Chef Antonio Santiago had an unusual introduction to restaurants, but it led to an impressive career in the kitchen—and he might have a little teenage mischief to thank for it. “In high school, when I got in trouble, my punishment was to go around local restaurants and interview the owners and chefs and find out how they started their business,” he shares. One of the individuals he met with—the owner of Pocono Brewery Company—introduced Santiago to his chef and hired him at age 15 as his prep cook. From there, Santiago worked his way up to line cook and kitchen manager before enrolling in the Art Institute of Philadelphia. He interned as a line cook at several Philadelphia restaurants, including Tuscan Twenty, a bar in South Philly, where he cooked for celebrities like the 76ers, Madonna and NSYNC. In 2019, he took on the executive chef position at Vault 634.
Santiago loves that he's able to use his knowledge and skills to prepare a variety of foods to appeal to different people and their needs. “I like to be challenged to create something unique and special for each client while keeping within any dietary or culinary preferences,” he says. “Because we don't have a set menu, each meal is crafted specifically for our clients.” But his knowledge and skills have certainly evolved over the years. “Thinking back to where I was at the beginning and where I am now, there's no comparison,” he says. “One of the first dishes I ever made was fettuccine Alfredo with shrimp, and if I made that same dish today, I wouldn't even be using the same ingredients as I used back then.”
As for the dish he's sharing here? Santiago says it's just a steak done the right way: “Nothing special to it.” But it's one that his daughter, who was a very picky eater when she was young, fell in love with. She also fell in love with watching dad cook. “It's always been a special dish to me because of those memories in the kitchen with her and the bonding time we had over a shared love for a favorite meal.”
Those memories became even more cherished in 2019, when Santiago had peritoneal surgery. Since then, he has been on dialysis every day for 10 hours a day, and has been on the donor list waiting on a match for a kidney transplant. “It's changed the way I think about time and life and my priorities,” he says, noting that it's also changed his diet completely, making him much more aware of what he's putting in his body. “It's challenged me but made me grateful for each day and helped me better myself. I obviously hope to find a donor, but I'm focused on enjoying each day I get to spend with my daughter and thankful I'm doing what I love to do—bring people happiness through my food.”
To learn more about Santiago's journey, visit antoniokidneydonation.com.
634 Hamilton St., Allentown | 610.628.3341 | vault634.com
Ingredients
Olive oil
½ lb. fingerling potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
3 shallots, halved
11–12 cloves whole garlic
Salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. smoked paprika
8 ounces pancetta, cubed
4–6 Brussels sprouts, halved
5 sprigs fresh thyme
12-ounce NY strip steak, brought to room temperature
7 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
4–6 shrimp, 16/20s, peeled and deveined
¼ cup dry white wine
Juice of half a lemon
Parsley, for garnish
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Place 2 tablespoons of olive oil of your choice in an ovenproof saucepan, over medium heat.
Add in potatoes, shallots, 2 whole cloves of garlic, salt and pepper, and begin to sauté.
Continue cooking, mixing occasionally, until the potatoes and shallots begin to brown and develop good color. Add in the smoked paprika and enough water to deglaze the pan and give the potatoes some liquid (approximately ½ cup) to continue cooking in.
Place saucepan in preheated oven and continue cooking until cooked through and fork tender, approximately 25 minutes.
Place the cubed pancetta in another ovenproof saucepan over medium heat. Cook the pancetta, stirring occasionally, until the pancetta begins to crisp and render its fat but is not fully cooked.
Add in the Brussels sprouts, 2–3 sprigs of thyme and 4 cloves of garlic. Sauté for a couple minutes to get some color on the vegetables.
Place the pan in the oven, alongside potatoes and cook for 15–20 minutes or until the pancetta is crispy and the sprouts have good color and caramelization.
Season the steak generously on all sides with salt and pepper while the potatoes and Brussels sprouts cook.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, add in 2 tablespoons of oil and begin to heat. Once the oil is heated and shimmering, add the steak and sear on all sides until crusted and golden brown.
Lower the heat to medium-low and drain the oil from the pan. Add in 2 tablespoons of butter, the remaining thyme and rosemary sprigs, and 3 cloves of smashed garlic. As the butter begins to melt, baste the steak with the herb and butter mixture. Cook until desired temperature, about 6–8 minutes for medium rare.
Remove the steak to a cutting board and top with herb and butter mixture. Allow the steak to rest.
Add the shrimp with 3 tablespoons of butter, olive oil, salt and pepper to the same pan, over medium heat. Cook the shrimp two minutes on each side until just pink.
Add in the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter, white wine, lemon juice and 2–3 cloves of smashed garlic and cook stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens.
Remove the pan from the heat and save for plating.
To Plate
Slice the steak, and arrange it in the center of a plate.
Serve alongside the crispy fingerling potatoes and Brussels sprouts.
Top the steak with the shrimp scampi and garnish with chopped parsley.
Published as “Beyond the Menu” in the June 2023 edition of Lehigh Valley Style magazine.
