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You want some of this???

Yeah, there’s nothing like a steak and salad to just make your day. This happens to be a Kansas City Strip butterflied slightly and drizzled with EVOO (that’s Rachael Ray speak for extra virgin olive oil) then finished off with a little salt and pepper to taste.

Simple. Yummy. Perfect.

You can go all fancy (which I do like to do at times). Or you can keep it simple and just let the steak do its thing.

This particular strip was prepared by my mama. She likes things straightforward and unfettered. And I love her for that.

Happy Mother’s Day this weekend to all the mommies out there! May your day be simple, yummy and perfect, too!

This tidbit comes to us courtesy of sogoodblog.com. . .

No matter what your personal politics are, don’t you always wonder what really goes on in the White House? Here’s what Bill used to do when Hillary was away. If she becomes our next president I’d imagine he won’t be able to keep this hush-hush for long.

Quote from sogoodblog.com:

Meal the White House chef would secretly make for Bill when Hillary was away: 24 oz Porterhouse steak with Bernaise sauce and fried onion rings.

This cracks me up. Why was this such a secret? Was it the size of that baby that she was ashamed of? Perhaps she would have approved of something more dainty like a thin-cut ribeye or some beef tenderloin tips?

I say if you wanna hang with the big boys you’d better eat like one.

It makes perfect sense to me.

I want to know . . . do you eat steak for breakfast?

This photo I took of the soft play area at my local shopping mall has immortalized the T-bone on a plate with eggs sunny-side-up.               

It’s obviously a breakfast plate.          

So, tell me your “steak for breakfast” stories. I need to understand more about this phenomenon.       

You see, I’m strictly a “steak after 12 pm” kinda gal. It’s not that I completely shun the idea of steak in the morning. I’ve just never tried it.    

I want to hear from those of you who have. And give it to me straight. What is the deal? 

This weekend, we wanted to try something new with our Kansas City strips. We were feeling adventurous so we put the kids to bed and began our journey.

Little did we know our grill had already decided it had grilled its last steak — the LAST TIME we had steaks.

So after many attempts to light it we decided to call our neighbor Eddie and beg to borrow his grill. He wasn’t home but he said it was okay to use it. So my husband braved the darkness and grilled our strips by flashlight in our neighbor’s yard.

It was around 9:30 pm by this time.

I prepared the rest of the meal and when he came back with our steaks it all seemed worth it.

We used the Citrus-Maple Marinade I mentioned in yesterday’s post. It was so yummy and the fruit flavor was not overwhelming. It was just right.

Here it is in all its glory . . .

There’s not much we wouldn’t do for a steak. It is a good thing we asked permission first because it could have been ugly when Eddie came home and saw a dark figure grilling in his back yard.

All’s well that ends well, right???

Frances wrote us to ask if we had any ideas for a steak marinade that DID NOT include soy sauce, garlic, packaged marinades or fresh ginger root.

The answer is a resounding “Yes!”

There are so many options to create sensational flavors for your steaks. Below, I’ve posted 8 links to some marinades that have amazing ingredients — other than the ones Frances is concerned about.

Also, check out the “Marinades” link in the Categories box to the right. There are lots of great ideas there. And click on “Recipes” and “Rubs” to find even more.

The marinades below run the gamut from citrusy to spicy and everything in between.

Stay tuned tomorrow and I’ll show you what marinade I used this weekend. Mmmmm.

Mango Curry Marinade & Sauce

Citrus-Maple Marinade

Spicy Steak Marinade

Tender and Tasty Marinade

Jen’s Marinade

Pineapple-Rum Caribbean Steak Marinade

Mikey’s Smokin Steak

Balsamic Bliss

When you’re preparing steaks for a crowd, one of the toughest things to master is the art of getting the food on the table in a timely manner while making sure the meat is still hot and at its tastiest.

This article at AllRecipes.com gives us great advice on how to cook your steaks in stages so that they aren’t too rare or too well done by the time it’s chow time.

For instance, did you know that many chefs sprinkle sugar on their steaks to speed up the browning or searing process? Then, they put the steaks (browned only on the outside) in a warming oven until they are ready to be served. The warming oven then cooks the inside slowly at just the right pace.

The steaks are cooked and warm when YOU decide it’s time to serve them. Sugar! Who knew?

This sounds like a great way to do a filet mignon. Its rich thickness will do well slowly cooking in the oven. And the seared sugar process? Oh, yum!

Read more tips for being the BEST PARTY HOST EVER right here:

http://allrecipes.com/HowTo/Great-Steak—How-to-Cook-for-a-Crowd/Detail.aspx

Have a happy weekend!

Few things get me as choked up as stories about our men and women who are fighting for our freedom.

And I’ve just read about a book that shines a light on our Marines and their grilling ability — “Command of the Grill:  A Salute to Steak.”

Our soldiers and their favorite steaks? This has got to be good.

The Marines have a “Command of the Grill” contest and the book features winning recipes from this contest’s semi-finals and finals.

Some of these recipes were perfected while these heroes were serving overseas. What a testament to the determination of our soldiers! Does it get any more American than that?

Here’s an excerpt from a blog posting about this book on pleasurecooker.com:

The book showcases the winning recipes, honorable mentions, profiles of the Marine competitors, celebrity Marine recipes and a rigorous “Steak Boot Camp.” Capt. Eric Dominijanni’s Disco’s Hot and Tangy New York Strip Steaks is one of the recipes covered in the book. “Capt. D” has been cooking since he was a child. While stationed in Iraq, he was known to make paella for his troops in the back of his Assault Amphibian Vehicle. “I may have had to fight like a barbarian, but I didn’t have to eat like one,” Dominijanni said.

Here’s a link to the entire story on this book over at pleasurecooker.com. Sounds like a good investment to me.

http://pleasurecooker.com/pc/2006/05/26/us-marines-killin-grillin-since-1775/

I love this little cheat sheet (below) from the Kansas City Steak Company. Brush up on the different cuts of steak and impress friends, family, clients, colleagues, neighbors, your grandmother’s cat and the mailman with your amazing skill and knowledge.

Or, just use it to help you decide what kind of steak you want to grill this weekend.

Super Trimmed Filet Mignon: A thick, boneless and extremely tender cut of beef from the tenderloin. Our filets are Super Trimmed, leaving only a perfectly aged, tender steak. Shop Now…   Kansas City Strip Steak: Also referred to as the New York Strip this cut of meat comes from the most tender section of beef, the Short Loin. The Kansas City steak was named for the city where it originated and is our pride and joy. Shop Now…   Ribeye: This cut is the perfect combination of tenderness and a rich, hearty flavor.The trademark of our Ribeyes is the ribbon of marbling that runs through the steak. Shop Now…   T-Bone: The T-bone is two steaks in one and consists of a T-shaped bone with meat on each side.The larger side contains a strip and the smaller side contains a filet. Shop Now…   Porterhouse: Like the T-bone, a Porterhouse is 2 steaks in one. The larger side of the Porterhouse contains a filet and the smaller side contains a strip. Shop Now…   Top Sirloin: The Top Sirloin is cut from the center of the Sirloin and is lean, firm and flavorful.Top Sirloin is a tender steak and is perfect for grilling. Shop Now…   Prime Rib: The Prime Rib is a large cut of beef that is perfect for roasting. The “Prime” in its name does not refer to the grading; rather it refers to the cut.  Prime Rib is the most tender of all roasts and is at it’s tender and juicy best when cooked to medium rare. Shop Now…    Beef Tenderloin: Also known as “the Chateaubriand”, this uncut filet mignon in roast form is decadently juicy and delicious. Shop Now…   Prime Only the top 1-2% of all beef can be labeled USDA Prime. Our Prime selections are wet aged in a controlled environment for the most tender results. Shop Now…

Your steaks deserve only the best. But rather than putting them on a pedestal, why not put ‘em on a stick?

Yes, “Steak on a Stick” does somehow sound like state fair food, but it’s really quite classy.

And tasty, I might add.

This Steak on a Stick recipe combines sliced sirloin strips and a tasty brown sugar, garlic and onion marinade.

Check out this recipe from the folks at BetterRecipes.com:

Steak on a Stick

Sirloin steak strips are marinated in a mixture of brown sugar, garlic, onion, oil and chili powder, skewered and cooked.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup onion, minced
• 1 teaspoon chili powder
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Salt & pepper
• Sirloin steak (about 1 lb.)

Method

Mixed together brown sugar, garlic, onion and chili powder. Then add extra virgin olive oil until a thick gravy-like consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. Slice sirloin steak across the grain. Marinate about two hours. Put steak on wood skewers and you are ready to cook.

Notes: Be sure to soak wood skewers before adding steak, to prevent burning on the grill.

Number of servings: 2-3

Here’s a steak joke from our friends over at WorkJoke.com to start your Monday off right. It’s reason #472 why I prepare my own at home. . . I know exactly where it’s been from start to finish!

A waiter brings a customer the steak he ordered with his thumb over the meat.

“Are you crazy?” yelled the customer. “With your hand on my steak?”

“What?” answers the waiter. “You want it to fall on the floor again?”

Happy Monday, steak lovers!