Grilled New York Strip Steaks with Jake's Rub

I am a man who leads a very patterned life. I start each day with a cup of Italian Roast coffee while I read my newspapers. Once the newspapers are done, I take a full lap of the Internet. Right when I got to the end of the Internet yesterday morning, I came upon a recipe for Jake's rub.

I had never heard of Jake before yesterday. I know "Jake from Omaha" from appearing in the State Farm ads. I know "Jake from Victoria" because he interlocks his exercise mat with mine while I do my Cat-Cow stretches at CrossFit. But I had never heard of "Jake from Tasting Table" until yesterday.

What drew my attention to his rub recipe was the simplicity of it. I love simple. Especially when it comes to recipes. If I see a recipe with a long list of ingredients, my eyes glaze over. There are only 5 things that our tongues can taste: sweet, sour, salty, bitter and savory (umami). So once you reach five ingredients in a recipe, it starts to get redundant.

Grilled New York Strip Steaks are all about savory. Especially if they are USDA Prime...brimming with all of that wonderful fat. So you combine that with Jakes Rub, which contains sweet, salty and bitter, and all you need is a squeeze of lime to hit the tastebud jackpot! You have to make this rub. It is the epitome of simple...garlic salt, smoked paprika and brown sugar.

I made it last night, and upped the taste factor by throwing a chunk of mesquite on the white-hot coals. Just 4 minutes per side and 5 minutes of resting. The steaks were absolutely extraordinary. I'm a big fan of dry rubs and this was really something special. Becky and I washed it down with a bottle of fantastic Bordeaux.....a Chateau Brane-Cantenac Margaux...a birthday gift from the Hirtz's and the Drill's. Rest assured I will be buying more of that wine.


Ingredients
1/4 cup garlic salt
1/4 cup smoked paprika
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 New York Strip Steaks, 1-1/2" thick
1 lime, quartered (optional)


Directions

1. Prepare a grill for direct cooking over high heat.
2. Combine the salt, paprika and sugar. Mix thoroughly.
3. Apply rub generously to the steaks. Let steaks rest at room temperature for 1 hour.
4. Grill steaks directly over hot coals for 4 minutes per side. Then remove steaks from grill and tent with foil, letting them rest for 5 minutes.
5. Serve with quartered limes (optional).

Wine pairing: Try a Bordeaux. A Chateau Brane-Cantenac Margaux, if you are really lucky.