[sizzling]
Herrine Ro: There's nothing more indulgent
than a luxurious steak dinner.
Erin Kommor: I - I'm actually tearing up.
Herrine: We visited three iconic restaurants in the city,
Delmonico's, Peter Luger, and Keens,
to find which steak is best in town.
Erin: So, there's amazing steakhouses all over the world,
but New York City has the best steakhouses
because they've been perfecting the craft for centuries.
Herrine: I mean, the three places that we're going to
are truly old-school New York
and are institutions of this city.
And at each place we'll be asking the chef or owner
what they recommend us getting
as first timers.
At every location, Erin and I will be judging
off of three qualities:
one, a perfect medium rare;
two, a beautiful, well-seasoned crust;
and three, a juicy, melt-in-your-mouth, flavorful inside.
It sounds so good. I'm so ready.
Let's go.
Erin: All right, let's eat steak!
Herrine, we're at our first stop, Delmonico's.
It is the first fine-dining restaurant,
not only New York City, but the entire country.
Herrine: I cannot wait.
Erin: I cannot wait either. Let's do it.
Customer: What I love most about this place
is the quality that they put into aging their beef,
the atmosphere, the tradition
that so few restaurants have these days in New York City.
Billy Oliva: I think Delmonico's played a huge role
in making steak what it is today.
Back in the 1800s, the Delmonico brothers
were butchering meat out in the street,
out in front of the restaurant.
So the Delmonico steak back then
was whatever cut they thought was the best.
Today, we believe that the boneless rib eye,
because of the fat content and the marbling,
is the best steak.
So we always use the boneless rib eye.
So, that's this one here,
which is a wet-aged boneless rib eye.
And why do we like it?
Because it has loads of marbling and a lot of fat.
And wet aging is a process where they process the beef,
it gets vacuum packed,
and it sits in its own blood and its own juices
for about 30 days.
We start the seasoning process,
just a little bit of blended oil.
We have some kosher salt that we season with.
We have a Pierre Poivre. It's a pepper mix
with about 11 different types of peppercorns,
and they range from spicy to floral,
and it's just an amazing mix.
So, this is an infrared broiler,
so it gets to be about 1,800 degrees.
After the steaks are cooked, we let them rest.
And then when we pick them up,
all the steaks are finished with a little Maldon sea salt,
and then we have here a mixture
of Wagyu beef fat and butter.
The sides I like with the steaks are,
No. 1, the Delmonico potato.
Then we had an asparagus carbonara.
And then finally the caulilini.
We just serve it with a little pickled raisins,
a little Parmesan cheese.
Erin: Oh, my goodness, she's gorgeous.
Herrine: She's stunning.
[gasps]
Erin: Thank you.
Billy: The asparagus, and the potato.
Herrine: Thank you so much. Erin: Thank you so much.
Herrine: This is such a beautiful spread.
Wow, this beautiful charring is....
Erin: The char is unbelievable.
Oh, my God, it, like, slides through the knife.
Herrine: And, like, it's so fatty
that it's actually glistening.
Erin: Oh, yeah, it's like a Christmas tree.
Herrine: Oh, my God.
Erin: Oh, my God.
The char, honestly, contrasting with the, like,
melty, juicy middle makes my mouth explode.
And the sea salt on top, oh, my goodness.
Unbelievable.
Herrine: I took too big of a bite.
[laughing]
Cameraman: That was a huge bite.
Herrine: This is the grandfather of all steaks.
And it's, quite simply,
the simplest, most indulgent steak
that I've ever had.
Erin: It's the most flavors I've ever tasted
in one bite of steak.
Oh, my God.
Herrine: Wet aging actually, like, gives the beef
its, like, freshest, beefiest flavor.
Erin: I kind of like that better.
Herrine: I don't know.
I really like dry age,
but for a wet-aged steak,
this is the best that I've ever had.
Erin: I really enjoy the fried onions on top.
Herrine: They're a nice little addition
because of the added crunchy texture
and the onioniness, because it has that bite.
Erin: Yeah. It's like, fat, bite, crunch.
There's so much crunch going on from the char
and the onions, and I really appreciate that.
Herrine: OK, it wouldn't be a full steak dinner
without some sides.
Erin: Heck no.
Herrine: So let's try this one.
Erin: The potatoes.
[gasping]
Herrine: Oh, my God. Life is great.
[crunching]
Erin: Oh, my God.
You hear that crunch?
They're so perfectly cheesy.
Oh, my goodness.
Pickled golden raisins?
That's so light and refreshing
and much needed next to the cheesy potatoes.
Herrine: I'm really excited about this, 'cause this is,
like, their creative spin on a carbonara.
Erin: Oh, I really, really like that.
Herrine: Although the sides are great,
I still think that the steak is the star of the show.
Erin: Oh, 100 billion percent.
Herrine: I really am curious
to see how this wet-aged, iconic steak
will compare to our next stop,
which is known for their dry age
and has been around not as long,
but long enough to seal its title
as the best steakhouse in New York City.
Erin: Better than this?
Herrine: Well, coverage-wise,
it's considered the best.
Erin: Well, this is gonna be tricky.
Herrine: Mm-hmm.
Erin: Herrine, I'm so excited.
We get to go to Peter Luger next.
Herrine: So, the reason why Erin is so excited
is because Peter Luger is arguably
the best steakhouse in New York City.
It's been around for over a century,
and this place has truly mastered the craft of steaks.
Erin: Let's go!
After you, milady!
David Berson: So, I think Peter Luger has
garnered its reputation as a New York City institution,
frankly, due to a lot of hard work.
I think it starts with our attention to detail
in selecting each piece of meat
that comes into this restaurant.
Customer: There's three or four places
I routinely go for steak in New York City.
The top place, when I want to impress a client
or show off a little bit,
I bring them to Peter Luger's in Brooklyn, yeah.
It's quintessential New York,
from the brusqueness of the waiter
to the day to day at the bar.
It's just an actual New York experience,
compared to the glossiness
of some of the other finer steakhouses.
David: The experience we're hoping to provide is ideally
that a customer is gonna have
the best steak they've ever had.
So, the steak I definitely recommend our guests order
is our porterhouse for two.
It's kind of the quintessential Peter Luger steak.
On one side you have the filet mignon,
and on one side you have the sirloin.
Both: Yes, we are.
Herrine: Can we get the steak for two?
Both: Medium rare.
Herrine: And then, what else do you recommend
for, like, the full experience here?
Erin: Yes, yes. That sounds amazing.
Herrine: Great, thank you so much.
David: A Peter Luger steak begins with one of our purveyors,
who we've been buying meat from for decades,
and because of our relationships with these purveyors,
one, they know what we're looking for,
but we're also offered first selection
at the prime meat they have available.
And prime meat is the highest classification by the USDA.
We then dry age it downstairs in our own dry-aging rooms
for an unspecified period of time.
Once it's been dry aged,
which helps the steak break down
and becomes much more flavorful and tender,
it's then brought up to our kitchen,
where it's broiled.
When describing our steak,
I always think of something my great-grandfather said,
which was like, "simple deliciousness."
We're really about letting
the highest-quality steak we can buy shine
with just a little salt and a tiny bit of butter.
When we cut the steak,
which kind of goes against traditional preparation,
it allows us to put out a much, frankly, hotter product,
but also it's something we've become synonymous for.
And we think it's the best way
of enjoying the porterhouse steak.
We cook the steak to order,
and we send it out sizzling hot to the guests.
That's it.
Herrine: The steak is about to come.
And the reason why I know this
is because they put this plate on.
'Cause the steak is gonna come,
and it's gonna go down this way,
so there's an incline so that all that fat
and that butter is gonna pool at the end.
We can hear it! We can hear it sizzle.
[sizzling]
Erin: I'm unwell.
Thank you.
Oh, my God.
Herrine: Thank you so much!
Erin: Thank you!
Potatoes.
Yes!
Ooh.
[laughing]
Both: Thank you so much.
Herrine: It's a perfect medium rare.
Erin: Oh, my God.
Herrine: OK, enough talking. You want to eat?
Erin: Yes, let's taste it.
I never wanted that to end.
That was one of the most beautiful things
I've ever ingested.
Oh, my God.
The crust on the outside is so perfect.
And it's just, like,
it's not too much butter.
It's the perfect amount of butter
and, like, a tiny little bit of salt.
And then the meat was cooked per-fect-ly.
[Herrine laughs]
Like, it melted in my mouth.
Herrine: You get that little bit of the
charring, smoky taste.
And it's crunchy, but the inside is so, so soft.
David said that the filet is the best part here.
Erin: The aromas coming out of it.
Herrine: Uh-huh.
Erin: You know when you have something so good,
you're at a loss for words?
Herrine: That has only happened to me a handful of times.
And the first time I had the steak here....
Erin: That just happened to me.
The amount of salt is so ideal.
Like, I don't know how they measured that.
Like, how did they make it so perfect?
Herrine: Because this place has been around for 150 years
and they know what they're doing.
Like, they have history on their backs, sure.
But they also have expertise.
I mean, all the people who have worked here
are not, like, one to two years on their back.
Like, these people have been around for decades, yeah.
Erin: Which, you can tell. Like, our waiters were amazing.
Herrine: This is, like, truly a meal suited for...
Both: Queens.
Herrine: And the sides aren't even like an afterthought.
Erin: No. Herrine: The creamed spinach
is, like, just the perfect amount of salty, creamy.
You're still getting, like, your fair share of vegetables.
Erin: The potatoes are my favorite.
Like, the char and the onions.
It's, like, a little salty and, like, a little sweet
from the caramelization, oh, my God.
Herrine: I know you love this steak.
Erin: I love it so much.
Herrine: But you also loved the other steak.
Erin: I did. I love steak, period.
Herrine: Yeah, I don't have a definitive answer yet.
Erin: I have, like, a idea,
but I don't have a definitive either,
which is surprising to me, but....
Herrine: Let's just be in the moment and enjoy the steak,
and then we'll figure it out later.
Erin: OK, so where's our last stop?
Herrine: Our last stop is Keens.
It's two years older than Peter Luger,
and this place is famous for their mutton chop.
Erin: I do not like mutton chop.
Herrine: Well, that's good, because we're not coming
for the mutton chop.
We're coming for the steak, the porterhouse for two.
[clapping]
Erin: Let's dine.
William Rodgers: Keens fits into the old-world-steakhouse
category because of its history.
Things really haven't changed around here
in the past 100 years or so.
There are not a lot of restaurants
that can say that these days.
This is a letter from President Abraham Lincoln
to a woman who lost five sons in the Civil War,
dated November 21, 1864.
Customer: I've been coming here for more than 30 years.
Herrine: What makes you keep coming back?
Customer: Well, I like all the food here.
The steak is particularly delicious.
There's no place that looks like Keens.
It's one of the most historic,
nicest-looking restaurants in the city.
William: I think the reason we stand out
is because of the quality of the meat.
That really is the bottom line.
Our porterhouse is special because we only use USDA prime,
which is the top grade of beef that's graded in the US.
We hand select in the category of USDA prime.
There are better pieces and lesser pieces,
so we get first pick at our purveyors,
and we pick the finest pieces that we can find.
Look at that piece right there. That's a beauty.
And then we dry age on premise for a period of time.
And that dry-aging process evaporates water,
which intensifies the meat flavor.
And it also tenderizes the meat.
So over time, the proteins start to break down
and make the meat softer.
And then in its preparation,
we just simply season it and prepare it really minimally,
just broil to the temperature that the customer desires.
I would order a porterhouse, and it's for two people,
with our delicious creamed spinach.
Erin: Ohh.
Waiter: OK, so this is the porterhouse for two.
This is gonna be the sirloin side,
and this is gonna be the filet side.
Herrine: Thank you so much.
So, we are dining straight up in a museum.
Erin: I feel like I'm, like, in a movie right now.
Like, look at these photos lining the walls.
Herrine: Shall we? Erin: Yes, let's do it.
Herrine: Which slice speaks to you?
I think I'm gonna start with the sirloin.
Erin: I'll start with that too.
Herrine: This section is supposed to be the most
bold and juicy in flavor.
Erin: Mm. It looks super juicy.
Herrine: Perfect medium rare.
I'm salivating.
Erin: Me too.
Both: Cheers.
[laughing]
Erin: What are your initial thoughts?
Because I feel like we may differ.
Herrine: I was gonna say that
if I had my last meal on Earth,
I think it would be this. Erin: Shut up!
Really?
OK, I love it, and I think it's incredible.
Herrine: I sense a "but" coming.
Erin: But....
Herrine: Oh, no! No!
Erin: No, it's not, it's not, it's amazing.
This is, like, an epic, amazing steak,
but I'm thinking of, like, all three together now.
Like, what would you pick, this or Peter Luger?
Herrine: The fat on the sirloin is so perfect,
and they carve it in house,
so you get that perfect proportion of meat to fat.
And the fat is perfectly rendered down
where you can get a little sliver of that fattiness
with, like, the already so, so tender, juicy steak.
It's the perfect proportion.
It's cooked perfectly.
There's that char on the outside.
And then they sprinkle a little bit of sea salt.
It's so simple, but oh, my God,
they have perfected the steak.
Erin: Can we taste the...?
Herrine: Yep. Erin: OK.
Herrine: So, I have been here a lot.
I've also been to all the other steakhouses a lot.
When I come here with my boyfriend,
I fight with him over the filet.
Erin: Really? Herrine: Mm-hmm.
But I want to see what you think.
Look at that thickness.
Do you see that thickness?
Erin: She is beautiful.
And filet's always been my favorite, so let's see.
Herrine: And it just - look how....
Erin: Oh, my God.
Herrine: It's so juicy.
I think of all the three places that we've been to,
this place has the juiciest steak.
Erin: And,
I mean, I love fat,
and I love butter,
but sometimes it can be a bit overwhelming
and, like, make me feel sick.
And this is the perfect amount of fat to meat.
Oh, that's fricking good.
Herrine: You want to try the creamed spinach?
Erin: Thank you.
Eat your veggies!
Oh, my God, that's the best creamed spinach I've ever had.
I take this and, like, run. [both laugh]
Herrine: You're like, we're done eating here!
Erin: Bye!
Herrine: I don't even want to say near-perfect steak.
This is the perfect steak in my opinion.
I think the only thing that I would change
is I have a little bit of, like, a -
I, like, crave salt.
Erin: Yeah, I love salt.
Herrine: So I would just want more salt on this.
Erin: I might've seemed a little bit lukewarm
when I first took a bite.
It's because it was so different
than the other two that we've tasted.
I just had to process what was going on.
It wasn't as hot as the other ones.
It wasn't as, like, charred as the other.
It wasn't as fatty.
But, ultimately, I think it's given me
one of the better experiences,
because I don't feel sick after eating it,
like I have in the past,
like, from eating, like, super-fatty steak.
Herrine: I like the crust at Peter Luger more.
Erin: Me too. Herrine: But this one,
overall, the juiciness, the tenderness,
and letting the beef shine for what it is.
Erin: She's a star.
Herrine: She's a star.
Erin: Look at her. Look at that lady.
So, do you have your winner? Like, clear?
Herrine: You already know what I'm gonna pick.
There's no surprises here.
Erin: But I honestly
have absolutely no idea what I'm gonna pick.
Herrine: I'm curious to see yours.
All right, shall we?
Erin: OK, yes.
Both: Three, two, one.
Herrine: OK. Yeah. Erin: Well, duh.
You had a religious experience here.
Like, if you didn't pick that, I'd be shocked.
Herrine: But I'm not surprised that you picked Delmonico's,
but give me your reasons why.
Erin: OK. So, for me, the crust on the steak,
on the Delmonico steak, made everything,
and then the onions on top, the little crunch.
And the sea salt.
I loved the sea salt.
But then also Keens had sea salt.
So this was in close second for me.
The tenderness of the Delmonico steak.
It truly melted with the fat. It was so fatty.
But I did feel a little,
the only critique is I felt, like, very full after.
Like, offensively full.
Herrine: [laughing] Oh, my God.
I do have to agree.
Delmonico's steak, as delicious as it was,
it was a little bit too fatty for my liking.
Erin: Yeah.
Herrine: It's so indulgent, and for me,
it was a little too indulgent.
Erin: OK.
Herrine: The reason why I picked Keens is because
that juiciness is unattainable anywhere else.
You get two cuts of, like, the king cuts of beef.
Erin: Truly.
Herrine: And so it's a good bang for your buck.
It's also delicious.
You get the versatility in the cuts,
and that seasoning, that simpleness,
but just executed so well,
is the reason why it was my pick.
But when we're talking about taste alone,
I feel like as much as Delmonico's is great,
you get the versatility of cuts
and the simplicity of letting the beef shine at Keens.
Erin: The beef was the star.
Herrine: I think she's leaning into me.
Erin: God, I hate when you, like, convince me.
But I do feel like you're right.
You're right.
Herrine: So, Keens, the winner!
Erin: Keens is the winner!
But this is second place.
Herrine: So, do you guys agree
that Keens rightfully deserves the title
for best in town when it comes to steak?
Or was it Delmonico's or Peter Luger or someplace else?
Erin: Let us know in the comment section.
Herrine: Bye!