This past Saturday, I hit the road to Dumas, Arkansas, to meet some guys from church, Geyer Springs First Baptist Church to be more specific, for what was billed to me as “the best steak in Arkansas.” I did some research before launching south.
Taylor’s Steakhouse is an Arkansas legend. The Taylors operated a number of groceries stores, BBQ joints, and country delis. In 2012, Chuck and Pam Taylor opened what they called a “dinner restaurant” in Dumas. The restaurant had a central focus—steak.
Opening a high quality steakhouse in Dumas was very, very risky. Things started slow for Taylor’s but once the word got out, it was their Field of Dreams—if you build it, they will come. And come they did from everywhere with some people flying in to the Dumas airstrip just for the meal and then flying back out. When I was there, people were parking in the highway ditch because there was no where else to park.
All the steaks are either dry or wet aged on site. You can see the aging beef in the lockers up front. There were a number of primals in the lockers in various stages of aging. Chuck says that he only uses salt and pepper to season the steaks, which he cooks in a 1800 degree infrared broiler. He says the steaks are cooking at 1000 degrees.
The secret that makes the steaks stand out is how they are finished. My cohorts called it an “au jus.” However, it is not an au jus as that is formed during the cooking process. Instead, it is a clarified butter finish. If you are not familiar with the butter method, there is a good Gordon Ramsey video out there with Ramsey saying that it is the only way to cook a steak.
Clarified butter is made by separating the water and milk fat from the butter. It’s not a hard process to accomplish (use unsalted butter). Once you have separated those elements from the butter, you have a simple butter fat that has a higher smoke and burn point than regular butter. At the end of the day, these are steaks seared and cooked at a high temperature and then finished by basting them in a hot butter fat bath.
Allegedly, Chuck’s clarified butter recipe is a family secret that only he and Pam know. And it did not disappoint.
I went with the dry aged bone in ribeye, also known as a French ribeye and colloquially as a tomahawk steak. They are quick at Taylor’s to say that anything more than medium rare ruins the steak. They do not guarantee steaks cooked past medium rare. The meal came with bread and a side salad. I opted from their house cut French fries.
The verdict? It is undoubtedly the best steak in Arkansas and it is easy to taste why people compare the steak to Peter Luger’s in New York City. I, personally, am not a fan of butter fat emulsions. Ribeyes are already known for being on the fatty side, but the high quality of the beef and the super hot cook emulsify the fat into the meat in a way that not even Wagyu can match.
Still, it’s a ten out of ten.
Attorney. America First. Sued Hunter Biden for child support. Represented President Trump in the 2020 Wisconsin election challenge. Former attorney for the Wisconsin Special Counsel. An official “Tough Cookie” per President Trump.
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