I am a carnivore. I make no apologies, I eat meat proudly.
There was a period of time that I could not eat meat. A few months into my first pregnancy, the act of walking into a grocery store turned me into a hound, complete with a vast network of keen olfactory nerves, all of them finely tuned to one scent; that of blood. Where a hound would have salivated, it turned me wretched from nausea. It was months before I could walk into a store unscathed.
When my appetite for meat returned, it was with a vengeance. I craved bloody rare steak with such ardor that it sent me on a quest for the perfect cut of beef to grill or sear. My search ended when I discovered flat iron steak; a remarkable cut of meat whose tenderness is rivaled only by tenderloin, yet possesses the full-on beefy flavor of sirloin. I ate so much steak at that time that I was sure that my next craving would have been for grass.
Instead, I began reveling in the pleasures of a perfectly roasted chicken: crispy skin, juicy meat, and the liquid gold in the form of chicken caramel that sticks to the bottom of the pan.
There were times when the cravings for chicken and steak were simultaneous and urgent. In those instances, I could only wish that they could be fused together.
Sometimes, wishes do come true.
chicken breast and flat iron steak
beech mushrooms
ciopollini onion
potato and toasted almond sand
miso chicken caramel
spring onion sprouts
Cravings aside, chicken and beef that is Maillard cooked form a synergism where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. They share many flavor compounds and are both full of umami. When combined, individual umami compounds have a magnifying effect on each other and can increase flavor eightfold. Add to that equation potatoes, onions, and mushrooms, all rich in umami, and you can see why these are classic pairings that have stood the test of time.
McDonalds certainly understands the synergism of potatoes and beef. They have built an empire on their french fries which until 1990 were fried in a mixture of about 7% cottonseed oil and 93% beef tallow. They eventually switched to pure vegetable oil after insurmountable criticism about the amount of cholesterol in their fries. But they weren’t about to give up their money maker–now, they add "natural beef flavor" to their oil.
For this dish, fried potatoes are a given, but I’ve presented them in the form of a sand. Micro cubes of potatoes are double fried–the first time at a 275 degrees F. to cook them through and form a skin, then they are cooled and re-fried at 375 degrees F. until golden and crisp. The addition of crushed, toasted almonds accentuates the texture and flavor.
Playing with Fire and Water 
unity consciousness strikes again. you are truly gifted lady. this umami collection is presented in a format that turns umami into “oooooo mommy”. you pulled off the activa gracefully.
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Activa. Freakin legendary stuff! Try pork and apple, it works. Well, mine did.
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That’s hilarious. How does flatiron fare well done?
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Wow very cool! I love the little forrest of mushrooms. How did get the chicken and beef to stick together?
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what a lovely post! i love your story too.
and this chicken-steak concoction looks very interesting, if not, beautiful.
nice blog!
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whoa! very cool. although i’m also a little scared.
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Wow, my fiance is going to LOVE this post..sending him the link now.
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W.O.W.
Simply amazing. For a split second, I thought it was a cookie *hehe*
Your plating is adorable. It looks like a hiking path on a plate 🙂
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I too had the same problem during the beginning of my pregnancy. I craved fruits and vegetables and the thought of meat turned my stomach.
Did you have a boy? Maybe that’s what it is. I love this idea of the two meats together, it makes me really curious to know what this tastes like.
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OK, that is just crazy. I don’t know if that steak and chicken is something I would order. Wow … weird!
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How do you combine the chicken and beef together? I love the cubed fries…..
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Oh my God! That is simply incredible.
Proof, that a chicken can have sex with a cow.
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I’m also very interested in how the beef portion of the steak faired. Any flat iron I’ve ever had over medium was nearly inedible. But then again, I’d probably say that about any steak above rare…
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You know, I have to say, this is a pretty stupid idea from many views.
From a culinary view, chicken and beef should be cooked in completely different way, So Sticking them together like little lego blocks will render at least one of them inedible after cooking. Either overdone beef or underdone chicken. Chewiness or salmonella. I’d rather die of the latter, than suffer through a tough piece of steak. Such wasted meat.
In terms of plating… well it still is a dumb idea to be honest. What is it? A paved square by the side of the forest? And those sauce trails? Vomit I imagine.
In short, activa is great. Has some great applications. This one isn’t one of them.
Cheerio
-t
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thanks for the comments y’all.
To answer your questions:
The beef and chicken were glued together using Transglutaminase (trademarked name: Activa). It is an enzyme that bonds protein. No need to be scared; it exists in our blood, skin, and hair.
I admit to being hesitant about the doneness factor of cooking chicken and beef together in this way…that is what experimentation is for. I cut 1/2″ thick slices of the loaf and seared them in butter over med-high heat for app. 1 minute on each side. The results were moist & juicy chicken, with no sign of rawness, and tender beef with a rosy core. I repeated this with the remaining slices with similar results. I can’t explain the hows and whys…not yet.
Yes, it was a boy, both times.
I want to reiterate that this blog is about the exploration, provocation, and sharing of my ideas about food. The cooking that I do on a daily basis is tailored to the tastes of others–I only post on the foods that appeal to me. I do not ask that you buy any of it. Whether it inspires, perplexes, or outrages…it’s all good…just keep it constructive.
Comparing chicken caramel to vomit is not constructive.
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I personally think this is Culinary artistry at its best..Each person has there own taste but part of being in this industry is to be open to new and creative plates.. that’s what we do.If you want a piece of meat and a veg and starch on a plate go to apple bees..
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