Red Blooded Favorite

Ask any red-blooded male what his favorite beef dish is, and the answer you’d most often hear would probably be “steak”. It’s possibly the most macho of the beef dishes, and it’s one of the simplest to prepare: grab a filet, season with several dashes of salt and pepper, throw it on the grill, and voila, you got yourself a steak.

Whether you cook it on a grill or in a skillet or frying pan doesn’t matter that much; the end result usually comes out the same. One hunk of beef seared to perfection on the outside and slightly pink on the inside. Some guys prefer it cooked thoroughly, which is really a no-no, but it’s all a matter of taste. A steak is a steak is a steak. And it’s what most macho guys love to eat.

And in Cebu, where can you find a decent steak that’s easy on the budget? Black Angus Steakhouse, at the Rivergate Mall along Gen. Maxilom Ave., that’s where. The name itself evokes extreme machismo: Scottish warriors thumping their chests, raring to go into battle, their leader on the torture rack, crying “Freedom!” while staring death in the face, now if that ain’t macho, then I don’t know what is.

Step into the restaurant, however, and you won’t find any Scots in war-paint. Instead, you’d find a cozy interior, but more importantly, a menu that features steak as the main attraction. There are several different kinds, but if you gotta write about steak, then go for the good stuff: Black Angus and Wagyu. These are breeds of cattle, and they’re among the most popular. But expensive? Maybe in some places, but not in Black Angus Steakhouse. The prices are quite reasonable, and portions, macho-sized.

I zeroed in on one of my favorites: the filet mignon. It’s a slightly round piece of meat cut from the tenderest part of the cow, the tenderloin. It may have a slightly effeminate name (“mignon”), but believe me, this steak is all macho. The bacon wrapped around it adds even more manliness to the dish. What man red-blooded man doesn’t enjoy a few strips of bacon every now and then? One thing about Black Angus, even the not-so-choice cuts are already tender, so you can imagine how tender an Angus filet mignon can be. Taste-wise, it’s full of flavor. You won’t really need any gravy or Tabasco, but the restaurant still provides you with both. An order comes complete with mashed potatoes and mixed corn, carrots and stringbeans.

Black Angus also has their version of the Salisbury steak, which is actually just a fancy name for what we Pinoys know as burger steak. Except theirs is made from Wagyu beef. Now, as a rule, expensive beef like Wagyu shouldn’t be used for hamburger, because a lot of the flavors are lost during mincing. Still, the meat probably comes from the leftover meat during butchering, so instead of letting them go to waste, the butchers probably thought of using them for beef patties.

The steak comes on a sizzling plate, and the thing to do when your order arrives is to dig in right away. You wouldn’t want your burger steak to lose all its juices and go dry on you, especially if it’s Wagyu. Being Wagyu, it tastes so much better than a regular burger steak, and even if you’re an uncultured oaf, you’d still probably be able to taste the difference.

While a steak may be considered a luxury in this day and age, it wouldn’t hurt to treat yourself to one on a special occasion at Black Angus Steakhouse, especially with their very reasonable prices. And while you’re at it, grab a Wagyu burger too. I know I would.