Grilled Rib Eye Steaks with Shallot-Thyme Butter
Steak
2 rib-eye steaks, 6-8 ounces each
2 tablespoons coarsely ground peppercorns
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
Shallot-Thyme Butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, minced
5 chive leaves, minced
1 small shallot or half of a large shallot, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
Directions
Prepare the butter: Mash the butter with a fork, integrating all the remaining butter ingredients. Add 1/4 teaspoon each of salt and pepper.
Prepare an outdoor gas or charcoal grill and oil the grill grates. (You can also use a grill pan to cook the steak. Oil the grill pan after it gets very hot.)
Season the steaks with the peppercorns and salt. Press the mixture into the steaks.
When the fire is ready or the grill pan is very hot, grill the steaks for about 3 minutes per side for rare, and about a minute or two longer for medium-rare to medium.
Remove the steaks to a serving platter and place 2 tablespoons of the butter on each steak. Let rest 5 minutes and serve.
Creamed Spinach
Ingredients
4 cups chopped fresh spinach leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1 small onion finely chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons cream cheese
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Directions
Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the oil and butter, and stir it around so it melts. Saute the onion and garlic until soft, about 5 minutes.
Add the spinach in batches, pushing it down with a wooden spoon to help it wilt. Keep adding more spinach when there is room in the pot.
Cook the spinach until it is wilted, then lower the heat and add the cream and cream cheese.
Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until the cheese is dissolved throughout the spinach. Season with salt and pepper and serve hot.
Oven-Baked Onion Rings
4 servings
Ingredients
1 large sweet onion – ends trimmed off, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 cups panko breadcrumbs, or more if needed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Separate the onion slices into individual rings. Place the onion rings in a bowl of ice-cold water before coating.
Whisk eggs with cream in a bowl until thoroughly combined; season egg mixture with a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Place flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Place panko crumbs in a separate bowl.
Place the onion rings on paper towels to remove extra moisture from the soaking.
Work with one or two onion slices at a time, place them into the bag of flour mix.
Seal the bag and shake until the onion rings are well coated with flour.
Place flour-coated onion rings into the egg mixture, a few at a time, and toss lightly with tongs until coated.
Place rings into panko crumbs and gently shake the bowl to toss the crumbs with the onion rings until rings are coated with crumbs.
Transfer coated onion rings to a large baking sheet; spray rings lightly with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven until the onion rings are tender and crumbs are lightly golden brown, about 15 minutes.
T-bone steaks have two distinct pieces of meat on it, which cook at different rates: the leaner tenderloin and the fattier strip. The key to perfectly grilling a T-bone is to start cooking it with lower heat and then finish it over high heat. Grass-fed beef cooks more quickly than grain-fed beef. Grass-fed beef requires 30% less cooking time so watch your thermometer and don’t leave your steaks unattended.
Wedge Salad
This retro salad is making a comeback.
4 servings
Ingredients
Blue Cheese Dressing
Whisk together in a small bowl:
1/2 small shallot, finely chopped
3/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Fold in 1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese. Season to taste with Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Salad
Cut 4 oz. thick bacon into 1″ thick pieces.
Cook in a medium skillet over medium-low heat, stirring often, until crisp, 5–7 minutes.
Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Cut 1 small head of iceberg lettuce into 4 wedges; place on individual salad plates and spoon some of the dressing over the wedges.
Top each with some diced bacon, diced red onion, diced tomato and more crumbled blue cheese. Then sprinkle each with chopped chives.
Grilled T-Bone Steak With Onion Rings
For great tasting beef, start with a steak rub.
Rub Ingredients
2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoons ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon onion powder
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
Steak
4 tablespoons butter
4 (16 ounces) t-bone steaks, at room temperature
Directions
Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grates.
Stir the salt, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, brown sugar, cayenne pepper, coriander, and turmeric together in a small bowl.
Rub the steaks on all sides with the seasoning mixture.
Directions
Set up an outdoor grill for direct and indirect heat. Oil the grill grates.
Arrange steaks on the cooler side of the grill with tenderloins (the smaller medallions of meat) positioned farthest from the coals. Cook steaks, turning once (but always keeping tenderloin farthest from the coals), until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the coolest part of the strip (the larger section of meat) registers 115°F/46°C and the tenderloin registers 110°F/43°C for medium-rare, about 10 minutes total for grass-fed beef.
Transfer steaks to the hot side of the grill and cook, turning, until seared on both sides, about 2 minutes on each side for grass-fed beef.
An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 125-130 degrees F. Place the steaks on a serving platter and top each with a tablespoon of butter.
Let rest 10 minutes, then serve.
Oven-Baked Onion Rings
4 servings
Ingredients
1 large yellow onion – ends trimmed off, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices
2 eggs
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
3 cups panko breadcrumbs, or more if needed
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt, plus extra for sprinkling
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
Olive oil cooking spray
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Separate the onion slices into individual rings. Place the onion rings in a bowl of ice-cold water before coating.
Whisk eggs with cream in a bowl until thoroughly combined; season egg mixture with a pinch of cayenne pepper. Place flour, garlic powder, salt, and pepper in a large resealable plastic bag. Place panko crumbs in a separate bowl.
Work with one or two at a time, shaking off excess water then toss into a bag of flour mix.
Place onion rings into a large resealable plastic bag. Add flour, salt, and black pepper; seal bag and shake until the onion rings are well coated with flour.
Place flour-coated onion rings into the egg mixture, a few at a time, and toss lightly with tongs until coated. Place rings into panko crumbs and gently shake the bowl to toss the crumbs with the onion rings until rings are coated with crumbs.
Transfer coated onion rings to a large baking sheet; spray rings lightly with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven until the onion rings are tender and crumbs are lightly golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
