A Good Steak

While I love grilling just about anything, putting a good steak to the flame is without a doubt my all-time favorite. Yesterday was one of those days. I stopped by my favorite meat market, picked out just over four pounds of Angus Top Sirloin and headed home. This time I had a different idea about how to cook, and as the temperature outside was just above single digits it was worth a shot.

I used a spice rub on the steak - not too much, but enough to impart some flavor; and then made up a basting sauce. Not a marinade, but a basting sauce. The sauce was about 3/4 cups of olive oil, 3/4 cups of red wine, with some garlic, onion, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper and sugar. I let the sauce sit for a couple of hours to meld the flavors while the spice rub was working its way into the steak.

I know I have always talked about cooking with the top down in really cold weather, but these steaks deserved to be kissed by the flame, so last night was a "top up" night. I used a small saucepan on the side burner for the basting sauce. I did not want to boil the sauce, but I did not want it getting so cold that it would retard the cooking process, so it was a very low flame and I checked it often.

Cooking the steaks was fabulous and the smell of cooking steak in the arctic air was exhilerating! After only 25 to thirty minutes and making sure I used the basting sauce frequently, the steaks were done and ready to be enjoyed. My lovely wife cooked up so good size russets and made a wonderful veggie salad of cucumbers, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions with some vinegarette dressing that was out-of-this world delicious.

The stead was enjoyed by all and it was perfectly done and perfectly juicy. The best part was tonight we had steak and eggs with the left-overs, and nuking the steak did not take away any of the flavor or any of the juiciness.

So the next time you reach for the marinade - think about doing a good basting sauce instead!