In this online exclusive, chef Daniel Malzhan, Amtrak’s food and beverage product development manager for long-distance trains, explains his inspiration for the selecting the entrees riders can enjoy on board.
There were many dishes that were made for the Acela Express, but I also wanted to take the opportunity to cook, and then later develop via a manufacturing partner, select dishes that I felt might have the opportunity to make both the Acela and the long-distance dining car. Since I am the program manager for long-distance service, I am always looking ahead to see what we can be devised for these routes.
My background happens to be as a culinarian, and I have been in the food business for 30-plus years with various restaurants, clubs, hotels, and caterers. Prior to coming to Amtrak, I was the menu development executive chef for Delta Air Lines, where I ran a test kitchen in Atlanta for nearly 10 years.
All four of the dishes highlighted below were my conceptions of things I felt made strong regional statements that could have an application for Amtrak. So, in these instances, I was actually the development chef and author of the work. I worked with two key producers to customize three of the four dishes. The fourth dish (St. Louis-style pork ribs) was already being produced by a source I would later discover.
This item will begin service on the Crescent, trains 19 and 20 (New York to New Orleans), beginning this June. Low country shrimp and grits is a classic that I believe will be embraced as an on-board luncheon special for the Crescent.
The sauce is a simple pan sauté with garlic and white wine flecked with diced tomato and spiked with a little tasso for flavor and authenticity. (Tasso is a Cajun-style, highly seasoned cured pork that is smoked and used as a seasoning.) The shrimp will be served atop traditional grits and accompanied by a small salad and warm multigrain roll. We did actually run this item for Mardi Gras on board the Crescent in February so we already have some positive feedback, which prompted me to add it to the Crescent menu.
The ale braised beef morphed into a red wine braised flat iron steak with classic bordelaise after a menu workshop held in early 2009. Bordelaise is a veal reduction sauce with shallots and herbs that plays off the richness of the slow-cooked, fork-tender beef.
This cut is extremely versatile and will offer Amtrak the opportunity to serve it on most long-distance routes throughout peak season (June-October) when trains are full. It will essentially replace the grilled flat iron steak for the busy summer season on most Amtrak dining cars, and will allow crews to provide a quicker, expedited service for the season.
The flat iron is one of the few beef cuts that has the ability to be cooked with dry heat as a steak, or braised in a flavorful liquid, and produce a juicy, fork-tender, flavorful product. We have had great luck with the flat iron as a cooked-to-order steak, and my goal, knowing the versatility of the cut, was to offer a preparation that would successfully showcase it as a braised item. It will begin dining car service nearly everywhere in early June.
This meatloaf recipe is one that I developed over time and have served with much success to family and friends.
When the revenue product menu initiative for the Empire Builder (Chicago to Seattle and Portland, Ore.) came up, I thought about showing it as a menu possibility, as I felt it would hit the demographic and the historical heritage of the region. I showed the dish at the Acela workshop as well because I felt it might have good potential in the Northeast.
Bison has about 50 percent the fat of beef, is “safely exotic” (non-gamey in flavor), and also in the form of meatloaf hits the American comfort zone, in terms of its menu acceptability and popularity. So, once the item received positive reviews at the Acela workshop, I went to a producer, gave them my sauce recipe (Portobello mushroom, onion, garlic, ground fresh bison meat, ancho chili puree, etc.) and they produced it for me in a small size that can be cut on board and re-thermalized.
The meatloaf will debut on train 7 (the westbound Empire Builder) in June, and will also make the summer First-class menu on board the Acela Express.
The meaty St. Louis-style ribs offer a good value in today’s market and since ribs haven’t been used on the dining car for a number of years, I felt it was worth considering.
As a result, I looked at many different fully prepared brands, and in several cuttings that I hosted in our test kitchen, I was able to select a winner from Texas, produced commercially by Stubb’s Legendary Kitchen in West Texas. (Stubb’s also produces the Honey Bar-B-Q sauce.)
This dry rubbed, spiced, smoked product debuted on the Texas Eagle (Chicago-San Antonio) in mid-March and in early reviews, seems to be well received. – Daniel Malzhan
Entree: Coastal crab cakes with green chili sauce
Find it on board: Silver Meteor and Silver Star (New York-Miami)
Entrée: Low country shrimp and grits
Find it on board: Crescent (New York-New Orleans)
Entrée: Grilled salmon with white wine and herb butter sauce
Find it on board: Lake Shore Limited (New York-Chicago)
Entrée: Griddle-seared crab cakes with creamy lobster sauce
Find it on board: Capitol Limited (Washington, D.C.-Chicago)
Entrée: Bourbon Street seafood gumbo
Find it on board: City of New Orleans (Chicago-New Orleans)
Entrée: Barbecued St. Louis-style ribs
Find it on board: Texas Eagle (Chicago-San Antonio)
Entrée: Pit-smoked, barbecued brisket of beef
Find it on board: Sunset Limited (New Orleans-Los Angeles)
Entrée: Pork tenderloin with balsamic fig sauce
Find it on board: California Zephyr (Chicago-Emeryville)
Entrée: Chicken enchiladas with adobo and salsa verde
Find it on board: Southwest Chief (Chicago-Los Angeles)
Entrée: Bison meatloaf in creamy mushroom sauce
Find it on board: Empire Builder (Chicago-Seattle/Portland, Ore.)
Entrée: Flagship cheddar macaroni and cheese penne
Find it on board: Coast Starlight (Seattle-Los Angeles)
See more stories behind Amtrak’s new dining car entrees and what you can expect on your next trip in the July 2009 issue of Trains Magazine.
