A good steak doesn’t need much. Salt, pepper, butter, and a grill, broiler, or skillet should take care of it. For years, Dallas’ steakhouses have followed that classic recipe. But lately, steak-makers have been going rogue. Beef is being propped up with creative sauces, novel sides, even hidden under a sheet of black paper. Here’s our scouting report on the most unusual steaks around town.
CBD Provisions
Butcher’s cut steak, $36
This butcher cut (hanger) is plated under a blanket of green olive chimichurri, which provides brightness and freshness to the meat. The chimichurri is more of a puréed sauce than the usual herb mix. I’d never thought of olives on steak before, but I dig the contrast between briny Mediterranean flavors and earthy 44 Farms beef. Sweet-and-sour grilled onions and black-eyed peas complete the picture. 1530 Main St.
Rye
Paper Cut, $32
If some meals are designed for Instagram, Rye’s steak is the opposite. Yes, it uses an Akaushi hanger, delightfully tender and blushing dark pink. Yes, it comes with a trio of colors: black garlic sauce, white beans, and red cherry tomatoes that have been pickled and burst with acidity against each bite of meat. But the twist here is that the whole plate is covered in a black sheet of eggplant “paper.” That vegetable is charred, dehydrated, and rehydrated in sheets, like a thin blanket of baba ghanoush. It has flavor, and it harmonizes with the steak—but the real draw is the sheer humor of ordering a $32 plate covered in a grim black sheet. 1920 Greenville Ave.
El Carlos Elegante
Wagyu beef picanha, $55
Charred carrot mole provides sweetness, nuttiness, smokiness, and gentle spice to the picanha. It doesn’t get better than a medium-rare center cut dipped in mole, one of the best steak bites I had all year. Our edge slices were a little gray, but you can weave them into intriguing flavor combinations. They still taste magnificent with the sauce, and they taste even better with a bright, herbaceous side of chayote-lime slaw. 1400 N. Riverfront Blvd.
Loro
Smoked bavette with shishito salsa, $19.50
Loro starts with an underrated cut, the bavette, and gently smokes it before finishing the meat on the grill. The real star, though, is acidity: you can pile each bite of beef with pickled onions and a salsa verde made with shishito peppers. If you like steak with a bit of spice, don’t miss this offering. It is also a bargain compared to the other slabs on our list. 1812 N. Haskell Ave.; 14999 Montfort Dr.
Revolver Gastro Cantina
Arrachera, $40
If you know to ask, Revolver Gastro Cantina isn’t just a place for great tacos, birria wontons, and Mexican Manhattan cocktails. It also has a secret steakhouse menu. Arrachera, or skirt steak, comes from 44 Farms, and it’s grilled until the thin cut still has a rosy pink stripe down the middle and then topped from end to end with serrano chimichurri. Served with rich mashed beans, a grilled cactus paddle, two salsas, and a basket of tortillas, it’s an instantly memorable meal. And it’s even better if you assemble your own taco with it. 2646 Elm St.
Ruins
Rib-eye with enchiladas, $24
Traditional Mexican bistec plates often use beef cut so thinly that there’s no room for color in the center. Ruins upgrades this style by using sliced well-marbled rib-eye and then serving the steak with sharp tomatillo salsa, guacamole, and four crispy enchiladas potosinas filled with cheese, folded neatly, and dunked in salsa. Why don’t more steakhouses offer side enchiladas? 2653 Commerce St.
Uchi
Wagyu tataki, $30.50
The coulotte here is a petite cut, about the size of a stick of butter, and it’s treated gently, seared just enough to leave a deep pink through the center. It’s topped with a sauce dubbed a “Brussels chimichurri,” so nutty and umami-forward that it’s almost like a veggie pesto. Over to the side, a modernist foam made from eggs and miso, topped with sesame seeds, offers a creamy, rich dip for your beef. 2817 Maple Ave.
This story originally appeared in the November issue of D Magazine. Write to [email protected].
Author
