Kix Brooks has a lot at ‘steak’ in new show

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No matter what city he happens to be in, country music artist Kix Brooks tries to find out where the good steakhouses are, and he shares some of them with viewers in his new Cooking Channel series “Steak Out With Kix Brooks.”

“The thing I realized touring and playing country music all over the country,” the 60-year-old Louisiana native says, “you jump off a bus and there’s somebody hanging around the bus. And you go, ‘Hey, where do you get a good steak around here?’ And everybody’s got this 30-minute story to tell you about their local steakhouse and how it’s the best steak in the world. And you just realize communities really take pride in their steakhouses.”

In the half-hour Tuesday series, Brooks take viewers to cities such as Dallas, Denver, New Orleans and New York to those eateries that put their own unique spin on the classic slab of beef. He goes into the kitchens to talk to the chefs and get some secrets, and to watch how they prepare their steaks.

What he discovers is shockingly simple. The best steak chefs eschew the marinades that many a backyard barbecuer has embraced in favor of just salt and pepper. Also, the beef served at a restaurant is of a higher quality than can be purchased at a supermarket – prime compared to Grade A. And all create their own sauces for their steaks.

“I learned a lot about cooking down reduction sauces and the things they put in and the bones they put in and how they add marrow and spices and whatever … instead of just dumping some local steak sauce on top of what you’re eating,” Brooks says. “That’s what really separates these great chefs.”

As for his own favorite cuts, Brooks – who at one time raised beef cattle – says, “It kind of depends on what wine I’m drinking but I’m more inclined to eat a rib eye or especially a strip. I like a steak that’s got some marbling and a little fat flavor doesn’t hurt my feelings. But … if I’ve got some fresh shrimp (that) my buds from Louisiana shipped me overnight, something like that, I’ll also pull a filet for a little surf and turf.

“The fun thing about raising your own cattle,” he continues, “is there are so many cuts of meat that are underrated, that if you treat them the right way, they can really be delicious. So it’s all about how you cook it.”

Q&A

What book are you currently reading?

“I’m reading ‘Killing Patton’ right now, actually.”

What did you have for dinner last night?

“I was on an airplane, so it was some kind of rubber pasta.”

What is your next project?

“My next project … I kind of have my regular routine so I’m looking forward to, as soon as we get off this interview, I’ll be on to my countdown show.”

When was the last vacation you took, where and why?

“My whole life’s a vacation – that’s an easy one. And that was Las Vegas, Nevada. I just wound up (an engagement) at Caesar’s at the Colosseum with Reba (McEntire) and Ronnie (Dunn).”