Morton's - THE STEAKHOUSE!

I first stumbled into the original Morton's with my husband a few years ago. We arrived late and found a cozy seat at the bar. Along with some libations, we dined on Morton's signature "Petite Steak Sandwiches." They were delicious and just what we needed after a late night of entertainment! The service was great and the ambiance even better! I highly recommend checking it out, if you can!

So, in honor of Morton's, I wanted to create a tribute menu to this iconic steakhouse:

Let's start with Morton's recipe for "Au Jus" (meaning "with juice"), from Morton's Steak Bible, by Klaus Fritsch with Mary Goodbody. Luckily, as Bourdain says you should always have some demi-glace kicking around in the freezer, I did! See Part Deux - Demi-Glace! *Don't forget to check back tomorrow, so you can experience Morton's classic Porterhouse Steak!

Au Jus (This has to be the elixir of the carnivore gods!)

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 cup veal demi-glace (store-bought or preferably homemade)

2 1/2 teaspoons commercial beef base (e.g., "Better Than Bouillon")

1 1/4 teaspoons commercial chicken base (e.g., "Better Than Bouillon")

1/2 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

1/8 teaspoon dried thyme

1 bay leaf

Pinch of freshly ground white pepper

Directions:

In a medium saucepan, combine 1 1/4 cups water with the demi-glace, beef base, chicken base, peppercorns, garlic powder, thyme, bay leaf, and ground pepper.

Whisk well. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook at a boil, (I had to reduce the heat to medium/medium-low), uncovered, whisking occasionally, for about 25 minutes, or until glossy and smooth.

Strain through a chinois or a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl. Discard the solids. Let cool, then cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour until chilled. Scrape any fat that has congealed on the surface. Use right away or transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate for up to 3 days.