San Antonio, Texas nope never been there. But I was speaking to a chef that lives in San Antone, and his specialty is steaks, beef that is. Chef Drake talks about beef, and what kind of beef he uses, and soon if the economy holds up, he'll have some backing to open up a fine dining steak joint, with some seafoods, salads, and a wine bar. (Drake don't wanna have his pic taken).
RON: So how long have you worked in kitchens?
DRAKE: Very long, since I was in high school, I worked in a burger joint when I was 15, I loved music and wanted an electric guitar, we didn't have money, my mom told me if I got a job after school and on weekends, I could buy that guitar which I did.
RON: What kind of guitar?
DRAKE: It was a Gibson, candy apple red, the guy at the shop threw in a small practice amp, and I drove my mom nuts every evening.
RON: Did you end up in a band?
DRAKE: No. I didn't pursue that, just a hobby. But food was something I fell in love with, at work, cooking came naturally, back in the day, the burgers had to be cooked to order, we had a hot mesquite burning grill, and our burgers were home mixed, it was seasoned really good. Well, I was one of the only grill dudes that made the burgers the way customers wanted it. Medium rare, medium well, well done. I had it down. We would grill one side of the burger char it real well, and then stick it in the oven to finish, the burgers were very plump, that's the way the owner wanted it, kind of rounded. Other cooks older than I would come in and totally fuck up the orders because they didn't know how long to cook those pups, it came by feel, like a good musician, you feel it.
RON; I worked as a cook too, and man, steaks or beef cooked to order can be tricky, like sometimes when you rush, that's when things get messed up. Or when you have a steak that is still cold outta the chill, it cooks differently as opposed to a steak that was at room temperature for a few minutes.
DRAKE: Hey chef, you know. But back to what I learned when grilling burgers I took it to all my other gigs as a cook. I did not go to the military, I did not go to college, I'm an old school guy that worked his way up the ranks. When I got out of high school, I worked at a hotel, I learned to cut veggies for 8 months man, all I did was cut veggies, and the chef was always yellin at me to hurry up and make my jullienes better. And then he moved me up the pantry where I made cold salads and sandwiches, and soups too. But when I was put in the saute station, and fry stations, that's when I loved coming to work. I love to sweat and earn my money, my wife says I'm crazy, but if I don't sweat at work, I really feel that I am not earning a good day's pay, it's the Texan in me maybe.
RON: You are hard core, me I was lazy in the kitchen.
DRAKE: Hey Ron you got a cooking show and I don't (laughs). But I love the heat. Like I was saying, I love being behind the stove I hate trimming veggies and making sauces, I love the cooking thing. But I really got serious when an older friend told me if I wanted to learn to butcher meats at a local beef company, I said okay and went in. I was horrible with a knife, but working as a butcher for 4 years, I learned a lot about meats, the different cuts, grades, and even the politics of the beef industry, it was insane. And then after that, I went back to a restaurant cooking Japanese and Chinese, I learned from this awesome chef from Japan that lived in China for some time, so we did all the famous dishes from Japan and China, I learned to cut Ahi and filet it, and make sashimi cuts, and also had to spend some time rolling sushi.
RON: Man you are one experienced chef.
DRAKE: Okay it is hard work man, but check this out, I got married, but wasn't happy working for others, so I took some local business classes, just to learn what it took to be a business man, my wife's parents had some money, and I borrowed a few grand, went to classes, I got a certificate, but it wasn't an accredited school, just something that said I learned how to open a business. So now I sit and wait for a chance to open up my own steak house, I love beef, working with it, and from what I learned is, you have to stick with your roots, and my roots is I'm a San Antonian, a beef man. I'm going for what I know and love, and that is beef and steaks. I learned from watching other chefs, they had different backgrounds, and they all did foods that they were rooted in. So despite me learning how to make a Peking duck like a true Chinese chef, or a Sukiyaki like a real Japanese chef, my roots are Texas baby! Beef!
RON: Okay Chef Drake, take me on a trip in Chef Drake's kitchen what will you serve up?
DRAKE: I will have a simple menu. I will only serve Prime quality Japanese beef (Wagyu) that will be raised here in Texas. Kobe beef or Kuroushi beef, Kuroushi beef is raised near Kobe, that's why it is marketed as Kobe beef not Kuroushi beef. Kuro means black, ushi means beef. And there's the Akaushi beef or red beef. When pure bred Kuroushi or Akaushi beef is raised without cross breeding, the meat is of higher quality, and for the love of God I will not give my diners a lesser quality meat. Some cattle are crossbred say, Black Angus and Akaushi, these breeds are good, but the marbling isn't as great as a pure bred.
RON: Man you're into it Chef Drake, for me, I just look for a Prime anything and I'm good to go.
DRAKE: Ron I'm not saying you can't do what you do, it's all great, but I learned to market and target market, so for what I'll be doing is this, I am opening up hopefully an eatery that will serve up the finest of beef in San Antonio. And Texans do know beef, despite the Japanese thing it is welcomed in Big T! Just don't deceive a Texan, cause he or she'll will hunt your ass down!
RON: Tell me, what will be on your menu, you said it will be simple.
DRAKE: I'll serve breakfast. Steak and eggs, omelets, I'll have lobsters and crab shipped in from the cold states. Lunches will be burgers, and the burgers will rock, burger pizzas, burger tacos. I'll have other items, but the star is the beef burgers. And for dinners, I'll serve up Rib Eyes grilled over mesquite, Prime Rib, Chateau Briand, Porterhouses, Fajitas, and your favorite Chef Ron...
RON: Kalbi! Oh boy there.
DRAKE: (Laughs) I made Kalbi because I learned it from watching your show.
RON: Oh c'mon Chef Drake.
DRAKE: Seriously, those short ribs are awesome, I'll serve it with white rice and mac salad (Laughs).
RON: Chef I wanna cry!
DRAKE: No Ron, I'm really a simple man, ask my wife, if we cook for you it'll be really simple. My spice rack has a lot of exotic spices, only to experiment, but when cooking for family and friends, it's simple is best man.
RON: Okay folks that was Chef Drake... how come you don't want your pic takent?
DRAKE: I don't want my face online, even my website, I'll have some pretty waitress on there, not me, I'm always a behind the scenes kinda guy.
RON: Well, I did learn some things about quality beef. Thanks Drake.
DRAKE: Anytime.
Chef Drake told me if I ever get to San Antonio, Texas to visit Bohanan's Prime Steaks & Seafood Restaurant. He and his wife goes there for great quality steaks, you get what you pay for. Imagine a 95.00 cut of beef filet 12 oz. It better be good, but if Chef Drake knows beef, I'll pay the price if I do ever get to Texas, let's see.
RON: So how long have you worked in kitchens?
DRAKE: Very long, since I was in high school, I worked in a burger joint when I was 15, I loved music and wanted an electric guitar, we didn't have money, my mom told me if I got a job after school and on weekends, I could buy that guitar which I did.
RON: What kind of guitar?
DRAKE: It was a Gibson, candy apple red, the guy at the shop threw in a small practice amp, and I drove my mom nuts every evening.
RON: Did you end up in a band?
DRAKE: No. I didn't pursue that, just a hobby. But food was something I fell in love with, at work, cooking came naturally, back in the day, the burgers had to be cooked to order, we had a hot mesquite burning grill, and our burgers were home mixed, it was seasoned really good. Well, I was one of the only grill dudes that made the burgers the way customers wanted it. Medium rare, medium well, well done. I had it down. We would grill one side of the burger char it real well, and then stick it in the oven to finish, the burgers were very plump, that's the way the owner wanted it, kind of rounded. Other cooks older than I would come in and totally fuck up the orders because they didn't know how long to cook those pups, it came by feel, like a good musician, you feel it.
RON; I worked as a cook too, and man, steaks or beef cooked to order can be tricky, like sometimes when you rush, that's when things get messed up. Or when you have a steak that is still cold outta the chill, it cooks differently as opposed to a steak that was at room temperature for a few minutes.
DRAKE: Hey chef, you know. But back to what I learned when grilling burgers I took it to all my other gigs as a cook. I did not go to the military, I did not go to college, I'm an old school guy that worked his way up the ranks. When I got out of high school, I worked at a hotel, I learned to cut veggies for 8 months man, all I did was cut veggies, and the chef was always yellin at me to hurry up and make my jullienes better. And then he moved me up the pantry where I made cold salads and sandwiches, and soups too. But when I was put in the saute station, and fry stations, that's when I loved coming to work. I love to sweat and earn my money, my wife says I'm crazy, but if I don't sweat at work, I really feel that I am not earning a good day's pay, it's the Texan in me maybe.
RON: You are hard core, me I was lazy in the kitchen.
DRAKE: Hey Ron you got a cooking show and I don't (laughs). But I love the heat. Like I was saying, I love being behind the stove I hate trimming veggies and making sauces, I love the cooking thing. But I really got serious when an older friend told me if I wanted to learn to butcher meats at a local beef company, I said okay and went in. I was horrible with a knife, but working as a butcher for 4 years, I learned a lot about meats, the different cuts, grades, and even the politics of the beef industry, it was insane. And then after that, I went back to a restaurant cooking Japanese and Chinese, I learned from this awesome chef from Japan that lived in China for some time, so we did all the famous dishes from Japan and China, I learned to cut Ahi and filet it, and make sashimi cuts, and also had to spend some time rolling sushi.
RON: Man you are one experienced chef.
DRAKE: Okay it is hard work man, but check this out, I got married, but wasn't happy working for others, so I took some local business classes, just to learn what it took to be a business man, my wife's parents had some money, and I borrowed a few grand, went to classes, I got a certificate, but it wasn't an accredited school, just something that said I learned how to open a business. So now I sit and wait for a chance to open up my own steak house, I love beef, working with it, and from what I learned is, you have to stick with your roots, and my roots is I'm a San Antonian, a beef man. I'm going for what I know and love, and that is beef and steaks. I learned from watching other chefs, they had different backgrounds, and they all did foods that they were rooted in. So despite me learning how to make a Peking duck like a true Chinese chef, or a Sukiyaki like a real Japanese chef, my roots are Texas baby! Beef!
RON: Okay Chef Drake, take me on a trip in Chef Drake's kitchen what will you serve up?
DRAKE: I will have a simple menu. I will only serve Prime quality Japanese beef (Wagyu) that will be raised here in Texas. Kobe beef or Kuroushi beef, Kuroushi beef is raised near Kobe, that's why it is marketed as Kobe beef not Kuroushi beef. Kuro means black, ushi means beef. And there's the Akaushi beef or red beef. When pure bred Kuroushi or Akaushi beef is raised without cross breeding, the meat is of higher quality, and for the love of God I will not give my diners a lesser quality meat. Some cattle are crossbred say, Black Angus and Akaushi, these breeds are good, but the marbling isn't as great as a pure bred.
RON: Man you're into it Chef Drake, for me, I just look for a Prime anything and I'm good to go.
DRAKE: Ron I'm not saying you can't do what you do, it's all great, but I learned to market and target market, so for what I'll be doing is this, I am opening up hopefully an eatery that will serve up the finest of beef in San Antonio. And Texans do know beef, despite the Japanese thing it is welcomed in Big T! Just don't deceive a Texan, cause he or she'll will hunt your ass down!
RON: Tell me, what will be on your menu, you said it will be simple.
DRAKE: I'll serve breakfast. Steak and eggs, omelets, I'll have lobsters and crab shipped in from the cold states. Lunches will be burgers, and the burgers will rock, burger pizzas, burger tacos. I'll have other items, but the star is the beef burgers. And for dinners, I'll serve up Rib Eyes grilled over mesquite, Prime Rib, Chateau Briand, Porterhouses, Fajitas, and your favorite Chef Ron...
RON: Kalbi! Oh boy there.
DRAKE: (Laughs) I made Kalbi because I learned it from watching your show.
RON: Oh c'mon Chef Drake.
DRAKE: Seriously, those short ribs are awesome, I'll serve it with white rice and mac salad (Laughs).
RON: Chef I wanna cry!
DRAKE: No Ron, I'm really a simple man, ask my wife, if we cook for you it'll be really simple. My spice rack has a lot of exotic spices, only to experiment, but when cooking for family and friends, it's simple is best man.
RON: Okay folks that was Chef Drake... how come you don't want your pic takent?
DRAKE: I don't want my face online, even my website, I'll have some pretty waitress on there, not me, I'm always a behind the scenes kinda guy.
RON: Well, I did learn some things about quality beef. Thanks Drake.
DRAKE: Anytime.
Chef Drake told me if I ever get to San Antonio, Texas to visit Bohanan's Prime Steaks & Seafood Restaurant. He and his wife goes there for great quality steaks, you get what you pay for. Imagine a 95.00 cut of beef filet 12 oz. It better be good, but if Chef Drake knows beef, I'll pay the price if I do ever get to Texas, let's see.
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