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A steak is fairly easy to cook — throw a good cut over a fire, and that's all it takes sometimes. What makes a great one?
We decided to ask David Campbell, who will preside as executive chef of the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Steak House when it opens officially March 28.
His tricks come from experience: The sprinkling of black Hawaiian sea salt, which gets its signature color from the lava rocks, is an homage to his three-year stint in the state's island of Kauai. The combination of wild mushrooms in his accompanying mushroom ragout sauce includes morels similar to those he picked during his years living in Idaho. And for Mr. Campbell, a Canadian, nothing beats beef from his home turf.
The cut: A behemoth cut averaging 38 ounces (one kilogram), the porterhouse steak — a cut from the loin just before the sirloin—is actually two steaks, divided by a bone: the sirloin on one side and a tenderloin on the other. 'You get two characteristics of beef — the very tender, unworked muscle of the tenderloin, and the chewier but more-flavorful meat of the sirloin, which also has the fat capping the edges,' says Mr. Campbell.
The beef: He traveled to northern Alberta, Canada, to see the cattle and survey their feed and care, and he tasted steaks for nine months — on one day, 35 cuts — before finally decided on Heritage Angus Beef.
The cows are pasture-raised and feed mostly on grass 'a healthier way to raise cows rather than to fatten them up on grain,' says Mr. Campbell, adding that they're not given hormones or antibiotics, either.
The bone: Unlike beef from the U.S., Canadian beef can be brought into Hong Kong still on the bone, which helps to prevent the meat from drying out and keeps it juicier.
The age: Every piece of steak is wet-aged in vacuum packs for at least 45 days to allow the proteins to break down, leading to what Mr. Campbell says is a more tender steak.
The heat: Mr. Campbell uses a grill to obtain nice crosshatch char marks and then finishes the three-inch-thick cut in a broiler at 480 degrees Celsius. 'It takes but eight or so minutes to cook,' says Mr. Campbell. The meat is then left to rest for at least 15 minutes, and then heated under the broiler briefly on each side so it is warm when served.
The extras: A hearty selection of condiments and side dishes is a must. And Mr. Campbell provides as many as he can. First, the sauces: a red wine béarnaise sauce; black peppercorn and brandy sauce; tomato-based barbecue sauce; horseradish cream; and six different types of mustard. Then there are 14 different side dishes to choose: A potato, for example, can come baked, mashed, roasted or gratin-style (sliced thin and layered with cream and cheese). Don't get Mr. Campbell started on the topic of onion rings or mac-and-cheese — he suggests eating the latter with ketchup.
Price: 1,450 Hong Kong dollars (US$186)
Steak House, 1 Harbour Rd., Wanchai, Hong Kong. Tel: 852-2588-1234
参考译文：
牛排还是挺好做的——只要找一块好牛肉，往火上一放，基本就搞定了。那么，怎么才能称得上是一份上好牛排呢？
我们决定问问大卫•坎贝尔(David Campbell)，他是于2011年3月28日正式开业的香港君悦酒店牛排屋(Grand Hyatt Hong Kong Steak House)的行政总厨。
他的牛排秘诀来自于个人经验：一小撮黑色的夏威夷海盐，带着当地火山熔岩特有的色泽，这也算是坎贝尔对夏威夷表达的一种敬意，因为他在考艾岛(Kauai)工作过三年时间。他用于搭配牛排的蘑菇五香酱汁里用了不少野生羊肚覃，与他当年住在爱达荷州时经常采摘的小蘑菇差不多。坎贝尔是加拿大人，对他来说，只有家乡草地上长大的牛肉质才算最好。
切割：上等腰肉牛排是从牛腰厚端切下的一大块肉，平均重量约38盎司（合一公斤），其实相当于一块牛骨分隔而成的两块牛排：一块是牛脊肉，一块是牛柳。坎贝尔说，“你可以体会到两种不同的肉质——牛柳是一块不活动的肌肉，非常嫩，而牛脊肉的边缘有一些脂肪层，更有嚼头，口感也更丰富。”
牛肉：坎贝尔去加拿大阿尔伯达省(Alberta)北部看牛群的情况，调查它们的饲料和养殖方式，并品尝了九个月年龄的牛排——在同一天尝了35块——最终决定选择Heritage Angus Beef牛肉。
这种牛在放牧场养殖，主要吃的是草料。坎贝尔说，“这是一种更健康的养牛方式，而不是用谷物把它们撑肥。”并指出养殖过程不使用任何激素和抗生素。
牛骨：和美国的牛肉不同，加拿大的牛肉运到香港时还带着骨，这有助于防止牛肉老化，使其更加多汁。
年龄：每一块牛肉都在真空袋中保湿冷藏至少45天，让牛肉中的蛋白质分解，肉质软化，成为坎贝尔所说的那种嫩牛排。
温度：坎贝尔用一个烤架来给牛排打上漂亮的烧烤纹路，然后在烤箱中以480摄氏度的温度给三英寸厚的牛排加热。坎贝尔说，“烹饪时间在八分钟左右。”接着牛排被放置至少15分钟，最后在烤箱里每面烘烤一下，以保持上菜时的温度。
其它：精心挑选的调味品和配菜是品尝牛排时的必备之物。坎贝尔尽可能多地提供各种选择。首先是酱汁：红酒比尔奈斯酱、黑干胡椒白兰地酱、番茄味烧烤酱、辣根奶油酱，以及六种芥末酱。此外，还有14种不同的配菜可供挑选：光土豆就有烘土豆、土豆泥、烤土豆或奶油烤菜式土豆（切成细条，浇上奶油和乳酪）。可别跟坎贝尔谈洋葱圈或芝士通心面，他要聊起来就没个完了——他建议后者要搭配番茄沙司来吃。
价格：1,450港币（186美元）
地址：君悦酒店牛排屋，香港湾仔港湾道1号，电话：852-2588-1234。
