Robert et Louise

Paris! Easily one of my favorite cities!

About 5 years ago, my wife and I took a trip for our

The Eiffel Tower

anniversary. It was her first trip, my second. She spent weeks, if not months, ahead of the trip researching and finding everything she wanted to do, breaking it down by arrondissement. The trip was fine tuned, even with a few restaurant selections based off of the location of the museums we would be touring each day.

So one afternoon we traveled to the 11th Arrondissement, with the hopes of stopping by the National Picasso Museum. Which we did. But they were closed. For renovations.

What to do, what to do? There were no specific dinner guidelines on the plans for the evening. So we went exploring. I'm sure we found some shops to poke around in, but the standout discovery was a little restaurant we came across, called Robert et Louise. We had just seen Anthony Bourdain eat here on No Reservations and were both immediately drawn to it! We past our time waiting for them to open in a cafe down the street sipping espresso and watching the occasional parade to celebrate the French National Football Team's advancement in the UEFA Uero 2012.

Finally it was 7:00 and Robert et Louise was ready open the doors. Out of excitement, we may have been the first people in the doors, promptly as they opened. We were kindly greeted by the hostess.

Do you have a reservation?

No. We did not. What to do?

The Grill at Robert et Louise

The hostess graciously seated us in their downstairs room, where we ate a steak dinner, French style. On the way downstairs, we walked past their amazing open flame grill! This is truly a thing of beauty! Steaks searing on a flat top with firewood stacked around. How could you not enjoy a steak off of something like this?

We paired our steaks with some roasted potatoes, mushrooms, and some greens, munching on fresh baguettes while we waited. I don't honestly remember, but I am sure we allowed ourselves to be tempted by a creme brule or any other spectacular French dessert on the menu.

With our bellies full and our appetites satisfied, we stepped out in to the French night to continue enjoying the beautiful city. Someday, I hope we will return.

Reverse Seared New York Strip

Reverse seared New York Strip!

One of my favorite meals is steak night! Last Saturday night was a rainy, Houston night, so what could be better than a steak and a movie at home? A creature of habit, I usually cook a steak the steak the same way each time. The same seasoning, the same sides, the same method. A good steak doesn't come cheap, so why take a chance and risk getting it wrong?




I have been hearing a lot about the "reverse sear method," when it comes to grilling meats, especially steaks. I decided to take a leap of faith with the two New York Strips I had picked up and try it out. I'm not sure that I'll ever go back. The cooking time is a little longer, but well worth the wait. The color is consistent throughout and melts like butter.

Grill the steak over indirect heat.

Conventional wisdom would tell you that a good sear when a piece of meat first lands on the grill will lock the juices in. The reverse sear does the same thing, but better. Since the meat is not over direct heat, the juices don't ever have a chance to cook out, making for a more tender, juicier steak.




Enough of me talking about it, let's cook!




The Recipe:

• 2 New York Strips
• Steak Seasoning (Cavender's has always been my go to)

Prepare a charcoal grill. For tips on setting up your grill visit here. The fire should be built on one side of the grill, so that the steak can cook over indirect heat.

Grill the steak of indirect heat

Season the steak and let sit out at room temperature. This will allow the steak to cook more evenly. 

Finish the steak over the fire.

The idea of the "reverse sear method" is to cook the steak before it goes over the flame, leaving it to sear at the very end. Place the seasoned steak on the grill, opposite from the fire. I cooked my steak 6 to 7 minutes per side over indirect heat, before searing it about a minute per side over the fire. This still allowed for a nice medium rare dark pink color that was consistent throughout. This steak was delicious and I cannot wait to repeat the experience!

Happy eating!