Chef Brian Sack, a father of three, plans to treat himself to a large, bone-in rib-eye steak on Father’s Day.

 LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

 MR. STEAK

CHEF INHERITED CULINARY INSPIRATION FROM HIS DAD 

BY JERILEE BENNETT / Freedom News Service

 Brian Sack, executive chef at The Famous — A Steak House, knows what dads want on their special Father’s Day Sunday: sizzling steak. And make it a big one.

He’s the right guy for the job. He’s been an executive chef for The Famous in Colorado Springs, Colo., for more than five years. We sat down with him to learn more about the man who puts the grill marks on those delicious steaks that keep the restaurant at the top of the list.

Sack did most of his growing up in Lake Forest, Ill., with his mom, but spent time in Colorado Springs, where his dad lived during the 1970s. After he graduated from Lake Forest High School, he attended college for two years before switching to the culinary program at Kendall College, where he got his B.A. in 1996. His culinary inspiration? His dad.

“My mom wasn’t much of a cook,” he said. “For the most part, Dad was the go-to guy in the kitchen. I have fond memories of the good smells in the air when he was cooking.”

His dad, Robert Sack, was an avid amateur chef, who won several Colorado Springs Chorale Chefs’ Gala honors when home cooks were allowed to be contestants.

“It was when the Gala first got started,” Brian Sack said. “He met Jacques Pepin and was so impressed. It was a big deal when Jacques signed Dad’s apron.”

Robert Sack died when Brian was in his early 20s.

“Dad was my inspiration to go to culinary school,” he said.

Upon graduation from Kendall, Sack came back to Colorado Springs, where he did an apprenticeship at The Broadmoor hotel.

“That was a humiliating experience,” he said. “I was just out of culinary school and thought I knew everything. It didn’t take long to get that slapped out of me. I learned a lot there, and it was good to have on my resume. It was a good experience.”

A three-year stint at Marigold Bistro gave him a European influence.

“Getting that European cooking and discipline influence cannot be understated.

With the formal French techniques firmly under his toque, Sack got an opportunity to be the executive chef at The Second Story, a restaurant in a bookstore, where he garnered numerous accolades.

“There were stories about me and the restaurant in Bon Appétit, Sunset and Cooking Light magazines, and, of course, in the Denver newspapers,” he said.

When The Second Story closed, he moved to the top chef position at Emma’s, an upscale contemporary American restaurant in Denver.

When he moved to Monument outside of Colorado Springs, he hooked up with Cindy Gough and Tony Leahy, which lead to his current stint at The Famous.

Would he like to have his own restaurant one day?

“Of course,” he said. “I’d love to have the next big thing like Frasca (in Boulder). But it’s not a good time in my career and family, with three small children.”

He has two sons, ages 8 and 6, and a daughter, age 4.

Though Sack is the right guy to do the grilling for other dads, he’ll be staying home on Sunday.

“I’ll be with my children grilling some steaks,” he said. “Some great rib-eye steaks with the bone in, from Omaha. Not the company Omaha Steaks, but steaks from cows grown on a ranch in Omaha.”

They’re the same type of steaks that are served at The Famous.

“We are very particular about the quality of the meat we server here,” he said. “That’s why we get voted best steak year after year.”

Sure, Sack can cook steaks to perfection, but if you’d like to see his creative culinary side, go for an appetizer, like the tuna tartar: three compact rounds of delicious raw tuna tossed in a candied ginger vinaigrette, rolled in sesame seeds and chopped scallions. It’s topped with wasabi tobiko and chervil. It’s a stunning presentation with a memorable flavor explosion.

  STEAK BASICS

 Brian Sack offers tips for selecting and preparing a steak:

• Sack’s five top picks are porterhouse (also known as T-bone), bone-in rib-eye (what he calls a cowboy steak), top loin New York strip steak, tenderloin fillet and flat iron steak from the chuck. “The first four will be more expensive, but the flat iron steak has a great taste and can be very tender, too,” he said. “Flat iron steaks should not be overlooked.” But if price is no object, go for a good-size porterhouse. “A thick-cut porterhouse, say about 20 to 28 ounces, would be a great choice. That would be a good-sized, manly steak.”

• There are three grades of beef: prime, choice and select. The grades reflect the amount of marbling (fat within the lean), firmness, color and texture of the beef, and the maturity of the animal.

“For the home cook, buy steaks that are graded choice,” Sack said. “Then look for a steak with as much marbling as possible.”

Select has the least marbling and is often less juicy and flavorful than the other grades.

Alternatives to grocery stores include butchers and specialty shops.

 PREPPING

• “If you’ve spent a bundle on a great steak, keep the seasoning simple,” Sack said. “I love English sea salt. It’s very light and doesn’t add a lot of salty taste. Then use some fresh chopped garlic, fresh herbs and fresh cracked black pepper. Sprinkle this over both sides of the steak, and let it stand at room temperature for about 15 minutes.”

THE GRILL

• The hotter, the better.

“The grill should be blistering hot,” Brand said. “If you’re using a gas grill, get it as hot as you can. If you’re using a charcoal grill, the coals need to be completely white and glowing.”

• To get the signature crisscross pattern on the steak, position it so it points to 11 o’clock, Sack said. Let it rest there until it’s well-marked, then lift and rotate it to the 2 o’clock position. “Then you’ll have nice brown marks on the top side.”

Flip the steak over, and move it to a cooler area of the grill to finish cooking. Avoid flipping more than once, and use tongs rather than a fork.

“If you use a fork it will make holes in the steak and let the juice run out,” Brand said.

DONENESS

• Sack doesn’t have much patience with people who like their steaks well-done.

“If people like well-done beef, they should buy a cheaper cut, like a chuck steak, and kill it all they want,” he said. “An expensive steak should be served rare to medium-rare.”

• Don’t guess; use a thermometer to gauge the temperature of steaks at least 1/2-inch thick. Insert it horizontally from the side, so the thermometer penetrates the thickest part or the center of the steak, without touching bone or fat. The National Cattlemen’s Beef Association recommends 145 degrees for medium-rare, 160 degrees for medium and 170 degrees for well-done.

After removing the steak from the grill, let it rest 2 to 3 minutes before serving to let the juices flow out from the center. This makes the whole steak nice and juicy.

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