Chef critique
Cajun Broiled Ribeye with Corn Succotash
A flavorful and efficient recipe that smartly uses the steak's resting time to cook the side dish. However, the high-heat broiling method needs minor adjustments to prevent smoking and scorching caused by the olive oil, brown sugar, and rendered beef fat.
Score: 8/10
Suggested fixes
- Instruct the cook to set a wire rack inside the foil-lined sheet pan to allow the steak's fat to drain away safely.
- Substitute a high-smoke-point neutral oil, such as canola, grapeseed, or avocado oil, for the olive oil in the steak paste.
- Omit the brown sugar from the rub, or instruct the cook to move the oven rack down an inch or two if the crust begins to scorch before the steak reaches its target temperature.
Issues
- medium / safety: Broiling a fatty bone-in ribeye directly on a flat foil-lined pan can cause rendered fat to pool and potentially ignite under a high broiler.
- low / ingredient_usage: Olive oil is used in the steak spice paste. It has a relatively low smoke point and will smoke heavily under a 500F+ broiler.
- low / flavor: The brown sugar in the spice rub is very likely to burn and turn bitter when exposed to direct, high broiler heat for 10 to 14 minutes.
Strengths
- Excellent workflow, utilizing the steak's resting time to cook the succotash without leaving either component cold.
- Prep steps are properly front-loaded before active cooking begins.
- The succotash has a great balance of fat (butter) and acid (apple cider vinegar) to complement the rich steak.
- Clear visual and temperature cues are provided for achieving the correct steak doneness.