By Few chefs have had a more illustrious reputation than Anthony Bourdain. He helmed numerous mouth-watering restaurants in America, wrote several well-received cookbooks and became something of a TV personality – even appearing in the fantastic 2016 movie The Big Short.
Unfortunately, it was reported last June that Bourdain had sadly died of an apparent suicide, aged just 61. Bourdain was in Paris filming an episode of his CNN show “Parts Unknown” when a friend found him unresponsive in his hotel room. His death affected many people, particularly those with a keen interest in food as the stories and adventures he experienced provided so much joy and wisdom.
June 25th was his birthday and has now affectionately been called ‘Bourdain Day’, with many using the day to reflect on the man and his tales. He would have been 63 years old this year. In memory of Bourdain, we would like to share one of our favourite pearls of wisdom when it comes to cooking steak.
Bourdain was able to take some of the cheapest cuts of meat on offer and still turn them into dishes worthy of a royal banquet following some simple steps. Here’s what he had to say:
As a notorious fiddler in the kitchen, I’m always looking to move things around the pan, sprinkle extra ingredients or prod whatever it is I’m cooking. It turns out that when it comes to steak less is most certainly more.
According to Bourdain,
Don’t poke your meat with a fork. Use tongs to move it. Don’t ever press meat with a spatula to speed up cooking. That’s the good stuff you’re squeezing! Be gentle! And don’t peek—meaning, don’t cut into the steak to check its progress.
The next time you’re cooking up an incredible steak, remember Bourdain and the advice he imparted before his untimely death. He will forever live on in our memory.