I’ve been staring at this mutton chop photo on flickr for the past three days. This is the first time I’ve seen the meat and not the facial hair. Looks similar with the flaps and there’s also a likeness to Ralph from the Muppets.
I was planning on going with my friends tomorrow and splitting this mutton chop, a prime rib and creamed spinach. But I couldn’t stand looking at flickr anymore. So I went ahead by myself for lunch. Got the whole mutton chop. It’s big. Probably could have gotten the pub sized version which I think is half, but I didn’t want to take the chance at getting someone’s leftover half. I wanted to make sure I got the best cut. And looking at Chowhound, you’d want to get the king’s cut of prime rib as the English cut is not just smaller, it’s inferior.
So after researching this mutton chop on the web for three days straight, apparently Keens is serving lamb saddle, not sheep. But according to Frank Bruni, it doesn’t mean it’s worse at all. To me, it was like eating a big fat ribeye steak off a bone. Tender, juicy, meaty and the fatty parts melt in my mouth (those were my favorite parts). Every third bite, I’d have it with the accompanying mint jelly. It broke up the monotony of eating so much meat with a refreshingly sweet bite that works. The Sauteed Escarole also helped counter all that meat.
I ordered it medium at the recommendation of the restaurant. I also saw this on a message board and confirmed this with the waiter. You get it medium because it’s so thick that the meat near the bones is rare. I did see a few bloody spots on my medium chop. I’m glad I found this out online, otherwise I’d order it medium rare like I think I should.
Once again, like at Minetta Tavern, I felt like people thought I was some homeless kid. Maybe it’s all in my head. But they do seem startled when I’m all bundled up with my scarf and knitted hat in the washroom cleaning up. I suppose if old white-haired old men stepped into some dirty hipster hole, they might get looks too. I remember going into Gladys Knight’s Chicken and Waffles in Atlanta when I was a teenager. I didn’t realize it was an upscale African American social club-like restaurant. I was in my shorts and sneakers. They thought I was lost or looking to put Chinese Fast Food menus at the door. I just wanted Chicken and Waffles. I was a kid then and now I’m 33. I guess it doesn’t help that I look the same.
Keens Steakhouse – 72 W. 36th St (btw 5th Ave & Avenue Of The Americas) New York, NY 10018
