Fire It Up!

A few friends gathered at my house last night for an impromptu barbecue (ooh, that rhymes!), and threw a few steaks on the grill. I'll also post the recipe for my Caesar's Goat salad when I get motivated.

Grilled Steak

2 New York Strip steaks, about 1 1/2 inches thick

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

1 Tbsp. worcestershire sauce

1 Tbsp. soy sauce

3 cloves fresh garlic, crushed

1/2 cup red wine

Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to taste

2 sprigs of rosemary

Mix olive oil, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, garlic and red wine in a bowl. Pour it into a big zip-top bag and add the steaks, sealing out any excess air. Marinate on the counter-top for about an hour. Yes, I said counter-top, not fridge. You need to get your meat to room temperature, so it cooks evenly. Unless your counter-top location is in the depths of Hades, it shouldn't have any chance to spoil.

Fire up the grill to medium-high heat (we use gas, so if you use charcoal, do whatever it is you have to do to get it to medium-high).

Take the steaks out of the bag, sprinkle with Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Throw the steaks on the grill, placing the rosemary sprigs alongside. I know you're wondering, 'what's up with the rosemary?' Here's the thing: it smells super-good when smoked in a grill, and that yummy smoke adds to the flavor complexity of the steaks. And, it makes you look like you know what you're doing.

Grill the steaks six minutes on each side, or until a thermometer stuck in sideways says they're at 123 degrees. This is for medium-rare. If you're kamikaze enough to do the rare thing, take them off at 115. If you like funky brown meat, take them off at 130/135.

Let them rest for about five minutes, tented loosely with foil. Garnish with: Roasted King Trumpet Mushrooms (recipe coming soon), a sprinkling of crushed rosemary, or even some fresh roasted veggies.

***Kitchen Option:

Let's say you don't have a grill, or are just too lazy to fire it up. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees. Heat a large skillet on the stove to high. Drop in a teaspoon of butter with a teaspoon of olive oil. When it starts sizzling, throw the steaks in the pan. Cook for three minutes on each side, then finish in the oven for seven minutes. Garnish fabulously.