If you’ve followed my blog for long, you know that I have a thing for steaks. Indeed, I’ve even dry aged my own steaks for 55 days. But tonight was a first. Tonight I had a 120-day Iowa ribeye, lovingly aged by Chuck Taylor in his gorgeous steak cave. I cannot recall a better steak in my entire life. For me, Taylor’s Steakhouse in Dumas makes the best steak I’ve ever had. And I don’t say that lightly. Let’s go check out Taylor’s Steakhouse.
When you drive up to Taylor’s Steakhouse, it sure looks unassuming, set up in a low metal warehouse on a gravel lot. Out back is a farm, which must have at least 1000 acres. It’s a nice quiet spot to come for a meal.
We were greeted at the door by co-owner Pam Taylor, walked over to our seats, and handed our menus. Note that Taylor’s Steakhouse is only open for dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
The menu offers a wide assortment of meats and seafood: bone in ribeyes, filet mignons, bone in filets, blackened duck breasts, pork chops, grilled chicken breasts, shrimp and grits, shrimp cakes and blackened shrimp. Taylor’s also serves up salmon, catfish (fried or sautéed), yellow fin tuna, blackened catch of the day, fried shrimp and a catfish and shrimp combo. They offer several vegetable sides, but we didn’t order any this time out.
Also be sure check out the meat and pasta specials (and the market prices) written out on chalkboards along the walls.
I liked checking out the cow art, too.
Speaking of cows, I went down to check out Taylor’s aging room, which I like to call a steak cave. This really is where the magic happens. I sure wish I had a steak cave like this.
Here, you can see ribeye and porterhouse primals with all ranges of age. These will be cut down into steaks and trimmed up nicely before they’re cooked to your preference.
Chuck’s team will cook it for you anyway you like. If you’re not sure just how you like it, they have handy cards around the dining room to help you make your decision.
I ordered my steak rare, with a nice crust on top and bottom, and a baked potato and a salad with blue cheese dressing. The Tasting Krewe ordered their steaks with fries. I also ordered a glass of pinot noir off their wine list. It was a smart move and went perfectly with the steak. And it was a great deal at $4.95.
While we waited, they brought us this fluffy loaf of bread, accompanied by both sweet cream butter and garlic butter. The bread was super soft and hard to cut; it was that kind of soft that crushes the bread while you cut it. I would have liked bread with more structure. But don’t fill up on that bread; you have steak coming.
The steaks are spectacular. They are nice and thick; at least 1¼ to 1½ inches thick. Look at the side of that beast!
Here’s the top shot. It was so pretty I almost didn’t want to dive in.
But I was glad I did jump in. The steak sliced like butter. Here’s the first bite. (I like my steak very rare, so I can really taste all that deep beefy flavor. You might like it more done, and they’ll be happy to do that for you.)
After 120 days of waiting for me, my bone in ribeye had a beautiful silken texture, with a lilting blue cheese funk on the back end, which was light as a feather. It was just a hint to remind me of the gifts that come with refined age. Note that the funk gets stronger in the fatty spots. Chuck did a great job trimming away the fat on my steak. These slices were almost like Wagyu, so soft and succulent.
I had my steak with a baked potato. It was big and fluffy and soft, and came with butter and sour cream. I like green in my potato, so I really could have gone for some chopped chives, or scallion, or maybe even some parsley. I also like my baked potatoes rolled in oil and salt and roasted off crispy, but Taylor’s does a nice baked potato nonetheless.
None of us were able to finish our steaks, and we all took them home. I actually ate my steak over three meals, which was just about right. A 120-day steak is a rich gift, one which you should savor slowly, and in small amounts. I think you could easily split one of these steaks with a date, and then double up on the baked potatoes. The portion of fries was large enough that two could share.
Taylor’s Steakhouse proved to be a special night with special steaks. My Tasting Krewe decided to make this an annual trip down from Little Rock, one of only a few such trips we make. I don’t think once a year is enough, so I am planning to come by with the kids the next time we’re this way. They’ll really love seeing the steak cave and will love the fries. I just wish Taylor’s would come out with a nice juicy burger. You know it would be top notch.
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