Monday, September 04, 2006

Grillin' & Chillin' with RT

I had said before I enjoy to cook, but I really love to BBQ. It being Labor Day I decided to have a cookout on my patio last night and thought you'd all enjoy my recipe for Mesquite steak and roasted corn on the cob. Start out with your own choice of steak, I prefer Angus beef and this nice sirloin will do nicely.
First thing you need to do is soak the un-shucked corn in hot water for at least an hour. This keeps the corn from burning when you cook it over the hot coals.
Then take your hunk-o-meat and use my concoction of black pepper, garlic, salt and just a pinch of sugar as a dry rub on both sides of the meat. Let this sit while you get the grill ready. I use charcoal and anything else is cheating. I feel sorry for all of you who use your gas grills because no matter how much easier they are, you'll never, ever get the flavor of charcoal.
Next, take your mesquite chips or chunks and soak them in hot water also. Let these sit in the water until you're ready for them.
Forget this picture... I have no idea what happened here. Blogspot has been acting flaky lately.
When you have the coals ready, take your soaked ear of corn and place it directly over the hot coals, turning frequently... The outer husk will burn but if you keep it turning the kernels won't.
After about five minutes of turning the corn, it should be about done. Take the cob and place it on the warming rack of your grill. If your grill doesn't have one, place it in an oven pre-heated to about 150 F. To keep it hot.
You'll notice I've piled my coals to one side of the grill. This is important as I'll not be cooking my steak directly over the coals, I'll be off-set smoking it with the mesquite chip smoke. Now comes the steak. Take the hunk-o-meat and sear it directly over the coals for about 30 seconds per side to seal in the juices. This is the important part. After you've seared your hunk-o-meat, move it to the cool side of the grill. Drain the water off your mesquite chips and dump them directly on the grill over the hot coals and close the lid. The smoke from the chips and the convection of the fire will cook your steak. Cooking times may vary to your taste, I prefer my meat medium to medium rare so it should only take about ten minutes this way.
After your steak is done, shuck the corn (Careful! The ear will be VERY hot!) prepare a salad, open an ice-cold and frosty adult beverage of your choice and enjoy!
A word about mesquite. No matter how you like your meat cooked, the smoke will give the meat a pinkish hue. This is especially true with pork, so don't worry if your pork is a little pink, it's still done if your thermometer says it's done.
Copyright 2006 Thomas J Wolfenden

14 comments:

Mrs. S. said...

ALL HAIL THE GRILLMASTER!!!!

Looks good! I'll have to pass the corn tip along to my husband. The corn he did last night along with our venison burgers got way overdone. The burgers were also a tad dry, but with ground meat, I think I'd rather have it burnt.

cmk said...

WHAT!!! You didn't invite ME to dinner? (Looks wonderful!) :)

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

Red: No need to ave, just genuflect... As with any ground venison, try adding some ground pork or beef to it. That will ad a little fat as venison is very low in fat to begin with.

AJ: Yes, nothing is better than dead animals cooked over an open flame... But nowhere as tasty as some two-legged animals... ;)

Cmk: Sorry for forgetting the invite... Give it a try sometime, you'd be suprized!

Leazwell: Not sure about the Food Channel... Not sure if the network could handle me. As for the plates, they came with the place and the frosty, ice-cold adult beverage in question is Miller Genuine Draft.

Kev said...

So, what is your preferred grilling technique and edible accompaniments for the crunchy frog you found the other day?

Frogs clearly call for white wine, not red. Or even better, a hefty bottle of Jose Cuervo.

tsduff said...

Ummmmm, bbq rules! It is the best way to eat, anytime at all! On Sunday I grilled some ribeyes and potatoes over chunks of mesquite coal... nothing like it. Thanks for the corn tip...is it dinner time yet?

bevy said...

I could never be a vegetarian.

fuzzbert_1999@yahoo.com said...

Well, I wish I hadn't visited your site this late...now I'm so hungry I won't be able to sleep.

Looks great...I can smell and taste it!

Carolyn said...

Yummies! So when's the next cookout? ;)

FHB said...

So, very tasty. You've got your shit down. Question on the corn. Do you peal back the shucks and get rid of all the stringy crap on the corn after you've soaked it? Here's an idea... Maybe pull them back, get rid of all that crap, and then spread some sort of butter, garlic, salt and pepper mixture on the corn, and THEN cook it with the leaves on to protect the corn from the fire. Huh? Yea. You're right here (finger pointed at forehead).

Thomas J Wolfenden said...

Kev: Grilled lightly with some fava beans and a nice Chianti...

AJ: Ah... I wasn't talking about fowl... ;)

Tsduff: It's always grillin' time at RT's!

Bev: Vegitarinism is a Communist plot.

Mushy: Then eat!

Carolyn: I try to cook out every night if I can

Fathairybastard: I guess you could cook the corn that way... But I wouldn't.

Katie said...

You have now made me hungry tom! lol
looks great...but i did not get one!

Lisa said...

mmmm. Steak..... And corn....

phlegmfatale said...

wow, now im lusting for a steak. mmmmmmm. Gorgeous kitchen counter and fixtures, by the way - that IS a snazzy place!

honkeie said...

Wow, I am totaly going to try this very soon! What kind of coal do u use? I prefer the old fashion coals that take about 30 mintues to get going.
All that meal is missing is a Miller High Life!