In Episode 6 of The Real Food Show, Secretary Kennedy is joined by Bodybuilding Legend and Actor Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk), Actor Dean Cain (Superman), and Law Enforcement Advocate Kyle Reyes with a focus on preparing affordable, protein-packed steak dishes for 4 people. The video below is divided into 11 chapters (timestamp is included so you can go straight to that chapter in the video for more clarification).
0:00 - Chapter 1 - Intro
The guest chefs today are Kyle Reyes, a law enforcement advocate; Dean Cain, who played Superman; and Lou Ferrigno, who played the Incredible Hulk. They will discuss the crisis among law enforcement, military personnel, first responders, and their health.
0:57 - Chapter 2 - The Crisis Facing Our Heroes
Secretary Kennedy explains:
Police officers have lifespans that are 22 years shorter than the average American. They are 25 times more likely to have heart attacks or cardiac arrest than to be killed on duty. And one of the reasons is the obesity rate among police officers is about 40 percent. Eighty percent are overweight. It's much higher than the general population. And a lot of that has to do with shift work and the unavailability of good food during night shifts or during rushes. It has to do with stress. We want to talk about how law enforcement can make their health better by eating better, and we're going to show you a meal today that is high in protein, high in all the essential amino acids.
Kyle Reyes replied:
We have heroes every single day that are serving and protecting our communities and our country, and yet their own lives are being lost because of health issues. . . . You work your entire life towards retirement and being able to spend time with your family, only to have it cut short. And in many cases, it's because of very poor health habits.
2:30 - Chapter 3 - Superman & The Hulk Arrive!
Secretary Kennedy invited Dean Cain and Lou Ferrigno into the kitchen telling them to suit up with The Real Food Show aprons. Kyle explained that both Dean and Lou have a background in law enforcement before becoming TV and Movie superheroes. Dean explained that he viewed his uncle who was in the Air Force and his grandfather who was in the Navy as heroes. Dean is currently a deputy sheriff as well as a reserve police officer. Lou explained that his father was an NYPD lieutenant who let him eat chocolate cake with a glass of milk as breakfast. He did not understand why he would fall asleep later in the morning until he became involved in bodybuilding and fitness and realized how important protein is. Kyle then transitions to informing everyone that they would prepare a chuck steak, petite sirloin, and a tri-tip that has been cut very thin.
Kyle went on to note that avocado oil, olive oil, beef tallow, white vinegar, garlic, rosemary, thyme will be used in these basic recipes.
He also mentions making his own beef tallow from the hard fat of a big brisket while the brisket smokes.
4:22 - Chapter 4 - Bringing Butter BACK!
Secretary Kennedy explained why butter and tallow made the new inverted food pyramid:
When they first created the dietary guidelines. The FDA had been captured by a lot of the food industry, and particularly one large company that was making margarine. And margarine was originally just cottonseed oil, which was built as an engine oil, and they discovered that if you added some yellow dye to it, it looked like butter, and it kind of acted like butter. Well, it's not good for you, but they converted Americans.
They said it's lower in saturated fats, and that's good for you, with no scientific evidence. And we all ended up -- a generation of us ended up eating margarine.
And now we're back to saturated fats, real natural proteins, and, you know, you can't get all the proteins you need from vegetables, on a vegetarian diet. You have to change those vegetables. There's no vegetable that contains all of the essential amino acids, but if you eat a steak, if you eat a piece of meat, it's got all of them in there. It's a much more efficient way of getting your protein.
Lou asked how often Secretary Kennedy ate steak and he replied twice a day. Dean chimed in stating that he, too, ate steak twice a day. Secretary Kennedy explained he was on a carnivore diet so he eats meat, eggs, and fermented foods. Dean said he could not eat the fermented stuff but does 3 eggs every morning with a small piece of toast.
6:12 - Chapter 5 - Affordable Cuts, BIG Flavor!
Secretary Kennedy says that the low-cost cuts usually have the best flavor.
Kyle announced that the first dish they will cook will be the chuck steak cooked in beef tallow with fresh garlic, rosemary, and thyme.
Kyle and Secretary Kennedy discussed the misconceptions about the amount and types of fats but the real issue is the highly processed foods. Secretary Kennedy explained that the science has not determined the actual role of saturated fats in heart disease. But, people need healthy fats in their diet.
7:34 - Chapter 6 - Preparing the Steaks
Kyle began by placing salt and pepper on the steak and asking the others what temperature they liked for their steak offering rare, medium rare, or communist which got a chuckle from everyone.
Lou said medium-well, Dean would choose medium rare, and Secretary Kennedy also likes medium-well.
Kyle said that they would be using cast iron to cook the steaks; however, he normally does his steaks on the smoker. He avoids non-stick pans because of the concerns with the chemicals used to make them non-stick. Kyle started with heating the cast iron pan, melting some beef tallow (you could use avocado oil which has a high smoke point), then searing the steak about 3 minutes on each side then finishing cooking it in the oven (some people oven cook first then sear).
Dean says he uses the broiler. Kyle explained that with cheaper cuts of steak, using the Sous vide method first to tenderize then finishes them off by searing in a cast iron pan.
Kyle also smokes his meats. He will buy a big cut of brisket and smoke it creating a week's worth of meals or more. Both methods cost a bit more up front but can pay off in the long run by making cheaper cuts of meats taste better.
9:36 - Chapter 7 - Butter, Tallow & Oil
Kyle says he likes to cook in tallow then finish off the dish with a drizzle of olive oil. Secretary Kennedy said he uses either tallow or olive oil. He also pointed out you do not want to check the temperature of the melted tallow by putting your hand or finger in it. Dean said he cooks his steaks in butter and Kyle said he does that as well sometimes but was trying to impress Secretary Kennedy by using tallow. Kyle then added the steak to the hot tallow and said he normally sets a timer for 60 seconds.
10:27 - Chapter 8 - How Our Heroes Eat
Kyle asked Dean and Lou what they eat when they are serving and protecting the community as well as what they see out there in terms of health habits and dietary habits among law enforcement. Lou explained
First of all, law enforcement, you're wearing that vest. You're wearing the stamp ground. It's a lot of weight on you. You're sitting in the car at different hours, and especially late at night, you end up snacking on burgers, you know, drinking Coca-Cola.
Dean followed with
That's exactly the point. They're doing so much, you don't have time to think about it so often. Long hours, exciting stuff happening, and so their mind is elsewhere until they realize the time to eat, and then they'll eat the wrong things. But I will say, the idea of cops only eating coffee and donuts is incorrect. We eat more than that.
Kyle suggested that with 80% of law enforcement being overweight, it might be contributing to mental health issues along with shift work (especially midnights and overnights).
Kyle then mentioned that many law enforcement officers have very low levels of testosterone. He then flipped the steak for the other minute then put the whole pan into the oven for 2 minutes then flip the steak and put it back for another 2 minutes.
12:20 - Chapter 9 - The Perfect Steak Marinade
The next steak is currently marinading in avocado oil, fresh garlic, thyme, and rosemary. For this dish, the steaks will be seared and then set aside to rest. Kyle asked Lou what solutions he would recommend for the officers serving 12, 14, or 16 hour shifts but don't want to be eating highly processed foods all the time. Lou replied
It's almost like a bodybuilder mentality. You prepare a routine. How you train is the same thing. You prepare the food the night before. So, in the morning when you go to work, if you work on the night shift or the morning shift, you won't have to think about something, again, like a hamburger, especially prepare it the night before.
Kyle suggested making lunch packs with the frozen components on top and underneath and stored in a glass-safe container.
13:08 - Chapter 10 - The Bodybuilder Mindset
The next dish is the petite sirloin which is very lean and the tri-tip which has more fat, both have been marinating. Both cuts will be seared then set aside to rest. Kyle then presented t-shirts to both Lou and Dean.
14:43 - Chapter 11 - The Taste Test!
Kyle then passed out servings of the steak with a suggestion to add a little salt to amplify the flavor.
1½–2 lb inexpensive steak (chuck roast/chuck steak, petite sirloin, tri-tip, or similar), any thickness
1½ tsp kosher salt (about ¾ tsp per pound)
1 tsp coarse black pepper
1-2 tbsp avocado oil
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary
Equipment
heavy skillet (cast iron is ideal) and instant-read meat thermometer
Directions
Measure. Check the thickness at the thickest point. This tells you which method and time row to use below.
Season. Pat the steak dry. Season all sides with salt and pepper.
Prep steak for room temperature. Set the steak out 20–30 minutes before cooking. Pat dry again; a dry surface browns better.
Cook by thickness. Note: time estimates are a guide, the deciding factor should be the thermometer.
Thin (under 1 inch), like thin tri-tip: Heat avocado oil in the skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Sear, flipping every minute, until it reaches your pull temperature. No oven time is needed, depending on preferable doneness.
Medium (1 to 1½ inches), like petite sirloin: Heat avocado oil in the skillet and sear over medium-high heat, flipping every 1–2 minutes, until it reaches your pull temperature.
Thicker (1½ inches or more): Heat avocado oil in a skillet and sear for ~2 minutes each side and finish in the oven, checking temperature periodically. Cooking time will vary.
Thick (over 1½ inches), like a 2-inch chuck roast: Heat avocado oil in the skillet and sear over high heat for ~3 minutes per side.
Oven time. Set your oven to 400°F.
Medium (1 to 1½ inches), like petite sirloin: Using oven mitts, place the entire cast iron and steak into the oven. After three minutes, flip the steak and then leave it in for another three minutes, totally six minutes. The internal temperature should be 145°F for medium-rare.
Thick (over 1½ inches), like a 2-inch chuck roast: Using oven mitts, place the entire cast iron and chuck roast into the oven. Bake for 15-20 minutes, flipping after seven minutes. Check the internal temperature for desired doneness. Note: A chuck roast is more tender if cooked on low heat for a longer period of time.
Baste. In the last 1–2 minutes, add butter, garlic, and herbs. Tilt the pan and spoon the foaming butter over the steak.
Check the temperature. Insert the thermometer sideways into the center of the thickest part. Pull the steak at the pull temperature in the doneness chart; it keeps cooking as it rests.
Rest. Thin and medium cuts: 5 minutes. Thick cuts: 10 minutes. Pro tip: The steak continues to cook briefly after leaving the heat as residual heat moves toward the center. Resting before slicing gives the temperature time to even out and can help reduce juice loss when cutting.
Slice against the grain, thinly. This matters most with chuck and tri-tip. Tri-tip's grain changes direction partway across, so cut it in half where the grain shifts, then slice each half against its own grain.
Enjoy!
Food safety note:
USDA's safe minimum for whole cuts of beef is 145°F with a 3-minute rest. Rare and medium-rare fall below that. Older adults, young children, pregnant people, and people with weakened immune systems should cook steak to at least 145°F (Click to enlarge chart).
Those are some of the exact words used by Google’s censors, aka 'Orwellian content police,' in describing many of our controversial stories. Stories later proven to be truthful and light years ahead of the mainstream media. But because we reported those 'inconvenient truths' they're trying to bankrupt ANP.
