We ask three Sydney chefs what makes the perfect steak - Lennox Hastie from Firedoor, Ross Lusted from Woodcut and Corey Costelloe from Rockpool Bar & Grill.
Ross Lusted – Woodcut, Sydney
Ross Lusted, the founder of Woodcut restaurant at the Crown casino in Sydney, aimed to create an exceptional dining experience that defied the traditional steakhouse label. He recognized the importance of serving a world-class steak, leading to a collaboration with Anthony Puharich of Vic's Premium Quality Meats.
Woodcut's standout menu item is the T-bone steak, sourced from Rangers Valley Black Market Premium, which met specific criteria, including being a local producer, Black Angus stock, pasture-to-grain feeding for at least 270 days, a marble score of five or higher, and aging for six weeks.
Lusted pays great attention to the details of cooking the steak. He uses slow-burning hardwood for the wood, Olsson's Marine Mineral Fine Grey salt for a taste reminiscent of the ocean, and minimal oil due to the steak's natural marbling. The meat is cooked on a rack over coals, preserving its natural flavor and ensuring a consistent crust.
To achieve a well-rested steak, Lusted avoids placing hot meat on a cold plate. He recommends letting the steak sit uncovered on forks to allow air circulation. A well-rested steak carves easily and maintains a consistent color from the crust to the bone.
Lusted's philosophy is to let the steak shine, without the need for extensive additional seasoning. Woodcut complements the steak with side dishes like burnt-tomato ketchup, tomato salad, baby lettuce, seeded and hot mustard, horseradish cream, whipped bearnaise, veal jus, and macaroni and cheese made with Berkelo bakery's Khorasan pasta.
According to Lusted, the steak at Woodcut consistently elicits a "wow" reaction from diners, a testament to the quality and preparation that goes into creating a memorable steak experience.
Corey Costelloe – Rockpool Bar & Grill, Sydney
At Rockpool Bar & Grill, chefs perform a special dance known as "the ballet" when working the grill. It involves managing multiple steaks on the grill while pulling more from storage drawers and feeding the fire to ensure a smooth service.
Corey Costelloe, a chef at Rockpool, has mastered this dance, even though he initially came from a seafood restaurant and had to quickly adapt to the world of premium steaks. He is now responsible for three Rockpool Bar & Grill locations in Melbourne, Perth, and Sydney.
Costelloe highlights David Blackmore's Mishima as their top choice. These steaks come from Mishima, a small island in Japan, with ancient Japanese breeds, distinct from British breeds. A 650-gram Mishima wagyu steak on the bone is a luxurious $350 option that wows diners.
Rockpool's menu offers a variety of steaks, sometimes up to 20 different cuts. Costelloe also praises grass-fed rib-eyes from southern Australia, particularly those from Tasmania and the Victorian hinterlands, as they have access to ample grass and sunshine, resulting in delicious flavors.
Costelloe's deep knowledge of top-quality meat in Australia makes it challenging for him to enjoy steak in other restaurants. He believes that the resurgence of steakhouse popularity in the last decade is due to the difficulty of finding a well-cooked steak in other dining establishments.
Lennox Hastie – Firedoor, Sydney
Lennox Hastie, is known for serving exceptional steak that has brought diners, including renowned chef Massimo Bottura, to tears of joy. At Firedoor, beef is aged for an extended period, typically between 150 to 300 days, as Hastie believes that time is essential for the meat to reach its full potential. The restaurant had faced challenges, including drought and the pandemic, but Hastie persevered, sourcing beef from various producers like Rangers Valley, O'Connor, Coppertree Farms, and David Blackmore.
Hastie selects rib-sets for aging based on appearance, taste, touch, and smell, and only the top three percent of each batch are suitable for extended aging. Steaks are cut to order, grilled over grape vines or spent wine barrels, and seasoned with Spanish flor de sal. The flavor of the aged beef is rich and complex, ranging from hazelnuts to black truffle, and it's served unadorned, without any condiments or sauces. The restaurant makes efficient use of the fat trimmings, using them to roast vegetables and create unique cocktails like the Tallowed Roy.