The entrecote, in France, is a rib steak. The Marc presents the meat served medium rare, wonderfully pink throughout. You can order the steak to be cooked a little longer, but this isn’t recommended; having The Marc’s steak at medium to well done is like spray painting on the Mona Lisa.
The steak is covered in a marbled foie gras butter that slowly melts over the steak as you eat it. The salt, butter, meat and fat melt into decadent bite after decadent bite.
To complete the steak frites experience, the steak is served with crisp fries and a truffle aioli. The dip is very deep and earthy, and offers a wonderful contrast to the richness of the meat and foie gras. It certainly won’t win you any heart smart points, but if you can put “meat” and “treat” into the same sentence, it’s probably because you’re describing this dish. –Steven Sandor
9940 106 St., 780-429-2828, themarc.ca
What’s RGE RD’s secret to a great steak? More beef!
The steak itself at chef Blair Lebsack’s celebrated 107th Avenue eatery is an ever-changing butcher’s cut of premium beef – the night my wife and I went, it was a choice between striploin and ribeye, and I opted for the latter – which arrives from the kitchen perfectly seasoned and cooked to a beautiful medium rare.
But the piece de resistance really is the beef and mushroom ragout that comes alongside the steak. The server suggests pouring it all over the steak and accompanying mashed potatoes, and she’s spot on. The au jus and mushrooms are a fantastic complement to the steak, while the chunks of tender, stewed beef in the ragout bring the potatoes to a new level. -Glenn Cook
10643 123 St., 780-447-4577, rgerd.ca
There are so many things you can put on barbecued meat: Rubs, sauces, spice mixes – the list goes on. But the cuts of lamb, steak and sausage that you’ll get at Pampa are oh so good, and they don’t need any special sauces or rubs. Coarse Brazilian salt kisses the beef that’s fired over charcoal. That’s it. But the result is juicy and addictive meat that is carved tableside.
At Pampa, you flash a green disc if you want to keep the food coming, red if you want to take a break or if you’re done. Ride the green as long as you can. Your stomach can stretch, you know. –S.S.
9929 109 St., 780-756-7030, pampasteakhouse.com
