Who knew steak could be macho or undeniably feminine?

Well, um, I guess I did cuz in previous posts I’ve mentioned how the filet seems to be a girlie selection while T-bones and Porterhouses are the choice for the man who likes being a man.

But . . . perhaps it’s not the cut of meat that makes a steak macho. Perhaps it’s what you put on it. Or in it.

This recipe calls for KC Strips — a respectable cut for either of the sexes. But you gotta check out some of the ingredients. Jalapeños, garlic, beef broth.

What’s that sound Tim Allen used to make on “Home Improvement?”

Yeah, that one.

That’s the sound that comes to mind when I see this recipe. It makes me feel like a macho man — even though I assure you I am not.

Check it out.

Macho Steak
This recipe is adapted from Mmmiami – Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere to be published by Henry Holt, Fall 1998.

• 2 jalapeño peppers, seeded and minced
• 3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/2 cup dry white or red wine
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 2 tablespoons butter, cut into 4 pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 8-ounce, 1″-thick KC strip steaks
• 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Stir the jalapeños, garlic and cumin together in a small bowl and set aside. Set the wine, broth, tomato and a large platter nearby, too; leave the cut butter in the refrigerator to keep it cold.

Heat the oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Pat the steaks dry with paper towels to ensure even browning; season with salt and pepper.

Put 2 steaks in the skillet and cook to the desired doneness, about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer the steaks to a platter and cover loosely with foil to keep them warm. Cook the remaining steaks in the same way.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of drippings and reduce heat to low. Add the jalapeños, garlic and cumin; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Increase heat to high, stir in the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up browned bits with a wooden spoon. Boil, stirring constantly, until liquid is reduced to 2 tablespoons.

Add the broth, return it to a boil and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low, stir in tomato and simmer 1 minute. Pour in any juices that have accumulated around the steaks and simmer 1 minute more. Add the butter, 2 pieces at a time, swirling the pan until it melts.

Remove pan from heat. Stir in the cilantro, and add salt and pepper to taste. Transfer the steaks to dinner plates and spoon on the sauce. Serves 4.

You can see this recipe and others like it here.

We had a trip planned for April to visit Hawaii. I’ve never been, but my husband has. We wanted to see it together to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

Then, life happened. My youngest had a hospital stay and our lives were turned upside down.

Hawaii is again in the distant future for me. And that’s okay. My little guy needs me.

But that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy the goodness and flavors of the island while I wait to get there.

Check out this recipe from homeparents.about.com using pineapple and soy sauce. It doesn’t get much Hawaiian-er than that.

(Yeah, I know that’s not a real word.)

Plus, I just like the word “bits.” It makes it sound really cute.

1 cup ketchup

1 one standard can of pineapple bits with the juice

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 onion, diced

1 bell pepper, diced

1 small carrot, sliced

salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients except steak in a bowl or dish. Add steak. Allow to marinate overnight, then drain off the marinade and save it. Cook in a pan until the meat is done, then add the reserved marinade plus one cup water with a tablespoon of cornstarch added. Cook until the sauce is thick. Serve with rice.

For a picnic version, don’t add the veggies and serve with tooth picks. I’ve made 10 pounds for a picnic and not had one bit left to take home!

Here’s a link to the recipe. Enjoy!

The following is a recipe for steak and potatoes out in the wilderness. If you’re going camping, of course you never want to forget your steak and potato.

I’m just glad that it is a possibility. I, personally, always thought that beef jerky and lots of canned things were on the menu at a campsite.

Shows you how much I know.

I’m assuming this could also work for power outages during a hurricane/tornado/national emergency/end of the world or just in your own backyard.

Enjoy. 

1 good, well marbled ribeye steak

2 – 3 Tbsp McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 small cans of green chilies

1 c soy sauce

1 potato

“I Cant Believe its not Butter

2 tsp garlic salt or powder

The night before your trip: rub steak with seasoning, both sides, pressing seasoning into meat, place rubbed steak in Ziplock bag. Sprinkle 1 of the cans of green chile on both sides of steak once in bag, add soy sauce, seal bag and: a. freeze steak (this only works for eating steak your first night out) or b. place steak in fridge, transfer to cooler next morning.

Spray potato with butter spray, sprinkle garlic salt/powder on coated potato, wrap in foil and refrigerate.

NEXT MORNING: Pack steak and potato in backpack or saddle bag (or cooler if you have such a luxury) and go have fun on your first day. When you get to camp, make a good campfire that yields coals, unfold or unroll piece of screen or mesh and place four rocks in the coals of your campfire. Spread mesh over four rocks and place four more rocks on top of the first four to hold mesh on place (you only need a cooking surface large enough for the steak). Make sure the rocks are large enough to keep the mesh approximately 6-10 inches above the coals.

Place potato at the very edge of coals, rotate a quarter turn every 5-10 minutes for 45 minutes. You can also place the potato close to the fire while you are waiting for the coals to develop, you can’t overcook it unless you really really try.

If you froze the steak, it should be thawed out by now. If it’s been in a cooler, then it’s all good. Take steak out of plastic bag, discard the marinade (including the green chiles). Place steak on mesh and cook for 8-10 minutes per side, depending on preference (I like mine medium rare, so 8-10 per side works depending on the heat of the coals; if you can hold your hand above the mesh for 6-7 seconds before it’s too hot, then the temp is perfect). If you want, and you remembered to pack it, open the second can of green chiles and cover the top of the steak with the chiles after you have turned it (you can scrape them off once the steak is done, or not, the chiles keep it moist and add more spice. It’s up to you).

If you timed the steak with the potato, it all comes off and out of the fire at the same time. The result is an awesome steak and potato in the wilderness.

Submitted by: Alan Tipps

Click here to go to the KOA Web site for more on this awesome idea!