Chef critique
PNW Grilled Ribeye with Cherry Sauce
A highly appealing, well-balanced seasonal recipe with solid timing and meat-cooking techniques. The only major flaw is the mechanical handling of the smashed potatoes, which will likely disintegrate if tossed after smashing and suffer from burnt garlic on the grill.
Score: 8/10
Suggested fixes
- Change the potato preparation: Toss the whole boiled potatoes in oil, salt, and pepper first, then gently smash them on a cutting board or tray. Brush them with oil rather than tossing after smashing.
- Swap the raw minced garlic on the potatoes for garlic powder, or infuse the olive oil with crushed garlic beforehand to prevent bitter, burnt garlic pieces on the grill.
- Add a note recommending the use of a grill pan or foil for the smashed potatoes if the grill grates are wide.
Issues
- medium / cookability: The instruction to lightly smash fork-tender potatoes and then 'toss' them with oil and garlic will likely cause them to fall apart into a mush. Additionally, raw minced garlic on the outside of potatoes will quickly burn and turn bitter on the grill.
- low / cookability: Depending on the width of the grill grates and the size of the potato pieces, smashed potatoes might fall through or stick excessively. A grill basket, griddle pan, or heavy foil might be needed.
Strengths
- Excellent flavor profile balancing the rich ribeye with a tart-sweet savory cherry sauce and bright lemon asparagus.
- Very good heat management and meat preparation instructions, specifically mentioning patting the steak dry, indirect grilling, and bringing to proper internal temperatures.
- Efficient workflow, maximizing passive time by making the sauce while boiling potatoes, and grilling the sides while the steak rests.
- Classic 'monter au beurre' pan sauce technique is properly integrated into the cherry sauce.