Meat Selection
Peter Luger Steak House’s obsession with meat selection goes back to 1950. Sol Forman, who was running his metal factory across the street, buys out the restaurant when the enterprise goes into distress. He realized the importance of meat selection process and established strong discipline around it. His rationale was that without the best quality beef, there cannot exist a best quality steak.
Sol hired a retired USDA meat inspector and asked him to teach her wife Marsha how to distinguish and select fine meat. Marsha then went through a training for two years at a meat wholesaler and learned the skills necessary to purchase the quality of meat used at Peter Luger, at the same time establishing beef selection criteria that should be met at her restaurant. This tradition still lives on, with only 4 family members eligible to inspect and choose the meat used at Peter Luger.
The beef used at Peter Luger Steak House Tokyo is chosen according to the same standards adopted at Peter Luger Steak House Brooklyn.
Dry Aging
Peter Luger’s dry aging knowhow is handed down as the family secret. An underground aging room is secured with a lock which allows only the family members and a handful of workers access to the original dry aging skills.
The aging process, in which temperature, humidity, and airflow are carefully controlled, serves to compress protein and minerals into the center of the meat by drying the outer parts of the beef. The enzymes in the muscle tissue disintegrate proteins and dramatically increase amino acids that maximize umami. What the customers get is the ultimately soft and juicy beef steak.
The aging method adopted at Peter Luger successfully suppresses undesirable smell with its unique monitoring technology. This secret method gave birth to the top-quality steak which contains the original beef aroma at the same time enabling the particular ‘umami’ of the soft beef to come forth.
Serving
Peter Luger’s unique serving style is the result of many years of trial and error. At the forefront of the tradition is “USDA Prime steak from the Short Loin” in which customers can enjoy both filet and sirloin. This is now a common style in other steakhouses, but it is worth noting that it originally started with Peter Luger.
The steak is finished on a plate in the broiler, which means that the plate is hot when the steak is served, allowing customers to further sear the steak. This elaborate process not only enables a customer to control the level of cooking but also the sizzling sound of juicy meat being broiled stirs up appetite.