Executive Chef Jeff McInnis and Janine Booth, Chef de Cuisine, Root & Bone, NYC Having made their names in fried chicken at Yardbird in Miami and on Top Chef, it’s no surprise that the duo of Executive Chef Jeff McInnis and Chef de Cuisine Janine Booth have already been rated the best fried chicken in New York City. But there’s a lot more going on at Root & Bone than just fried free-range birds – as the name suggests, Root & Bone has a strong theme of on-the-bone meats and root vegetables, and the kind of “rural American” cuisine that corresponds to it.
One of those on-the-bone meats is an Australian rack of lamb, which the chefs cook sous vide from a raw state to 130° with butter and aromatic herbs, then season and sear quickly on the grill for service. “We keep the flavoring simple, letting that pure, natural, pastured lamb flavor shine through.” says Janine. “We’ve had a number of guests tell us that they usually don’t like lamb, but they love ours. I think it has a lot to do with the mild, sweet flavor of Aussie lamb, and the even, consistent marbling.”
On the menu right now at Root & Bone is an Aussie grass-fed beef short rib meatloaf, served with parsnip root mash, tomato jam, horseradish and a “rainbow” of root veggies. The shortribs are braised in red wine and veal stock until spoon-tender, then shredded and pressed into a hotel pan. The reserved jus is poured over it, and when chilled, all that rich collagen binds it together. It’s then cut into squares and seared for service. At brunch service – soon to be offered every day of the week – you can get the shortrib meatloaf with a poached egg on top. Because, why not!
According to Janine“New York is a brunch city, and we think people love the opportunity to indulge a bit in the kinds of soul-satisfying dishes that work so well at brunch, and fit our concept at Root & Bone.”
We at Aussie Lamb can’t wait to try it!