epic steaks, dirty martinis & boobs

there are so many great cooking blogs out there.  this isn’t one of them.  i’m not going to take step by step pictures. but there is a strategy here.  it’s written so that you can read it through and then just do it.  you don’t need hand holding.  after all, we’re talking about a manly man meal here.   just read it through and you should get it.

i married someone who would have really gotten along with my dad.  they both love good steaks, good drinks, good music and of course,  great girls (ME!).  i interviewed ROF who, without a doubt, makes an excellent steak & martini dinner.

ROF’s famous steak technique:

getting the meat:

buy it the day that you cook it.   ROF is a fan of the ny strip cut.  get 1/2” to 3/4” slabs.  why? because he is from the east coast  – no – because it’s tender like a filet and you get the marbled flavor of a rib eye.  go to a good butcher shop or meat counter where the butchers are well trained (because he is not)

preparing the meat:

90 minutes before cooking take it out of the fridge to get it at room temperature.

throw some black ground pepper on both sides.  next,  sprinkle liberally some  Bolner Fiesta spice: Uncle Chris’ on both sides.  we’re very good friends with anthony and carla bolner and they turned us on their uncle’s magic seasoning.

drizzle olive oil on a plate.  put the seasoned meat on, getting olive oil on one side only.

pause.  you’ve done so much up until this point and it’s time to make a cocktail.  if you’re making steak, you have to have a martini.  here is ROF’s way.

getting the tools:

chilled or frozen martini glass

frozen bottle of stolichnaya

extra dry vermouth

martini shaker

large olives (preferably blue cheese stuffed)

handful of ice

making the tini

put the ice in the shaker, 4-5 oz of vodka in the shaker (5 if bad day)

the smallest splash of vermouth possible, like a teardrop (ROF added that, nice touch)

much larger splash of olive juice from the olive jar.  this is the saltiness or the “dirt”

shake shaker hard but not too hard as someone once told him that he was bruising the vodka (tee hee)

grab 3 olives, toss 2 in the glass, 1 in your mouth

strain vodka, pour & drink.  repeat, but only once  as we’ve all heard, martini’s are like boobs.  1 is not enough, 2 are perfect, 3 or more makes it confusing. 

cooking the steak

with drink in hand, go out to the grill.  all grills are different.  his weber silver series genesis is his favorite.  turn it on high.  like 500 – 600 degrees.  will take about 10 – 15 minutes.  HOT.  go back inside, prepare some potatoes or noodles (ROF has famous noodles but we’ll  have to wait for that recipe), any veggies you’re doing on the grill (ROF has famous brussel sprouts but we’ll have to wait for that recipe too), play cards with your wife, make your second cocktail.

time to cook

use your phone as a timer.  or use a timer.  ROF is a one flip type of griller.  there are two types: multi-flippers and single-flippers.   he believes that the more you flip, the more flavor you lose.  take the meat off the plate and put the olive oil side down on the grill.  shut the lid. 5 minutes on one side, flip once, 4 minutes on the second side.  that should be medium rare but all grills are different.

amy side story:  i once went to a steak house with my ford dealers in wisconsin.  i ordered my steak medium. you could have heard a pin drop.  one of them nicely took me under his wing and told me sweetly whispered in my ear while the whole table nodded, that no one who eats steak eats it cooked medium.  “you might as well get a burger, honey”  he said.  only medium rare is acceptable.  or you cook out the flavor and what’s the point!  i’ve never ordered medium since. 

remove steaks from grill, let sit for couple minutes to retail juices and serve with a nice Napa Cab.

it’s almost Friday!  please leave a comment and let me know what you’re having for dinner tonight!

love, amy