Which Cut?Somewhere around 1850 steak was added to the menu. There is a bit of controversy as to exactly what this cut of steak was. Over the years, nine different cuts have come to be known as a Delmonico steak. Now, while some people insist that it is a top sirloin, if you go to a well-educated butcher and order a Delmonico steak you are probably going to get a rib-eye steak. Of course, most people will tell you that the rib-eye is the perfect blend of flavor and tenderness, and therefore just about the best steak you can get.
Regardless of the cut of the Delmonico steak, if you where to order one in the late nineteenth century, you would get a large and flavorful cut of meat. The recipe for the Delmonico steak was very simple, as it should be. The steak was lightly seasoned with salt, basted with melted butter and grilled over a live fire. You would typically find it served up with a thin, clear gravy and a good helping of potatoes. Basically this was the perfect restaurant steak.
Folklore: For many years, the Delmonico steak was item 86 on the menu. Folklore suggest that the expression "86’d" was invented by the chef at Delmonico's to let the staff know that there were no more steaks to cook that day.
Ultimately there were several Delmonico's Restaurants, but the last of them closed down in 1923. Any restaurant (or Hotel) today with that name isn't really authentic, just imitators (imitation is the sincerest form of flattery). The ultimate cause of Delmonico's downfall is prohibition. People were unwilling to sit through a long formal dinner without alcohol on the menu so the final Delmonico Restaurant closed it's doors unable to convince people that bottle mineral water was good enough to drink with such a fine steak.
