Top Chef season 6 winner Michael Voltaggio, who is behind Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse in Maryland with his brother, Bryan, wants you to make more than burgers this July 4th.
The 39-year-old, who is a father to two teenage daughters, is also an advocate for getting kids involved in the cooking process, regardless of the time of year. “Kids want to be a part of [cooking],” he tells Us Weekly. “I think rather than telling them to stay out of the way, get them involved. Because one, you’re teaching them survival techniques and tactics for themselves – you’re giving them something they’re going to use in their future. And two, you’re going to make them more curious in the food that they’re eating.”
While most parents think getting kids involved with cooking starts in the kitchen, Voltaggio believes it actually begins when you go grocery shopping. “If you take your kids to the store with you and you have them go through the entire list, they get to see all the different parts,” he explains. “Then, when you get home, you re-explain to them how these different parts play into that recipe, and they might want to experience how it all comes together as opposed to looking at it like it’s weird.”
Though a rib eye steak might be too difficult to have younger kids help out with, they can certainly assist with sides such as mac and cheese, coleslaw, and various vegetables. In the meantime, go beyond the burger this Independence Day and try the Voltaggio Brothers Steakhouse rib eye steak. Check out the recipe below!
Voltaggio Steakhouse Rib Eye
Makes 12- 14 servings
INGREDIENTS:
• 36-42 oz cut of porterhouse or bone-in rib eye steak (5 to 6 ounces per person)
• 1/4 cup of neutral, high-heat cooking oil, such as canola or rice bran
• Kosher salt
• 3 tbsp of butter
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 3 sprigs of rosemary
• 3 sprigs of thyme
INSTRUCTIONS:
- 24 hours before cooking, season steak generously on all sides with fine ground salt.
- Place the salted steak upright on a rack or plate in the fridge so the air can circulate all the way around.
- Remove from the fridge and let it sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
- Preheat oven to 225 degrees if it’s a convection oven, or 250 degrees.
- Heat a cast iron pan over high heat and coat the bottom of the pan with oil. Once you reach the smoke point, when you start to see a shimmer in the oil, add the steak and let it sear on one side, untouched, for a couple minutes.
- Turn the burner to medium-high heat and flip the steak after a crust has formed on the first side.
- Add the butter, garlic, rosemary and thyme to the pan and baste the steak as you continue to sear it on all sides. The butter should brown and become frothy, but not burn.
- Insert a temperature probe into the steak and transfer the whole pan into the oven to ensure the steak is evenly cooked.
- Remove the steak when the thermometer reaches five to eight degrees less than the desired doneness. For a medium-rare doneness, remove the steak from the oven at a temperature between 122 degrees and 125 degrees.
- Let the steak rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Carve the steak and reassemble it with the bone on the plate for servings.
- Sprinkle with flake sea salt.
