Big eaters — especially males — like to brag about being carnivores, as if nibbling on salads and seafood were less than manly. And, for a meat eater, the true measure of a quality protein is the steak.
But are you man enough — and carnivorous enough — to handle a 900-gram steak?
That was the unofficial challenge posed to diners by 22 Prime, the steakhouse on the 22nd floor of Discovery Suites in Ortigas Center.
I happen to be a 22 Prime regular. Yes, whenever my family and I get a hankering for a good steak, we usually sink our teeth into 22 Prime’s Angus rib-eye to sate that occasional craving for perfectly seared, juicy cow flesh (hey, let’s call a slab of beef what it really is, okay?).
From 22 Prime’s lofty height you get a panoramic view of the city; refined carnivores also appreciate the ritual of the choosing of the knife: a waiter comes around bearing a wooden box filled with implements as cool as Hit Girl’s balisong in Kick-Ass — all the better to butterfly your steak with.
Even if you consider yourself a T. Rex-level carnivore, in case you’re harboring any illusions you can finish that much meat by yourself, the chop is meant to be shared: “We don’t want to tell our customers how to divide it, but two to four people can easily share this,” says chef David Pardo de Ayala, a Colombian who’s lived in the Philippines for 13 years, garnering prestige for restaurants like Soleil and Aqua. For the past five years he’s been corporate chef for the Discovery Hotel group, overseeing all their restaurants.
The 22 Prime promotion goes like this: for P4,800 you get the grilled tomahawk chop, a casserole of baby vegetables, a bowl of Caesar salad and a bottle of Verse 1 cabernet sauvignon — all meant to be divvied up at the table.
Since the steak is culled from Australian Tenderplus six-star grass-fed beef, Pardo is understandably careful about this prized ingredient. He cooks the steak only when it’s at room temperature: “Nothing will ruin any steak more than taking it directly from the chiller to the grill,” he says.
The heat of his charcoal grill has to be high and constant. “To accommodate the extra-large rib bone attached to the tomahawk you will need a very wide grill, unavailable in most households,” he notes.
After he rests the tomahawk to ensure tender juiciness, the steak is sliced and served at the table with its baby-vegetable and Caesar salad sidings. Real purists know that you don’t kill a steak’s natural char-grilled flavor with bottled steak sauce, horseradish or mustard. If you have to add anything at all, Pardo says to limit it to a dash of extra-virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of fleur de sel.
I have to make note of the Australian wine that accompanies the steak, a Verse 1 cabernet merlot 2008 from Australia’s Brookland Valley, which was cited as Winery of the Year by the James Halliday 2009 Australia Wine Companion. According to the literature Verse 1 has “blackcurrant aromas with a light leafiness balanced by a fine French oak on the bouquet. The palate is fruit driven with a soft texture, and the fine tannin, fruit and oak flavors provide a wine of elegant structure.” Indeed, this wine was excellent, cutting the richness of the meat with a spiciness in the mouth.
So for all you carnivores out there, what else is there to say except, “Carne diem” — seize the steak.
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The Grilled Tomahawk Chop promo runs from June 1 to 15. 22 Prime is located on the 22nd floor of Discovery Suites, 25 ADB Avenue, Ortigas Center, Pasig City. For inquiries and table reservations call 719-6821, 719-6822, 719-8888 or e-mail fbds@discovery.com.ph.