Ivan Hrylmaister: 'Ukrainian meat demands respect, not marinade'
The Dnipro-based grill master talks about open-fire meat technique and why traditional marinade ruins quality raw material.
Ivan Hrylmaister — head grill chef of Dnipro's Reporter — receives me at the restaurant's summer grill. The grill works only on wood — walnut, oak, cherry — without gas, without charcoal. 'Ukrainian meat demands respect, not marinade,' he says. 'When I see a steak marinated in soy sauce and garlic — I get sad. This masks the meat's true flavour.' Ivan studied in Argentina (the Mirador asado school) and in Australia (BBQ Academy in Sydney).
The restaurant's key position is farm Poltava beef, dry-aged 28 days. The presentation is simple: thick 1.2-kg tomahawk steak, flor de sel salt, olive oil. No spices, no sauces. 'If meat needs seasoning, the meat is bad,' Ivan says. 'I have worked with Poltava farmers for six years. My suppliers know that I need beef with 28-day aging. The price is 380 UAH/kg for the restaurant, 850 UAH per portion.' Ivan does not believe in 'gastronomic fashions' but believes in fundamental rules: good meat, hot pan, exact percentage of doneness.
