Steak Out

One of the few times a year when we splurge on steak is today. Opening day of Sunday afternoon, regular season, FOOTBALL.  It makes me cringe to spend $10 or more on one piece of meat for one person. It just does. I'm cheap like that.  But, once or twice a year, I'll grin and bear it because it's a special occasion for us. I also will not lie when I tell you that I shop based on price over cut....and if those pre-cut puppies  are on clearance and haven't turned some funked up shade of gray-green, then buy those, I will.

On the menu for today:

All on clearance or on sale:

One largish T-Bone steak
One also largish NY Strip
Asparagus

Other sides:

Cucumber-tomato salad
Garlic bread (grill it...it's killer stuff!!!)

I was trying to figure out what to do with my steak....as I wasn't quite sure what cut it was...the label said 'Top Loin', which beef experts would know is also called a New York strip.  Me, not being said expert, did not know this. It looked like a strip to me, but who am I to guess?  Meanwhile, back at Google, I found this:

How to Grill the Perfect Steak

I had everything required: the steak, butter, oil, kosher salt and pepper.  Go. The Beloved does not wish for anyone to mess with his meat, so of course, he wouldn't be preparing his T-Bone in the same manner. All you really have to do is melt the butter, add the oil, stir, dip the steak in the melted butter, then coat with a delightful layer of kosher salt and pepper. That's it. 

We've had issues in the past with grilling asparagus. We've tried it all, free form, falling through the grate onto the charcoal, crispy...blackened, in one of those lovely flippy grill-vegetable holders, and usually no luck.  So today, I decided to skewer them.  

Another fairly simple endeavor: 

• Cut the woody ends off, below the lowest rubber band
• Soak your skewers for a good 30 minutes to an hour to prevent them from bursting into flame
• Skewer  each spear (see above).  Stick with 5-7 spears per skewer for easier flippage. 
• Drizzle some extra virgin olive oil over both sides of each skewered set of spears (say that 50 times fast!) and then sprinkle on some kosher salt and cracked black pepper, also on both sides.  
• Grill for a good 2-3 minutes per side in an area of the grill that's a touch cooler than where you'll be searing the steaks.  

As for the salad, equally simple: 

• 1/2 a medium-large cucumber, sliced 
• 8-9 miniature plum tomatoes or a healthy 1/2 container of grape tomatoes
• 2 tbs red onion sliced very thin
• 2 pinches dill weed
• 1 tbs apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 tbs olive oil
• pinch of kosher salt
• 1 packet stevia (or 1/2 tsp stevia loose)

Stir it all together to distribute all the flavor, wrap or cover the bowl tightly and place it in the fridge for 30 minutes to an hour or longer.  The longer it sits, the better the flavor. 

So when you get it all cooked, it kinda might look like this: 

or this....

Not too shabby for the Annual Starting of the Feetballs Celebration Lunch.  What are YOU eating today?