Dan Davis, Teton Springs Executive Chef
Dan Davis, Executive Chef at Headwaters Grille at Teton Springs in Teton Valley, Idaho, has an inventive and creative cooking style, and doesn’t shy away from orchestrating unique culinary symphonies. He begins with traditional combos like steak and potatoes, and transforms them into something exciting.
Take, for example, one of his signature items: Flank Steak with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce. The meat is cut thin, seared and finished with a sweet chili glaze, and presented with potato wontons and baby bok choy.
More Flavor, Less Guilt
This Asian-themed meal is popular at Teton Springs' restaurant, Chef Davis says, in part because it provides people an option to what he calls the “big beef idea,”– portions so large they are undefeatable, or at least an enemy to the waistline. With many people paying attention to diet and nutrition, the 7-8 ounce steak provides a reasonable alternative for people seeking a more feasible meal.
This creation also awakens the palate more than some typical steak dinners. The broad surface area of the thinly sliced beef provides a good home to the well-chosen seasonings. The potato wontons—a twist on the potato part of “meat and potatoes”—are a clever spin on a classic side.
Experimentation Garnishes Consistent Quality
As evidenced by the flank steak, Chef Davis focuses largely on Asian cuisine, as well as Mediterranean styles. He says the beauty of his position as Executive Chef is he has freedom to engage in new experiences, and use his creativity to conceive original options.
With his background, chances are most of his masterpieces are successful. Chef Davis says he hopes his guests will enjoy his work. “If not,” he says, “I wipe the slate clean and do something different.”
With his talent, that probably doesn’t happen often. More likely, guests rave and come back for more. Over more than two decades, he has continually educated himself on varied cuisines and techniques while holding professional positions, including several prestigious jobs in clubs across the U.S. and Europe.
Headwaters Grille guests are a privileged group, sampling new items created by a culinary master. Along with Asian-themed dishes like the flank steak, the restaurant offers dishes such as almond-encrusted halibut, seared duck breast, and several salads. With Chef Davis at the helm, these items are surely works of art as well.
Teton Springs' Flank Steak with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
Flank Steak with Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
Ingredients
2# choice flank steak (chill overnight in buttermilk)
8 ounces Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce
6 oz mashed potato
1 oz fresh herbs, chopped
10 each wonton wrappers
2 each baby bok choy
Method
Remove wontons from package and brush edges with water. Add chopped herbs and a little salt and pepper and mix well. Place a small amount of potato mixture in wontons and roll tightly. Freeze for 1 hour.
Remove fat and excess tissue from flank steak. Place on heated grill, marking each side for 4 minutes. Place on baking dish and pour chili sauce over the top, and bake in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.
Braise the bok choy in a sauce pan with some mirin or a mixture of chicken stock and a little rice wine vinegar. Cook until tender and season with salt and pepper.
Fry the wontons in a little oil until golden brown. Remove flank steak from oven. Place on cutting board and slice thinly, cutting against the grain for optimum tenderness. Place steak on plate along with bok choy and wontons.
Spoon a generous amount of sauce from baking dish over the top of the flank steak and garnish with toasted black and white sesame seeds.
