The Drop

Deal: Tuesday nights $15.00 for a Ribeye and a Pint or 2 Steaks and a bottle of wine for $30.00

The Drop Bistro may have just added the best steak night in town. A long time Union Hill and Martini Corner Establishment, the Drop announced last week their new Tuesday night Steak Night.  For 15 dollars you get a Ribeye, with Veggies and Mashed potatoes and a Pint of beer if you are solo, or if you have a dining companion and both get a steak you get a bottle of wine along with the steak. That's 2 ribeye's and a bottle of wine for $30.00. Seriously.

As this is in my backyard (quite literally, Martini Corner is right behind my house) I decided to give this a go. I was very glad I did.  If you want something fun to do on a Tuesday night I would highly recommend going

The Drop has excellent cocktails, the best selection of bruschetta in town, one of my personal favorite charcuterie spreads, plus a nice accessible wine list.  So I was pleasantly surprised to see them advertising this However the Drop consistently has some of the best specials in town on the weekdays, so perhaps this will last.  On Thursday's they have a $25.00 bottle of wine and bruschetta special.

While I do love the bruschetta at the drop I am here to discuss the steak night. I brought a dining companion along because, beyond enjoying her company, the real deal here is the steak plus bottle of wine.

Granted the picture here is not great, but you get the idea. They actually give you a decent bottle of wine. It will not be winning any awards, but it did not taste like vinegar and feet. This was a nice dry but fruity with nice plum and cherry notes Crane Lake Malbec that paired perfectly with the steak.

This is about a 7-10 dollar bottle of wine at the grocery store.

I am partial to a good Malbec with a steak from my time in Argentina, however they also offer a bottle of Crane Lake Cabernet-sauvignon as well if you are not a huge fan of Malbec.

As always I ordered my steak medium rare as did my date.  It came out fairly quickly, but looked quite tasty.  It was a big, but not terribly thick cut of Ribeye with a lot of fat.  A lot of fat was good here, it infused the juicy fatty savory flavor throughout that makes steak so good.

The steak itself was well seasoned.  I did not even use any additional salt, which is rare for me. It tasted like they probably used some butter when cooking this as well.  The steak was for certain not cooked on a grill, but a steak on a skillet can be good if done property.

My only complain about the steak was that because it was thin, the chef probably left it on for an extra 30 seconds or so and it went from medium rate to medium by the time I revived the steak.  The flavor, fat and tenderness of the cut made up for a little overcooking.

One of the best things about the Drop is their dedication to solid fresh ingrediants. The steak was tasty, but the sides were really the standout here. The mashed potatoes were perfectly whipped with a smoth and rich buttery garlic flavor I could not get enough of. The zuccini and squash were perfectly cooked to be slightly hard still, but had a nice simple salt and pepper crust to them that went wonderfully with the steak.  I would highly reccomoned this as a perfect steak night for 2.

To Sum it up:

Martini Corner

• The Drop Bistro:
  409 E 31st St
  Kansas City, MO 64108 
• Steak - flavorful
• Sides - ridiculously good
• Drink specials - you get a bottle of wine
• When: Tuesday Nights
  
  

 

My House: Saturday Steak Night - Ribeye

After a long week of studying for the Bar I took a partial simulated exam to see where I stand. I found out I still have a lot of studying to do. To deal with my sorrows I decided nothing would be better than having a nice steak at home with a decent class of wine.

I went up to Marsh's Sunfresh and looked at what they had in their bargain bin. I was delighted to find 2 excellent looking Certified Angus Ribeye's waiting there for me. At a price of $8.99 for 2 large juicy 1.5 inch thick steaks I was beginning to forget the fact that this was going to be the most exciting Saturday Night that I've had in some time.

I have been eating a lot of lower quality steaks on these steak nights at bars. There is something fun about going out and grabbing a steak while not dropping a ton of money. But sometimes the best steak is the one you make at home. With some Certified Angus Beef to grill I was a very happy camper. Certified Angus Beef is a step above a choice cut, but is not to the high standard of the Prime Cut. For someone who wants a good steak, but doesn't have $15-$20 to spend per steak, Certified Angus Beef is a great way to go. Yes, That is an awesome penguin martini shaker in the background! 


Here (click on here) is an excellent article from askmen.com on Certified Angus Beef for anyone who wants to learn a little bit more about this great cut.


I like to use a little bit of Worcestershire sauce on the steak, but some people go crazy with it. I just use a shake or two on each side. Tonight I actually added a few splashes of Whiskey to the steak when I was marinading the steak. Not really sure it added anything.

After applying the marinade, for those who have yet to read my previous steak night at home article, here is the drill. I let the steak sit out for an hour or so to get near room temperature before I put it on the Grill. During that time I use kosher salt to salt the outside of the steak. I salt one side and let it sit for 30 minutes, then flip and repeat. It important to use kosher or large flakes of sea salt here! I realize there is controversy on whether to do this or not. I've tried it both ways and I end up with a better steak every time when I do it this way. The other side argues by pre-salting while the meat is warming to room temperature you pull some of the juice out of the steak.

Because a Ribeye is so juicy and fatty I like to switch it up every now and then. Instead of just adding kosher salt and cracked pepper to the outside for a crust, I added a bit of red pepper flakes too. The light amount of extra spice goes great with the wine, but again, don't go overboard here or you'll lose the natural awesomeness of the steak flavor. In the picture above, only one steak had the red pepper flakes.



I also like to let my grill get very hot, I wish I could tell you how hot, but I can't as the thermometer is busted on my grill. I normally let 2 burners run for about 15 minutes before putting them on when using propane. If using charcoal you'll need to feel it out, look for the coals to be white hot. 


Once the grill is hot enough I throw the steak on the grill. I use my phone's stop watch feature to allow 1 minute and 40 seconds of cook time (lid shut).  I then do a quarter turn of the steak on the same side and let it sit for another minute and 40 seconds. Next I flip the steak and let it cook for another minute 40, do a final quarter turn on the grill, and let it go another minute 40.   Then the steak is done and you'll have an excellent juicy steak that should be medium rare. 


Onto the steak! 


It was soooooo nice to have a good cut of beef!

It reminded me of how much better a good cut like a Certified Angus Steak can be over a choice cut of beef that most restaurants use for their steak nights. 


This steak had a wonderful amount of fat that kept the juices in the steak. There was the perfect amount of salt and pepper crusting the outside, and was cooked perfectly to my liking. My compliments to the chef!  


To accompany this steak I had a simple baked sweet potato and an iceberg salad, with ranch and red bell peppers. I topped it off with some Pinot Noir and was in heaven. Quite a pleasant way to spend Saturday night!