Need Liz's expertise....

[Hell Puppy]

A1 is for one of those $2 steaks where you can still see the whip marks from where the jockey was hitting it.

And yup, ketchup goes on fries....and I dont eat catsup....if it aint Heinz why bother?

Like I said, I'll try encrusting and sauces on the side occasionally. But a truly proper steak shouldn't need it, and it also shouldn't be over cooked. Pains me to see someone whose idea of a "good" steak is one that is pretty well burnt and then soaked in Heinz 57.

Way way back in the day, I saw an acquaintance of mine nearly get tossed out of Ben Benson's in NYC. She liked filets. But she liked 'em well done.

Ben Benson has a fine filet, and like most major league steakhouses it's thick and best served medium rare. If she see's red, or even pink, it's going back. Nowadays, I would know better than to step foot in a NYC steakhouse with someone like that, but I was young and dumb.

So she orders it well done, they roll their eyes, and out comes a very nicely done filet, but it of course is still very pink in the middle as this is a fine thick piece of meat. She's not happy, so they suggest they butterfly it for her. They do, it comes back, now it's ruined by my standards, but she still found some pink.

Back it goes again.

This time it comes out charred thru and thru. Perfect! Just how she likes it!

Then she did it.

She asked for ketchup for her steak.

The waiter made some comment about just frying up his shoe leather for her and made it clear she was never to come back as she had no appreciation for what they do there. I seriously thought we were all going to be asked to leave.