IN THE KITCHEN WITH

In the Kitchen with The White Buffalo Club’s Brian Marino

The homegrown talent prides himself on a perfectly cooked piece of meat. by Julie Kling photos by Jay Nel-McIntosh

SELF-TAUGHT Chef Brian Marino grew up in the BaCk of the house at some of the most historic restaurants in Jackson Hole. He put in his time peeling garlic and seasoning beef — and that’s still where he likes to be. His mother owned the Cadillac Grille (where Local now resides), home of the infamous Billy’s Burgers, and his father ran Jackson Hole Buffalo Meat Co. for 18 years before they retired. When his family sold the Cadillac, his parents brought Brian and the Billy Burger to Lift, a restaurant they then started at the base of Snow King Mountain Resort. After Lift closed in 2018, Marino took over at The White Buffalo Club for Joel Hammond, another local chef, who went on to work for Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto.

“I just love to cook,” Marino says. “I don’t really care about fame and being on TV.”

He prefers a simple life and is grateful that he gets to raise his kids in Jackson, doing what he loves to do. Now he brings his 10-year-old daughter to the kitchen to help.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE GROWING UP IN THE RESTAURANT BUSINESS IN JACKSON HOLE?

It was awesome. Eating all the great food that the Cadillac Grille and Billy Burgers had to offer was great. Sometimes it was tough being a little kid sitting in a restaurant until 11 at night. But it was good training, and all that time in the kitchen gave me a career path. My wife, Hillary, is not a chef, so she is going to be raising the kids (they are expecting their second child this summer) at home at night.

HOW HAS THE CULINARY SCENE CHANGED SINCE YOU WERE PREPPING FOOD FOR YOUR PARENTS AT THE CADILLAC GRILLE?

It’s become a lot more prominent in Jackson. There are a lot more restaurants, and a lot of them follow modern trends. Products can be difficult to get here in the mountains. But it’s getting better, and the more business that comes through the valley, the more available things will be. I source craft meats from all over and wagyu beef from Japan.

WHO WAS BILLY?

I don’t know. My mom opened Billy’s Burgers in 1982. I have no idea. Billy’s giant (8-ounce) burgers became a staple in Jackson. I’m now consulting with someone (at a soon-to-be-disclosed location) to bring back the Billy Burger with a big neon sign like we used to have.

BILLY’S WAS KNOWN FOR ITS BURGERS MADE FROM LOCAL MEAT, BUT ALSO FOR ITS SALTY COUNTER SERVICE. ARE YOU A SALTY CHEF?

No, I’ve worked with so many chefs who drink, curse and holler. All the years I’ve been working at The White Buffalo Club, I don’t think I’ve yelled at anyone. That’s a good way to lose good employees, and we all know how difficult staffing can be in Jackson. I feel like everyone has something to learn from each other, and I am still learning and growing.

WHAT’S THE BEST WAY TO COOK A STEAK?

My favorite way to cook a steak is to char it on an extremely hot grill and finish it simply with butter, salt and pepper, and medium rare. Grilling is the way for me. I am a hunter so I cook antelope, elk and venison. When I go out to dinner, the thing that makes my night is a perfectly cooked piece of meat. I see it as an art form.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE JUNK FOOD OR WHAT WOULD YOU BE EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT YOU EAT?

I eat so much junk food, it’s hard to say. Trail mix. I’m not really a chips person. I love Top Ramen, and that is most definitely junk food. Sometimes I throw an egg or scallions in there. An egg-topped ramen is so good. I’m not going to braise a whole pork belly to put in there. I don’t cook extravagant meals for myself. Sometimes I’ll have a sandwich or even a bowl of cereal. Unless we are entertaining, then I love to cook.

WHERE DO YOU LIKE TO GO WHEN YOU ARE NOT IN THE KITCHEN?

In the winter, I go skiing when I can. In the summer, I love fishing. And I love looking for mushrooms in the spring. We do a lot of camping. My happy place is in the woods, away from people and in the mountains.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE KITCHEN TOOL?

I have a Wilson grill. Some guy in Wilson, Wyoming, invented a “grill” that’s a big hunk of cast iron with a big metal stake so you can rotate a plate over the fire. We take it camping and cook burgers, steaks, eggs and bacon. You can get it at Stone Drug.

WHITE BUFFALO CLUB’S FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE TORTE

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into small pieces 12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped 6 large eggs 1/2 cup sugar Pinch of Kosher salt Unsweetened cocoa powder for dusting

> Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly butter the bottom and sides of a 9-inch spring form pan. Combine the butter and chocolate in a heatproof bowl. Place the bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water) and stir until melted and combined. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and let it cool slightly.

Combine the eggs, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat with mixer on medium-high until pale and thick (5-8 minutes).

Gently fold half of the melted chocolate mixture into the egg mixture until just combined, then gently fold in the rest. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-40 minutes until the top is no longer shiny and barely jiggles. A toothpick in the center should come out with just a few crumbs. Transfer the cake to a rack and let it cool completely in the pan. Remove the spring form ring and transfer to a platter. Dust with cocoa powder and serve.