Throughout Latin America, steak and grilling are art forms. From Mexican carne asada to the ever-popular Brazilian barbecue, beef is prized. In my house, the steakhouse is a popular topic, and I’ve tackled a lot, including deep dives on steak wine pairings to Argentinian asado. The city is seeing an influx of modern steakhouses along with more wallet-friendly steak frites eateries. So when I learned New York was getting a new contemporary Latin Steakhouse, I was intrigued. Amasa, located in the Kimpton Era Midtown Hotel, is combining Latin American flavors in a New York City steakhouse setting.
Steakhouses have been around since the 1800s, still doing the same thing. And we just wanted to bring a new vision to that. – Chef Christopher Loeffl of Amasa.
Latin American style steaks
The steaks on the Amasa menu are separated into two categories: Steakhouse Cuts and Latin American Cuts. The Steakhouse Cuts features the American classics of New York strip and ribeye, served in various sizes. But in Chef Loeffl’s opinion, the Latin American Cuts, such as the picanha or churrasco, are a better showcase of Amasa’s menu. “I think when everybody thinks of skirt steak,” explains Chef Loeffl. “They think of sizzling fajitas from Chili’s. But I think as this foodie culture continues to grow, people are more interested in finding out more about stuff past the filet and ribeye. They’re (Latin America) concerned with using the whole animal. Whereas in the history of American steaks, we take the best parts and just turn everything else into sausage.”
All the steaks at Amasa are grilled, although there is a plan to obtain a broiler eventually (the classic New York style for steakhouses). The beef is from Meats by Linz and wet-aged for 28 days. The Latin American cuts — picanha, arrachera, and churrasco are lean but retain a strong beefy flavor. For those looking for a bit more fat, the picanha, with its fat cap, is a good choice. The fat will render and baste the meat during cooking, creating excellent flavor.
A menu inspired by Latin American flavors
For Chef Loeffl, his goal at Amasa is to create menu items that are at once familiar, yet different. At Amasa, the steakhouse classics of a wedge salad and seafood are available, but always with a contemporary Latin twist. The wedge salad features avocado-garlic aioli, and the ever-popular raw tuna is served Peruvian style with mango, orange, and Peruvian salsa macha. Even the steakhouse classic creamed spinach featured poblano peppers.
Perhaps the best way to experience these Latin American twists is the steak sauces. “The Latin American side really lands with the sauces,” explains Chef Loeffl. “A lot of acidity, bringing a little bit of spice. Which I don’t think you see a lot at a traditional steakhouse.” Some of the most intriguing that caught our eye were the ají amarillo béarnaise, a fruity Peruvian pepper paired with French tradition, along with salsa morita, a smoky combination of chili and tomato.
