Taking this photo felt like some Dateline NBC investigation. Covert. Clandestine.

All right, so it’s not as bad as I’m making it out to be. I’m sure these guys are very nice people. The fact is, I just don’t know them.

So why would I want to put my steaks on the grill right after them?

Here at the beach I don’t have the luxury of my own grill from home. And because I don’t know what exactly these people have grilled before me — and how well they clean up after themselves — I refuse to use the public grill that’s been out in the elements with sand and who-knows-what-else scattered on it.

So, I brought my George Foreman grill from home.

Better to be safe than sorry.

My steaks were delivered yesterday right to my door . . . and tonight we feast! Once again, George saves the day for us.

My husband brought this handy little vacuum sealer home for me from a business trip last week. He had been gone all week leaving me home with the children — 24 hours a day. For days on end.

Now some people may equate this gift to receiving a mop or feather duster from your husband for your anniversary.

To me, it was a sweet love note. A romantic gesture.

It has a picture of a steak on it for heaven’s sake! Of course he knew I’d like it.

And since it has a photo of a steak on it, it must be useful for steaks, right?

I decided to investigate further.

This puppy removes the air from freezer bags so you can vacuum seal them and keep whatever you want fresh for months. Namely . . . steaks.

So, when you have a big barbecue this summer and you grill tons of ribeyes, T-bones, filets and Porterhouses and your friends don’t eat near as much as you anticipated — voila! Vacuum seal ’em.

Then, you have ready-made steaks the next time you get a hankerin’. Just heat and serve.

I love this!

And I love that man. He’s a genius.

Ever wonder what the heck “gratin” is anyway? I did. I’m intimately familiar with potatoes au gratin, but I knew gratin had other connotations also. I just couldn’t put my finger on exactly what.

So, once again, I turned to my trusty Wikipedia. Here’s what it says . . .

Gratin
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Gratin adapted from French cuisine is a type of casserole dish that is covered with Béchamel sauce or Mornay sauce, topped with buttered breadcrumbs or grated cheese and either baked or broiled, then served in its baking dish with a golden crust. Cooking au gratin is a technique rather than exclusively a preparation of potatoes (which is specifically a gratin dauphinois): anything that can be sliced thin, layered with a cream sauce and baked is material for a gratin: fennel, leeks, crabmeat, celeriac, aubergines.

So, the Ribeye Gratin dish I tried called for spinach and cheese to create the gratin (along with lots of other yummy ingredients.)

I’m thinking of a new ad slogan for it now:  Gratin:  It’s not just for potatoes anymore.

Okay, so it never really WAS just for potatoes. My slogan is still in the working phase, people.

Anyhoo, THIS gratin recipe started off with some tender, thick ribeyes.

Then, we made the gratin (just look at that gorgeous spinach!).

And here is the final finished meal. This cheesy, spinachy gratin really created some wonderful texture and flavor and complemented the steaks really well.

Try it for yourself!

Ribeye Gratin

4 10 oz. Ribeye
2 Cups Spinach, chopped
½ Cup Gruyere Cheese, grated
2 Tbsp. Dry White Wine
1 Tbsp. Shallot, minced
1 tsp. Garlic, minced

Saute the spinach in the white wine until wilted.  Add the shallot and garlic and cook 1 more minute, remove from heat and toss in the cheese. Grill steaks to desired doneness (about six minutes per side for medium, rotating a quarter turn every three minutes to create the cross hatch grill marks.)  Top each steak evenly with the spinach mixture and place under a broiler until the cheese turns golden brown, about 30 seconds.  If you don’t have a broiler, you can melt the cheese in the oven but ensure you undercook your steaks before placing them in the oven to avoid over doneness.