When I first started cooking, I was exposed to large roasts carved on a Sunday buffet. The roast was an enormous beast. As my first summer of cooking continued, I was the one thinly slicing the meat for guests as they walked by. The carving station can be a place to mindlessly slice and serve meat, or it can be the point in the process where we add an additional layer of flavor.
When we have the opportunity, we prepare thick-cut steaks rather than chops. This allows for more browned bits and an overall faster cooking time. It allows us to carve, slice, trim, and chop smaller manageable pieces of meat on the cutting board and dress them. We add herbs, flavored oil, and roasted garlic cloves to the board. We slice the meat and mix it with these flavorings and its own rendered juices, creating what Adam Perry Lang calls a board dressing. We add a generous dose of coarse salt, and the meat is served.
We serve smaller and manageable pieces of meat dripping with goodness. For the guests, it removes the awkward nature of trimming meat on a smaller plate. As cooks, it allows us to serve the best possible bites.
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