Review: Chefs Requested

Heather says:

In September I had the pleasure of meeting a representative of Chefs Requested at the Type-A Mom conference. We began talking and I was asked if I would be interested in trying out their products here on Home-Ec 101. I thought about it for a moment and decided I had best be up-front about my suspicions.  I said, “I have to be honest, I have a freezer full of beef at home because we buy beef by the half cow.”  He didn’t blink, so I went for what I thought would be the killing blow, “Do your products contain MSG?” The answer? No, they do not. Relieved, we traded info and went on our merry way.

Last month a box of Chefs Requested products arrived for us to try -see that FTC, disclosure. I’ve been working them into our menu over the past few weeks, the products are all individually vacuum sealed, so that makes a quick thaw via water-bath exceptionally easy for a busy night.

What products did I get to try?

• Bacon wrapped filets (hands down my favorite)
• Flat Iron Grill Boneless Steaks (Pre-portioned into 100 calorie steaks, can we say steak and eggs? This was Mr. Heather’s favorite.)
• Bacon Wrapped Chopped Beef Filets (Easy, gourmet-style burgers)
• Bacon Wrapped Chicken Filets (For those looking for a juicy, chicken burger)

Who do I see finding the most value in these products?

Singles, couples, those exploring portion control, and most especially someone new to cooking who needs the positive reinforcement of a successful experience. The individually wrapped servings make portion control a breeze for those who don’t want leftovers or for those who don’t want to have the temptation to return for seconds.

Long time readers may wonder why I am giving a positive review to a convenience product. And here’s my logic, steaks can be intimidating to a new cook. The idea of screwing up a comparatively high dollar item keeps many people from attempting the act. The pre-marinated meat is more forgiving than a non-marinated cut which allows room for overcooking or other newbie errors such as frequent checking, poking, prodding, and turning too often. Even the filets can withstand being cooked past the medium-well point without turning into a hockey puck. In my restaurant days I used to cringe when someone ordered our 14oz filet mignon well done, I’d try to cajole them into choosing a well-marbled steak that could tolerate the higher temperatures, but it never worked. If we weren’t slammed, we”d have a moment of silence for the culinary tragedy we were forced to perform.

This is  Home-Ec 101 not Home-Ec Post Graduate and this resource is here for even the newest cooks. My boys have both recently learned to ride their bikes without training wheels. Of course they fell a few times, but they had the previous experience to know that it would be fun once they got the hang of things. Cooking can be like that. If a person has a success they will be more willing to experiment in the future.

I’ve been grilling for a long time and I was pleasantly surprised to find even though I had a propane shortage while grilling the chopped beef filets they still turned out well. I transferred the burgers to an indoor grill and finished cooking with excellent results.

Did I have any problems with any of the products?

I’m kind of a texture freak; there I’ve said it publicly. Ever since I was a kid, I’ve never been a huge hamburger fan. I can either be wildly in love with a burger or it’ll trigger my gag reflex, so I attend to avoid burgers altogether.  Yes, weird, I’m sorry. So the husband and kids all powered down their chopped beef filets and I ate most of mine. The six year old went for seconds. The flavor was excellent, the texture was just a little different than I expected. It was more tender than your average burger. This isn’t even an inherently bad thing, just my own, personal weirdness. Four out of five Soloses are fans, the fifth admits an unfair bias; all things considered that’s not a bad rating.

I also approached the chicken in the wrong manner. I should have treated it like a burger, but I prepared it as an entree. When I prepare the rest of my sample, I will saute some onions, grab some cheese and create a chicken melt.

Summary, my family and I enjoyed the Chefs Requested products. The flavor was good, the convenience was enjoyable, and I am excited to be able to recommend a forgiving product to new cooks. If you click through the ad in the upper right corner, you should receive a coupon for up to $3.00 off a Chef’s Requested product. To see if a store in your area carries it, check out the list of retailers.

If you have any questions, I’d be glad to answer them.

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