The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2021 - Issue 30

the cattle. It has a firmer texture and less fat compared to other steaks but is one of the flavoursome cuts. Due to the lack of fat, Bar + Block recommend diners have it cooked medium-rare. The ribeye is a timeless cut that comes from the cattle’s rib area. It has a rich flavour and is beautifully tender. It is preferably cooked medium as it allows the fat to melt into the steak. The fillet is the finest cut, located alongside the sirloin. This area is rarely used by the cattle, so the fillet remains extremely tender and has a delicately mild flavour. To retain the cut’s natural tenderness, it’s recommended to have it cooked medium-rare and is ideally not cooked past medium well-done. The sirloin is the classic ‘loin’ cut and taken from the upper middle of the cattle. It is known to be an ‘all-rounder’ cooking well from rare through to well done. It is preferably cooked medium to let the fat melt through the meat. While you’re waiting to place your order, Bar + Block offers complimentary beef-flavoured popcorn in red and white striped containers which were delicious, different and a nice touch to the evening. Most diners go for the hand-cut classic steaks like the four parts mentioned earlier or the speciality Butcher’s Block cuts like the Spiral Cut Fillet, Surf + Turf or Bone in Steak, all of which are reared from British and Irish Angus breeds renowned for their taste and tenderness. The lovely Alina, manager of the King’s Cross site, helped us to choose the cocktails and succulent dishes for our steakhouse experience. We had Candy Floss Martini, a limited-edition cocktail with rosé wine, cran- berry, lime and strawberry and fluffy candy floss which was delicious and enjoyable; Pornstar Martini with Absolut Vanilla vodka shaken with passion fruit purée and served with a shot of prosecco on the side; and Espresso Martini with Absolut Vanilla vodka, Tia Maria, sugar syrup and a shot of espresso. For starters, we enjoyed Asian Crispy Beef, crispy pulled beef tossed in hoisin, cucumber, spring onions, chilli and coriander; Korean Chicken Wings, charcoal-cooked wings tossed in Korean-style BBQ sauce, topped with spring onions, chilli and coriander; and Salt + Pepper Squid, crispy squid mixed with chilli and garlic and served with lemon and garlic mayo, and a wedge of lemon. The beef was nicely flavoured with tasty strips in batter, while the chicken wings were well cooked and moreish with the delicious barbecue sauce, and the salt and pepper squids were out of this world. A great dining deal is the Chateaubriand for 2, a dish traditionally consisting of a large centre-cut fillet of tenderloin grilled between two lesser pieces of meat. This particular dish is served with beef drip- ping chips, green beans, garlic spinach, buttered garlic mushrooms and a side of béarnaise sauce. Alina suggested we have it medium-rare which proved very tender. In addition, we had the Ribeye 8oz with peppercorn sauce medium well-done. Although it was not as tender as the previous meat, it was delicious nonetheless. bitecuisine Garlic Spinach Ribeye 80z served with French Fries Chateaubriand for 2 served with French Fries, Dirty Fries and Sweet Potato Fries