Salt & Char chef to be featured on national TV show
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. » Salt & Char Executive Chef Braden Reardon’s American Wagyu Ribeye Cap will be one of the featured entrees on an episode of “Best Thing I Ever Ate,” airing on the Food Network at 8 p.m. Monday.
The series highlights meats, feasts and other culinary treats that are the favorite of top chefs like Bobby Flay, who happens to be a frequent diner at Salt & Char and recommended Reardon to the Food Network. According to its social media advertising, “Best Thing I Ever Ate” is the “ultimate guide to the country’s most amazing meals, as told by the pros who spend their lives obsessing over food.”
Reardon, who joined Salt & Char in 2016, traveled a roundabout and unique route on his way to becoming a chef. While he always had a passion for food and its preparation growing up, attended the University of Florida, graduating with a degree in Zoology. While studying there, he worked at a farm-to-table restaurant. Following graduation, he was offered a position as Chef de Cuisine at San Francisco’s Picco Restaurant and Pizzeria Picco. After he came on board there, the restaurant received the distinction of best pizzeria in California from numerous food critics.
Reardon’s eclectic career path also took him on a fishing fleet, serving for four years as a deck hand on Alaskan fleets during Salmon, King Crab and Ophelia fishing seasons.
On dry land, Reardon relocated to Manhattan and worked at prestigious and popular spots such as the Odeon, Blue Water Grill and BLT Steak.
In the two years that he’s been with Salt & Char, he has had occasion to serve dinner to Flay. “Flay’s a regular,” Reardon said. “We’re just honored that he enjoys our food so much that he let the Food Network know about us.”
Flay owns a home in Saratoga Springs and is very active in the thoroughbred racing scene. It was at his suggestion that the network contacted Salt & Char to let them know that Reardon’s American Wagyu Ribeye Cap (a 9-ounce steak for $78) was Flay’s pick for Monday’s episode, titled “Feats of Meats.”
When questioned about his entrée, Chef Reardon said that he had served the dish at a previous restaurant and he wanted to reinvent it at Salt & Char in a way that looked unique.
“The most beautiful part of any steak is its marbling. During our experimental phase finding ways to serve and cook the Wagyu, we went through different prime ribeyes and ultimately decided to take the next step and feature only American Wagyu,” Reardon saud.
Wagyu, which translates to “Japanese cow,” is the name of a breed of cattle. According to aficionados of all things beef, Wagyu is often referred to as “American Kobe” because its shares the same characteristics of traditional Japanese Kobe.
Wagyu beef is graded a 5 to 8 on the Japanese beef-grading scale, which is more stringent than the USDA Prime grading system. Washington State University researchers have also found that the marbling in Wagyu beef is a monounsaturated fat – something that will make consumers of the entrée feel less guilty as they consume the 9-ounce portion of red meat. American-graded beef is marble primarily with saturated fat, which is of course linked to heart disease.
In addition to Flay, the roster of culinary superstars who will appear on Monday’s episode include Justin Brunson, Monti Carlo, Tregaye Fraser, Alex Guarnaschelli, Carla Hall and Molly Yeh.