Saturday, June 29, 2019

Hawaiian Rib Eye



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John Palmer Parker was a 19-year old Massachusetts sailor who decided to jump ship to visit Hawaii in 1809. He fell in love with the island and tended fishponds for King Kamehameha until he set sail again to take part in the War of 1812.

When he returned from the war, he started Parker Ranch, which at the time, was the only ranch dedicated to raising cattle. He quickly grew into a man of influence and wealth.  Beef quickly became the main export of Hawaii...replacing sandalwood.

In 1816, he married Chiefess Kipikane, the granddaughter of the King. They were awarded 2 acres on the slopes of Mauna Kea and they built the famous homestead "Mana Hale". Parker and his wife had 3 children and began the Parker dynasty that would play a prominent role in the next two centuries of Hawaiian history. And John Palmer Parker loved him some rib eye :-)


John Palmer Parker

INGREDIENTS

2 thick, bone-in rib eye steaks (about 3 pounds total)

For the Marinade
2 cups pineapple juice
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
5 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/3 cup chopped white onion
1-inch piece of ginger, coarsely chopped

For the Butter
4 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 teaspoons sesame oil
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons reserved marinade


DIRECTIONS

  1. Prepare a grill for 2-zone cooking (high heat and indirect heat).
  2. Make the marinade: Combine all marinade ingredients in a blender or food processor. Process until liquified. Reserve 2 tablespoons of marinade for butter. Transfer marinade to a large zip lock bag. Add steaks and seal bag, pressing out excess air. Place bag with steaks in refrigerator for 24 hours.
  3. Make the butter: Whisk butter and oil in a medium bowl to combine. Vigorously whisk in reserved marinade and season with salt. Transfer to center of sheet of parchment paper and roll up into a log. Chill for one hour.
  4. Remove steaks from marinade and pat dry with a paper towel. Let steaks sit at room temperature for one hour before cooking.
  5. Grill steaks over high heat (grill covered) for 4 minutes. Then flip steaks and cook for 4 more minutes at high heat (grill covered). Move steaks to indirect heat area of grill and cook for 4 more minutes (grill covered).
  6. Transfer steaks to a platter. Slice butter into 1/4"-thick rounds and divide between steaks. Tent steaks with foil and let them rest for 5 minutes. Then serve.






Wine pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon


Grogs and Goldie, 1956


Saturday, June 22, 2019

Grilled Filipino Rib Eye






Rib eye. My very favorite steak of all time. It's beloved over the entire world and every culture puts a different spin on it. In the Philippines, they marinate it in lemon juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic.....and then it gets a quick spin over hot charcoal.


Ingredients
1/4 cup lemon juice plus wedges for serving
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons brown sugar
3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
2 well-marbled ribeye steaks, 1-1/2 inches thick


Directions
  1. Make the marinade: In a medium bowl, stir together lemon juice, soy sauce, brown sugar and garlic. Place steaks in a ziplock bag, add marinade, lock bag and refrigerate for 4 hours.
  2. Prepare a grill for direct cooking over high heat.
  3. Remove steaks from bag and pat dry with paper towel. Place steaks over hot coals and grill (with cover on ) for 5 minutes. Then flip steaks and grill (with cover on) for 5 minutes more.
  4. Remove steaks from grill, tent with foil and let them rest for 5 minutes. Then serve.



Wine pairing: Zinfandel


Grogs and Goldie, 1956


Saturday, June 15, 2019

Grilled Steak Open-Face Sandwich



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Flank steak. One of the tastiest cuts of beef. And one of the cheapest. Incredibly versatile. And it cooks over charcoal in less than 10 minutes. What's not to love about it? Here's an open-face sandwich made with flank steak that is perfect for Father's Day. It's that special.


Ingredients
1 flank steak, 1-1/2 pounds
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup olive oil
1-1/2 ounces finely grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon cold water
1 ciabatta loaf, halved lengthwise
6 cups arugula


Directions


  1. Prepare a grill for direct cooking over high heat.
  2. Make dressing. Blend mustard and lemon juice in blender to combine. With motor running, stream in olive oil. Add Parmesan and 1 tablespoon cold water. Season with salt and pepper and blend until dressing is smooth and thick.
  3. Cook flank steak over hot coals, grill covered, for 4 minutes (medium rare). Flip steaks and cook for 4 minutes more. Remove steak, tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes.
  4. Toast ciabatta halves over hot coals for 30 seconds to 1 minute, so that cut side is toasted.
  5. Place bread, cut side up on a platter and drizzle with 1/3 of the dressing. Top with arugula and red onion. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with the remaining half of the dressing. Thinly slice steak and arrange over arugula. Drizzle with remaining dressing. Cut sandwiches crosswise into pieces and serve.




Wine pairing: Cabernet Sauvignon


Grogs and Goldie, 1956


Saturday, June 8, 2019

Korean BBQ Spare Ribs








When it comes to pork ribs, I always lean toward spare ribs. They are much bigger and meatier than baby backs and hold the moisture much better after a multi-hour, low and slow cook. You need low and slow if you want that incredibly tender, "fall-off-the bone" result.

Speaking of the low and slow formula, "low" is the harder part of the equation. You want to cook the ribs at a temperature range of 225º to 250º and no more. If you have a smoker or gas grill, that is easy to achieve. If you have a charcoal grill, the job becomes a little harder. You'll need to use briquettes, as lump charcoal burns too hot for low and slow. You'll also need a grill thermometer and some serious vent management. If all that seems too much, I'll point out that your oven works perfectly for maintaining that temperature range. Just put the ribs on a baking sheet with a wire rack and pop them in the oven.


INGREDIENTS

For the Ribs and Rub
3 racks pork spare ribs
1/2 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup black pepper

For the Korean BBQ Sauce
1/2 cup gochujang
1-1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon smoked paprika

For Garnish
1 cup chopped peanuts
1 cup sliced scallions


DIRECTIONS

  1. Four hours before you start cooking, mix rub ingredients in a small bowl. Spread rub over both sides of ribs, then wrap ribs in plastic and refrigerate.
  2. In a large bowl, combine sauce ingredients and whisk until brown sugar is dissolved.
  3. Prepare your grill for an indirect, low and slow cook at 225º to 250º (Indirect means that the ribs are not cooked directly over the heat source. If you are using a charcoal grill, the coals would be on one side and the ribs on the other. Placing the ribs in a rack improves the result.)
  4. Cook for 3-1/2 hours, turning and basting the ribs with the sauce every hour.
  5. When done cooking, cut the ribs and sprinkle with peanuts and scallions. Then serve.



Pairing: If you are a wine drinker...Zinfandel.
But if I were making these ribs on a hot summer day like today, 
I'd much rather drink an ice-cold Korean QB Pilsner from a well-chilled mug!


Grogs and Goldie, 1956


Saturday, June 1, 2019

Flank Steak with Tomatoes and Salsa Verde






Cooking steak is a breeze. Making this incredible salsa to go with your steak is even easier. Toss all of the salsa ingredients in a food processor and pulse for a few seconds. Serve it over the steak along with some fresh sliced tomatoes.


INGREDIENTS

For the Salsa
2 cups fresh parsley (loosely packed)
3 scallions, chopped
2 tablespoons drained capers
Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
2 anchovy filets
2 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon Kosher salt


1 flank steak
2 medium tomatoes
Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper


DIRECTIONS

  1. Prepare a grill for direct cooking over high heat.
  2. Put all of the salsa ingredients in a food processor. Pulse until ingredients are mixed and slightly chunky.
  3. Grill flank steak for 4 minutes per side for medium rare. Then let steak rest for 5 minutes.
  4. Slice the tomatoes and season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the steak against the grain. Serve with the tomatoes and salsa verde.



Wine pairing: Malbec

Grogs and Goldie, 1956