The Meat Makes the Man...

Food has long been a passion of mine.  I love to cook it, I love to eat it, and I love to share it with others.  I think I have an emotional attachment to food because it has always created such great memories for me.  Food often means getting together with friends and family, and fellowship is truly one of God's greatest blessings!

One of my favorite things about cooking is the feeling I get from watching others enjoy what I created.  Not that I cook simply to fish for compliments, but I love to hear how much others enjoy the culinary creation I have prepared.  I most enjoy cooking on a grill.  I currently sport the Weber Genesis:

Genesis E-310 3-Burner Black LP Gas Grill

• Porcelain-Enameled three burner gas grill
• 38000 BTUs
• Front-mounted control panels with cast aluminum end caps
• 637 square inch cooking area
• Porcelain Cast-Iron cooking surface
• Individual electronic ignition modules at each burner
• Stainless Burners
• Safety grip control knobs
• Restyled Stainless Steel work surfaces with Cast Aluminum end caps

Insert Tim the Tool Man Taylor grunting here as needed...She's a beauty, huh?  Three burners of indirect flame...I like to fire it up to 600 degrees to get the cast iron grates exceedingly hot, then kill the gas supply to the middle burner and cook at around 400.  This thing makes grilling easy...

Back to the food...I prefer to grill beef.  There are few things better than a perfectly cooked steak.  My default cut is Strip Steak, but I also enjoy Strip Steak, Sirloin, and Tenderloin (as long as it is not wrapped in bacon - don't get me wrong, I love bacon, but not wrapped around my tenderloin...wait, that sounds odd...).  Anyway, I suggest you procure a nice Strip Steak from you favorite butcher.  Take said Strip Steak, and apply the following rub:

• 1 Tablespoon Montreal Steak Seasoning

• 1 Tablespoon Light Brown Sugar

• 1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon of the following: Paprika, Cayenne Pepper, Garlic Powder

• Olive Oil

1. Get out your mixing bowl and combine the
Montreal Steak Seasoning, light brown sugar, onion powder, 

paprika, cayenne pepper, and garlic powder.
Mix them together well with a fork.

2. Now place your steak on a serving platter or baking dish.
Rub in the spices into the steaks and then place some
olive oil over the rubbed in spices.  Then flip the steaks over and repeat.

At this point you can either wrap the steaks in Saran Wrap and put them in the fridge for a few hours, or you can let them marinate for one hour at room temperature.  

Once the steaks have mingled with the rub, take them out to your preheated grill and toss them on.  For a 1" thick steak, I shoot for 6 minutes per side, which usually ends up Medium.  Only flip them once, and do not peek at them while they are cooking.  Lid down and walk away...As Dad used to tell me, "If your lookin', it's not cookin'!".

After 6 minutes a side, pull those bad boys off the grill and resist the urge to cut into them.  Always let them rest on the plate untouched for at leas 5 minutes to let the juices settle.  If you cut into it immediately, you lose all the juices.

The brown sugar in the rub carmelizes and makes some great char marks:

Mmmmm...That is good eatin'!  

I am a huge fan of A1 Steak Sauce - but not for steaks.  If you have to put A1 on a steak, it either was low quality beef or it was not seasoned/cooked correctly.  A1 if for sandwiches, baked potatoes, or bread only...And for the record, requesting A1 when at someone's house is tantamount to slapping your host/hostess in the face!

My lovely bride to be, Jennifer, recently paid me the absolute best compliment.  Whilst dining at a local "steakhouse" she uttered what was perhaps the most meaningful thing she could say at that very moment...as we sat enjoying dinner together, she looked me right in the eye and said. "Your steak is so much better than this one...".  It brought tears to my eyes, and a smile to my heart.  The meat makes the man, and in her eyes, I am The MAN!