Cory Harwell of Carson Kitchen opening Butcher & Thief steakhouse

Chef Cory Harwell loves a steakhouse — but not what steakhouses have become.

“I don’t think there’s any more true American restaurant than an American steakhouse. It checks all the boxes,” said Harwell, known for a playful take on comfortable food at his Carson Kitchen in downtown Las Vegas. “Most families can find something to satisfy all their cravings at a steakhouse.”

Then Harwell paused. A but was coming. You could inhale the aroma as it made its way over. A big, thick, sizzling cut of but.

“But what is missing from American steakhouses today is value. We have allowed them to become only special occasion venues or corporate card venues. They’re not approachable for the average diner on a Tuesday evening.”

Harwell has an answer to this state affairs: Butcher & Thief, his steakhouse set to open in December in southwest Las Vegas at The Bend development.

Harwell describes Butcher & Thief as a mid-market steakhouse. The goal, he said, is to have the average couple dining for $150 or less, including gratuity.

As Vegas reaches peak steakhouse, where the typical check for two diners easily reaches $300 or more, especially on the Strip, this goal is certainly a cut above.

Cooking strategy

Beef is more expensive than ever because of cattle herd population being at historic lows, rising feed prices, tariffs on imported beef, persistent consumer demand and the fact that premium cuts come from a small part of the cow, in small numbers.

“The technology behind our cookery allows us to mitigate that challenge by giving us the ability to bring a high Choice grade product, which is considerably less expensive versus a Prime grade product,” Harwell said. “Guests won’t know the difference from a flavor standpoint, a tenderness standpoint. The way that we treat the beef is key.”

Chops are cooked sous vide, then on an 800 degree Fahrenheit plancha, rested, then finished on a natural gas grill. And Harwell is deploying cuts beyond the marquee ribeyes or strip steaks (although he is offering those as well).

Consider zabuton and bavette

Take the zabuton, known in English as a Denver steak, from the shoulder of the animal. The shoulder is a traditionally tougher area, but the zabuton, here sourced from Cross Creek Ranch, is the exception.

“I don’t know if there is another cut that is as naturally steaky and beefy — a quintessential beef eater’s cut,” Harwell said. “Zabuton is very highly marbled, really rich, tender, with a soft and cushionlike quality. You cook it really hot, really fast.”

Or there is bavette, properly referred to as flap steak, not skirt steak or hanger steak. Bavette is sourced from Allen Brothers.

“You definitely have to cook it correctly” — a session on the 800 degree plancha — “and cut it properly against the grain, but when you do, it’s rich and flavorful,” Harwell said.

“Other parts of the world have celebrated these other cuts for a long time. I thought we had an opportunity — with the popularity of steakhouses and consumers now being so highly educated about food — to provide and satisfy the desires for these cuts.”

Craft riding sidecar

Side dishes are an essential part of the steakhouse experience, of course, and at Butcher & Thief, these dishes notably nod to the spin on tradition for which Harwell is known. Mac and cheese? It summons five wildly diverse cheeses: cream cheese, Cooper Cheese Sharp White American (not mild like typical American cheese), smoked Gouda, smoked white cheddar and Parmesan.

“It brings together everything you want from mac and cheese,” Harwell said.

Creamed spinach? “It’s obligatory on a steakhouse menu,” Harwell said. But obligatory doesn’t mean obvious. Harwell’s version takes oysters Rockefeller and reimagines it as spinach, oyster liquor (sea water and the oyster’s natural liquid) and Herbsaint, an anise-flavored liqueur that tips its hat to Pernod, the anise liqueur in some Rockefeller versions.

Kerry’s junk food platter pays tribute to the late celebrated chef Kerry Simon, who died in 2015 and who opened Carson Kitchen with Harwell.

Look for Simon mainstays: some kind of popcorn or cheesy candy, a crisp treat, coconut cream puffs, the house version of Ho Hos and more.

“We are 10 years post Kerry’s death, and I know he would be proud of what we’ve done and what we’re doing,” Harwell said. “We wanted to pay respect to what he’s done for me and our industry.

‘Stealing’ memories

In a full-circle moment, Kerry Simon’s brother, Scott Simon, is coming aboard as executive chef at Butcher & Thief. The 5,000-square-foot restaurant features a bar, lounge, private dining room, and an 1,800-square-foot terrace with another private dining room. Craft cocktails and a wine program with about three dozen releases, including a dozen wines by the glass, round out the offerings.

Butcher & Thief takes a portion of its name from a wine thief, the long tube used to extract samples from aging wine barrels for tasting and testing. The notion, Harwell said, nods to the restaurant’s wish to draw out engaging and enduring moments for diners.

“Our goal is not to leave guests reeling from sticker shock, but to have them leave smiling, reminiscing about the evening and already planning their next visit.”

Contact Johnathan L. Wright at jwright@reviewjournal.com. Follow @JLWTaste on Instagram.