Gibsons Seasoning Salt Image Used Under Creative Commons License From blogspot.com

Citizens! Your red-blooded Leader – the carnivorous and (occasionally omnivorous) apex eater that is TFD! – is a huge fan of Chicago’s great steakhouses! While there are many historic ones to choose from in the Windy City, when TFD wants a more modern experience, he always makes a reservation at Gibsons!

As noted on their website:

Gibsons Bar & Steakhouse has been a Chicago steakhouse icon since opening its doors in May of 1989.

Housed in the space made legendary by the famous Mr. Kelley’s, and later occupied by the following hot spot Sweetwater, Gibsons continues to be a must-visit Chicago dining destination for celebrities, tourists, and locals alike.

The classic American steakhouse features Gibsons Prime Angus beef, fresh fish, classic cocktails, an extensive wine list and uncompromising service. Gibsons operates three distinguished locations in Chicago, Rosemont, and Oak Brook.

Gibsons is proud to serve Gibsons Prime Angus Beef. Gibsons Restaurant Group is the first restaurant group in the country to have its own USDA Certified Angus Beef Program. Gibsons Prime Angus is sourced from a carefully selected list of farms in the upper Midwest.

The cattle that is raised in this region are far superior in taste, tenderness and consistency. The cattle is raised, fed and processed to Gibsons’ strict specifications, which sets them apart from all other commodity Prime Beef programs. Gibsons works closely with the breeders, packers, and processors, to deliver an unmatched level of quality.

Dress code: Gibsons does not have a formal dress code except that men are not permitted to wear sleeveless shirts. Some of our customers will be in suits others will wear jeans. Most men will have coats.

One of the key things besides their amazing steaks that makes a Gibsons experience so delicious is their famous roasting salt.

Today, they sell it by the bottle, but back when they were first starting out, they told legendary Chicago food critic William Rice how it was actually made and used! Since TFD is a culinary bibliophile with more than 200 cookbooks in his library, I actually HAVE the original recipe lurking in the dusty back shelves of my collection!

Do steak house chefs have secrets? Sure they do. One of chef Mike Clark’s secrets at Gibsons is a seasoning mix he uses to start the flavor percolating in his steaks as soon as they hit the grill. At least it’s been a secret, until now. I might as well disclose, too, the manner in which he uses it.

He combines some of the salt with corn oil and keeps this flavored oil at hand to anoint each steak when its number is called. At home, with usually only a single steak to cook, l coat the steak lightly with oil then sprinkle about ¼ teaspoon of the roasting salt on each side just before cooking. Use this seasoning on grilled vegetables and seafood as well as steak.

Citizens, sprinkle this unmatched blend on anything – it will become your new go-to seasoning, I promise! Plus, the next time you find yourself in Chicago, do yourself a solid and stop by Gibsons and order the WR cut, medium-rare. 😀

Battle on – The Generalissimo

Gibsons Seasoning Salt For Steak

★★★★★

4.1 from 10 reviews

Prep Time: 0 hours
Cook Time: 0 hours
Total Time: 0 hours

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Ingredients

Scale

½ cup coarse (kosher) salt
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 tablespoon coarsely ground black pepper
2 bay leaves, broken into pieces (TFD addition: with the central leaf rib removed first, then leaf pieces ground to a powder in a spice grinder)
2 ¼ teaspoons garlic powder
2 ¼ teaspoons onion powder
2 ¼ teaspoons dried thyme
⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions

Combine the salt, basil, black pepper, bay leaves, garlic powder, onion powder, thyme, and cayenne in a food processor or blender. Blend for 30 seconds.Transfer to a clean jelly jar or two clean spice bottles, cover, and label. Store with your other spices.