Steak Lover's Cookbook

Marrying simplicity and succulence, steak is a food everyone can understand, and one of the very few to inspire genuine craving. Steak is William Rice's avocation, his passion, and he's researched different preparations and flavors of steak from all over the world. A collection of over 140 recipes, steak lover's cookbook is divided between fancy uptown cuts (e.g., tenderloins, porterhouses, ribs) and the plainer but just as tasty downtown cuts (skirt, chuck, flank, round). It includes the Best-Ever recipe for each type, plus dozens of inviting alternatives, not to mention Steak Fries, Outrageous Onion Rings, and Mississippi Mud Pie. It's a steakhouse at home.

84,000 copies in print.

When Bill Rice, a food writer for the Chicago Tribune, talks about steak, the writing is surprisingly hard to follow. This may be due, in part, to the fussy layout in this Steak Lover's Cookbook. The publisher often crams sentences together with barely space for a period between them. But when Rice gets past "uptown" and "downtown" cuts of steak, simply defined as more and less costly choices, and moves on to recipes, the book catches fire. Steak Broiled in a Salt Crust, and Sliced T-bone with Asian-Flavored Watercress are creative yet sensible ways to do more than just grill a steak. Rice includes a roundup of steak houses all over the United States. Knowledgeable about wines, he provides selections to accompany every dish. Beyond meat, look for super accompaniments. Don't miss Rice's method for searing a porterhouse steak to a crust at home, not easy when your broiler does not reach up to the 800 F heat chefs in most restaurants can command.