Fat from Kobe beef the new secret ingredient
Kobe beef's extraordinary marbling sets it apart from the rest. All that fat means it's going to be a tender, juicy steak when it's lifted off the grill.
Now an Asian-themed Chicago steakhouse is using Kobe beef fat to dress up red meat's longtime sidekick: the potato.
(John J. Kim/Sun-Times)
Ajasteak in the boutique Dana Hotel, 660 N. State, has begun offering Kobe fat fries for $5 on its bar menu.
As with the duck fat fries made popular in these parts by Hot Doug's, 3324 N. California, the restaurant uses clarified Kobe beef fat to fry the ?206-140?-inch-thick rounds until they're soft on the inside, crispy on the outside and about 30 seconds shy of becoming a Kettle chip.
Chef Joshua Linton got the idea after he found himself tossing out fat trimmed from the Japanese beef.
"They have quite a bit of extraordinary fat on the surfaces around the beef itself," he said.
Grains, beer and even sake feed the animal's large physique.
At ajasteak, fat around the tenderloin is cut off, ground and cooked. The sediment is drained from the oil and then it's ready for frying.
In this era of zero trans fat oils, Linton agrees that his fries aren't necessarily something you want to eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner daily.
"Is it calorie conscious? No. Is it delicious? Yes," he says.
But we expect to see more of this as chefs tweak comfort foods ranging from mac 'n' cheese to meatloaf.
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