Lamb Steaks with Sumac, and Wyoming Buffalo Cookout Steaks. Clearly, steak does not necessarily refer to beef (although that predominates). There are recipes for ham, venison, elk, wild boar, emu, ostrich, and other species.
There are recipes for such classics as Steak au Poivre, Steak Tartare, and Steak Diana (or Diane if you prefer to nickname the Roman goddess of the hunt). There are recipes for such pseudo-steaks as Swiss Steak, Salisbury Steak, Chicken-Fried Steak, Steak Fajitas, etc. And there is a section on burgers.
And even though Livingston presents this “passionate guide to the great American feast,” the book reflects many worldwide tastes, including recipes from Uruguay, Cuba, Jamaica, Borneo, Turkey, Brazil, Russia (using bear meat, if handy), Hawaii, Switzerland, and other regions.
While the author says your steak should essentially be large enough to hide your plate, leaving only enough room for a baked potato and perhaps an asparagus tip or two, he obliges fans of diversity by including recipes for two dozen side-dishes for vegetables, fruits, desserts, and drinks, ranging from a simple salad to Bananas Foster. There are also 20 sauces, compound butters, and marinades for dressing up your steak before, during, or after cooking.
Livingston is the food columnist for Gray’s Sporting Journal and the author of cookbooks on venison, sausage, fish & game, cooking on the grill, cooking in cast iron, and smoking fish, meats, and game.
Even if people are eating red meat less frequently these days, when they do, it should be a satisfying experience. Part of that depends on buying a good cut of meat. Another part involves preparing it right. And that’s where Strictly Steak, with its wealth of ideas and recipes, comes in.
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