A Perfectly Grilled Steak

After preheating all burners on high, place the steaks on the grill. I like to position the steak on the grate in either the 10 o'clock or two o'clock position.
After approx 2 minutes rotate the steak a quarter turn.

After cooking another 2 minutes turn the steaks over. Check out those grill marks!

The finished result. Total cooking time 8-10 minutes.

A great steak served with grilled veggies, baked potato, and salad.

Grilling a perfect steak doesn't have to be difficult. Just follow a few simple steps and success is within your reach. First, select your favorite cut of beef. In this case I purchased Certified Angus filet's but the important point is to pick a cut of red meat you enjoy. My only recommendation is to look for even fat distribution (marbling) throughout the piece of meat. Fat is essential to ensuring the steak is flavorful and has a good texture in your mouth. Second, keep the seasonings simple. If you have spent the time to select a decent steak don't overwhelm the natural beef flavor with a complex seasoning blend. I used kosher salt and coarsely ground fresh black pepper. A good commercially prepared alternative is Montreal steak seasoning. This is readily available at most grocery stores. It contains a blend of salt, peppers, and garlic. When seasoning the steak I will usually lightly brush them with canola oil and then apply the seasoning. The oil performs two functions. It is a binder allowing the seasonings to adhere to the meat and a little oil will help prevent the meat from sticking to the grates of the grill. Third, preheat your grill to high. After the grill is preheated make sure the grates are clean. If necessary use a grill brush to remove any stubborn food debris. Fourth, place the steaks on the grill. Cook with the lid closed to prevent flareups and just leave the steak alone for 2 minutes. Open the grill and rotate the steaks a quarter turn. This will create the perfect diamond grill marks. Close the lid and cook another 2 minutes. Open the grill and flip the steaks. Continue cooking for another 4 minutes with the lid closed to reach medium rare, a minute or two longer for medium. In my opinion steaks cooked anymore than medium are overdone and dry. It's very easy to take a great cut of meat and turn it into a piece of shoe leather by cooking it too long. This is just my opinion so if your preference is well done by all means cook it a little longer until the desired degree of doneness is reached. The approx total cooking time to reach medium rare is 8 minutes. I cooked the steak pictured above approx 10 minutes. When finished remove the steak from the grill and place on a clean platter. Loosely cover the platter with foil and allow the steak to rest for at least 5 minutes. The resting period is important because it allows the juices in the meat to redistribute. If you cut into a piece of meat too soon after it is removed from the grill you will lose a lot of the juices; so wait and allow the steak to rest. Your patience will be rewarded. Can cooking a great steak be this simple? You bet! Plate the steak, serve with your favorite sides, and enjoy.

Grilled Salad?

No, this is not a joke...you can actually grill lettuce. If you haven't tried this before I would highly encourage you to give it a whirl. The finished dish will certainly be memorable. Although I used a trimmed down whole head of romaine lettuce I would recommend buying the prepackaged hearts of romaine. The hearts of romaine are denser and easier to handle on the grill.

Ingredients:

Romaine lettuce hearts

Kosher salt

Fresh ground black pepper

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Chopped bacon pieces

Procedure:

Prepare your gas or charcoal grill for direct heat. Allow the grill to come up to temp while the prep for this dish is finished in the kitchen. Wash and dry the romaine lettuce and slice each bundle in half. Lightly drizzle olive oil over each side of the lettuce. Sprinkle with kosher/sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Take the lettuce outside and grill each side briefly. The grilling goes quickly so don't leave the grill unattended. Total cooking time is only 30 to 45 seconds...just enough time to add a bit of grill flavor and wilt the lettuce a tad. Remove the lettuce halves from the grill and dress with balsamic vinegar, freshly grated parmesan cheese, and chopped bacon bits. As a more traditional alternative chop the grilled lettuce and place in a bowl. The lettuce can then be tossed with the same ingredients mentioned above. Please don't hesitate to send me your feedback. My family enjoyed this recipe and I would love to hear your comments.

Fire Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes roasting in the embers

The finished product topped with maple syrup and cinnamon infused butter.

Procedure:

For this recipe it is important to select extra large sweet potatoes. The larger size is needed because approx 10-20% of the potato will be lost during the cooking process. Using a charcoal chimney light one full chimney of natural lump charcoal. Allow the charcoal to burn in the chimney until the pieces on top are covered in ash. For reference the charcoal should be ready in approx 20 minutes. Dump the charcoal out evenly over the bottom of the grill. Using a pair of long handled tongs, place the sweet potatoes directly on the coals and pile up the charcoal around them. Every ten minutes turn the potato a quarter turn until the exterior is completely charred. Cooking time is anywhere from 45 to 60 minutes. To test for doneness insert a sharp knife into the potato. The knife should be easy to insert and withdraw with very little resistance. Using tongs, remove the potato from the coals and set it aside to cool. Once the potato has cooled enough to handle; slice the potato open and top with butter infused with maple syrup/cinnamon. I suppose it goes without saying but here is the disclaimer anyway... don't eat the charred exterior of the potato. After this cooking process the only edible part will be the sweet, orange flesh on the inside of the potato. This is a very satisfying side dish. The potato pictured above was served to my guests as an appetizer and only lasted a couple minutes.

Butter Infused with Maple Syrup and Cinnamon:

1 stick of butter softened

1 tablespoon maple syrup

1 tsp cinnamon

Add all the ingredients to a bowl. Mix until everything is well incorporated. The flavored butter may be used right away or can be made ahead and frozen for use later. To freeze spoon the butter mixture onto the middle edge of a piece of saran wrap. Gently roll up the saran wrap and then twist the ends (turn left hand counter clockwise, right hand clockwise) this will compress the butter into a nice uniform cylinder. The package can be labeled and then frozen. The butter can be removed from the freezer and allowed to thaw before use or individual pats of butter can be sliced off for single uses.

Jerk Marinade Lite

Joe "Bush Daddy" ready to taste the rockin flavors of the Caribbean


This marinade will allow you to experience all the Caribbean flavor of jerk without the extreme heat. The reason for the reduced heat is a jalapeno chile pepper is substituted for the hotter habanero. This recipe was created by Jamie Purviance who wrote Weber's Real Grilling. This recipe as well as many others can be found by visiting http://www.webernation.com/. This marinade would pair well with fish, shrimp, chicken, or pork. I would recommend marinating fish or shrimp up to 1 hour. While larger items like chicken and pork could be allowed to marinate several hours.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup chopped yellow onion

1 jalapeno chile pepper chopped
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce (I used Chipolte Tabasco)
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1/4 tsp granulated garlic (I substituted 1 chopped clove of fresh garlic)
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg

Place all the ingredients in a food processor or blender and mix until smooth.

An Oasis in the Desert

A great patio area to dine and entertain guests

The outdoor cooking area is equipped with a natural gas grill as well as a small refrigerator to keep the beverages cool.

A picture of the "man." Joe Bush Daddy putting his grill skills to use.

For some desert dwellers an oasis conjures up visions of a pool and palm trees. However, as a dedicated griller my idea of paradise is an outdoor cooking and entertaining area. My in-laws built such a space in their yard and I have been fortunate enough to enjoy the benefits. This space looks to the west and provides the perfect setting for a meal as the sun sets. As the weather begins to cool down I looked forward to the meals our family will share in this wonderful outdoor space.