In the kitchen with the Dap Tones

Tonight, IFC premieres its new series, Dinner with the Band, a cooking show combining culinary delights, musical performances and conversations with some of today's most acclaimed indie music artists.

Not surprisingly, a lot of the acts hail from Brooklyn (from Les Savy Fav to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings), as do the show's founders, brothers Darin and Greg Bresnitz, and its tatooed host, chef Sam Mason.

Summing up the show, Mason tells the Times: “Playing music onstage is like Halloween: you can be whoever you want up there. This show is about taking musicians out of that comfort zone, putting them in a situation where they come out of their shells.”

Helping start things off tonight are Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings, a soul revival act out of Brooklyn that's built an international following. The show airs at 11 p.m. on IFC, and will feature them cooking, as well as performing "Let Them Knock" and "100 Days, 100 Nights."

For a preview of what's cooking in the kitchen, here's the recipe for episode 1's meal:

Sharon Steaks and the Dap Rings with Red Eye Gravy

Ingredients
Flat iron steak, 2-3 lbs

Steak marinade:
1/2 c olive oil
2 c parsley leaves
2 c cilantro leaves
2 T yuzu kosho
3 large red onion, sliced into thin 1/8 inch rings
1 c pancake mix flour
12 oz blue moon white beerCanola oil, for deep frying
1 c buttermilk
1 c blue moon white beer

Red eye gravy:
1 shallot, sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
2 T sugar1 c Dijon mustard
1/2 c brewed coffee
1/4 c freeze dried coffee
3/4 c smoked bacon, cooked, 3 T bacon fat reserved
1/2 c water

Directions
Puree steak marinade ingredients in a blender and add to a large bowl with steaks. Marinate for 12-24 hrs.

In a bowl, mix 1 c buttermilk and 1 c beer and soak onion rings in mixture for ½ hr - 1 hr.

Preheat oil in large pot to 365 degree. Also preheat grill pan.

Heat a small sauté pan, add shallots and garlic, cook until translucent.

In a blender, add cooked shallots, and garlic along with all red eye gravy ingredients and blend until smooth. Strain through fine mesh strainer. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, add pancake mix, and beer. Mix until thick enough to coat onion rings.
Begin frying onion rings in batches. Season onion rings.

While frying onion rings, remove steaks from marinade and begin grilling in pan. Cook 3-5 minutes on each side depending on thickness.

Serve steaks with onion rings and red eye gravy.

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Level: Easy
Yield: 4-6 servings