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A steak is fairly easy to cook — throw a good cut over a fire, and that's all it takes sometimes. What makes a great one?
We decided to ask David Campbell, who will preside as executive chef of the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Steak House when it opens officially March 28.
His tricks come from experience: The sprinkling of black Hawaiian sea salt, which gets its signature color from the lava rocks, is an homage to his three-year stint in the state's island of Kauai. The combination of wild mushrooms in his accompanying mushroom ragout sauce includes morels similar to those he picked during his years living in Idaho. And for Mr. Campbell, a Canadian, nothing beats beef from his home turf.
The cut: A behemoth cut averaging 38 ounces (one kilogram), the porterhouse steak — a cut from the loin just before the sirloin—is actually two steaks, divided by a bone: the sirloin on one side and a tenderloin on the other. 'You get two characteristics of beef — the very tender, unworked muscle of the tenderloin, and the chewier but more-flavorful meat of the sirloin, which also has the fat capping the edges,' says Mr. Campbell.
The beef: He traveled to northern Alberta, Canada, to see the cattle and survey their feed and care, and he tasted steaks for nine months — on one day, 35 cuts — before finally decided on Heritage Angus Beef.
The cows are pasture-raised and feed mostly on grass 'a healthier way to raise cows rather than to fatten them up on grain,' says Mr. Campbell, adding that they're not given hormones or antibiotics, either.
The bone: Unlike beef from the U.S., Canadian beef can be brought into Hong Kong still on the bone, which helps to prevent the meat from drying out and keeps it juicier.
The age: Every piece of steak is wet-aged in vacuum packs for at least 45 days to allow the proteins to break down, leading to what Mr. Campbell says is a more tender steak.
The heat: Mr. Campbell uses a grill to obtain nice crosshatch char marks and then finishes the three-inch-thick cut in a broiler at 480 degrees Celsius. 'It takes but eight or so minutes to cook,' says Mr. Campbell. The meat is then left to rest for at least 15 minutes, and then heated under the broiler briefly on each side so it is warm when served.
The extras: A hearty selection of condiments and side dishes is a must. And Mr. Campbell provides as many as he can. First, the sauces: a red wine béarnaise sauce; black peppercorn and brandy sauce; tomato-based barbecue sauce; horseradish cream; and six different types of mustard. Then there are 14 different side dishes to choose: A potato, for example, can come baked, mashed, roasted or gratin-style (sliced thin and layered with cream and cheese). Don't get Mr. Campbell started on the topic of onion rings or mac-and-cheese — he suggests eating the latter with ketchup.
Price: 1,450 Hong Kong dollars (US$186)
Steak House, 1 Harbour Rd., Wanchai, Hong Kong. Tel: 852-2588-1234
參考譯文：
牛排還是挺好做的——只要找一塊好牛肉，往火上一放，基本就搞定了。那么，怎么才能稱得上是一份上好牛排呢？
我們決定問問大衛•坎貝爾(David Campbell)，他是于2011年3月28日正式開業的香港君悅酒店牛排屋(Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Steak House)的行政總廚。
他的牛排秘訣來自于個人經驗：一小撮黑色的夏威夷海鹽，帶著當地火山熔巖特有的色澤，這也算是坎貝爾對夏威夷表達的一種敬意，因為他在考艾島(Kauai)工作過三年時間。他用于搭配牛排的蘑菇五香醬汁里用了不少野生羊肚覃，與他當年住在愛達荷州時經常采摘的小蘑菇差不多。坎貝爾是加拿大人，對他來說，只有家鄉草地上長大的牛肉質才算最好。
切割：上等腰肉牛排是從牛腰厚端切下的一大塊肉，平均重量約38盎司（合一公斤），其實相當于一塊牛骨分隔而成的兩塊牛排：一塊是牛脊肉，一塊是牛柳。坎貝爾說，“你可以體會到兩種不同的肉質——牛柳是一塊不活動的肌肉，非常嫩，而牛脊肉的邊緣有一些脂肪層，更有嚼頭，口感也更豐富。”
牛肉：坎貝爾去加拿大阿爾伯達省(Alberta)北部看牛群的情況，調查它們的飼料和養殖方式，并品嘗了九個月年齡的牛排——在同一天嘗了35塊——最終決定選擇Heritage Angus Beef牛肉。
這種牛在放牧場養殖，主要吃的是草料。坎貝爾說，“這是一種更健康的養牛方式，而不是用谷物把它們撐肥。”并指出養殖過程不使用任何激素和抗生素。
牛骨：和美國的牛肉不同，加拿大的牛肉運到香港時還帶著骨，這有助于防止牛肉老化，使其更加多汁。
年齡：每一塊牛肉都在真空袋中保濕冷藏至少45天，讓牛肉中的蛋白質分解，肉質軟化，成為坎貝爾所說的那種嫩牛排。
溫度：坎貝爾用一個烤架來給牛排打上漂亮的燒烤紋路，然后在烤箱中以480攝氏度的溫度給三英寸厚的牛排加熱。坎貝爾說，“烹飪時間在八分鐘左右。”接著牛排被放置至少15分鐘，最后在烤箱里每面烘烤一下，以保持上菜時的溫度。
其它：精心挑選的調味品和配菜是品嘗牛排時的必備之物。坎貝爾盡可能多地提供各種選擇。首先是醬汁：紅酒比爾奈斯醬、黑干胡椒白蘭地醬、番茄味燒烤醬、辣根奶油醬，以及六種芥末醬。此外，還有14種不同的配菜可供挑選：光土豆就有烘土豆、土豆泥、烤土豆或奶油烤菜式土豆（切成細條，澆上奶油和乳酪）。可別跟坎貝爾談洋蔥圈或芝士通心面，他要聊起來就沒個完了——他建議后者要搭配番茄沙司來吃。
價格：1,450港幣（186美元）
地址：君悅酒店牛排屋，香港灣仔港灣道1號，電話：852-2588-1234。
