Ugh, he's so narcissistic.
I don't care if they are different routes - I cooked two 6oz bacon-wrapped fillets using Alton's method somewhat recently, and they turned out to be some of the best steak I've ever had the pleasure of consuming.
I'm not sure if that method would really work well for anything above medium, if it even works well at all for medium. He said he likes rare, and it sounds like that ended up between rare and medium rare. Which is fine - but longer on what must be high-heat on the gas stove might start getting the outside too crispy before it can get the interior done right.
I'll give it a try someday, for sure. Still trying to wrap my head around what heat he was using though if the olive oil isn't smoking. Depending on the type of olive oil, that pan wasn't anywhere above 450, possibly not hotter than 400. What trickery is being done here?
That's what leads me to suspect this isn't much use for medium and higher.
I don't understand how you'd say Alton is a hack, however. Just because his method takes longer? Alton is wonderful because he also explains the scientific reasoning during demonstrations. His method for scrambled eggs is absolutely phenomenal. I watched a video for Ramsay's approach to the super-soft and creamy scrambled egg, and there was just way too much going on from the start. So many things added, fair bit of cream and whatnot iirc as well.
Frankly, all I care about is following the right process to go from cold raw food to absolutely delicious food in my tummy. I haven't cooked many extravagant dishes like the majority of video demonstrations, but what I have read and seen of Alton's work has led to just that - very tasty food. And his science is sound.
Alton's a little closer to the new-school, trying to create the perfect dish through the science of chemical reactions during the various stages. Ramsay definitely seems to have an older style, like classical chef training.
Of course they'll clash from time to time.
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