A perfectly grilled rib-eye steak, in my opinion, is the epitome of meaty deliciousness. This is what I chose to make Husband recently as a “Congrats On Your New Job” meal. He lit up like a Christmas tree when I told him what we were having for dinner that night: a juicy, well-marbled steak nicely charred from the grill then topped with a simple parsley-garlic butter that melts and covers the luscious meat with a savory herb mixture of added deliciousness. OH MY!!

For the garlic butter, I didn’t have cognac so I substituted dry white wine. Cognac would’ve been better but the white wine works in a pinch.

Let the steaks stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or so before grilling because cold meat takes longer to cook and you don’t want the outside to be burnt to a crisp while the inside is still rare.

When grilling the steak, be sure to stand guard at the grill. Because the rib-eye is marbled with fat (which is why it’s so flavorful), it’s easy for flare-ups to happen. Pay attention to the grill and you’ll be fine. This is not a time for multi-tasking. If you have a flare-up, move the steak to a cooler part of the grill. After the steak has cooked to your desired doneness, remove them from the grill, cover with foil and let them rest for 3-5 minutes before cutting into them. Serve with baked potato and sautéed spinach or other veggies.

Grilled Rib-Eye Steaks with Parsley-Garlic Butter
- recipe from Bon Appétit, June 2006

The garlicky herb butter is similar to the butter served with escargots in southwestern France. IMPROV: When preparing the butter, try a shallot instead of garlic, and thyme instead of parsley.

Yield: Makes 6 servings

For the Parsley-Garlic Butter, mix together in small bowl, then cover and chill:
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 garlic clove, pressed
2 teaspoons Cognac
Salt and pepper

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Rub with generous amounts of salt and pepper:
3 1 1/2-inch-thick rib-eye steaks (about 1 pound each)

Grill steaks to desired doneness, about 6 minutes per side for medium-rare. Cut each steak in half, top with spoonful of chilled butter, and serve.

Tags: barbecue, bbq, Beef, Bon Appetit Magazine, flare-ups, grill, grilled rib-eye steaks, grilling, parsley-garlic butter

If you’re a cilantro fan (like me), you’re going to LOVE this chicken! It’s delicious, extremely easy, and can be served as either an appetizer or a main dish. And, you can use the leftovers (if there are any) to make a Mexi-inspired salad (greens, corn, tomatoes, red onion, avocado, etc) the next day…think jazzed up chicken taco salad.

If using bamboo skewers, remember to let them soak in water for 30 or so minutes to keep them from disintegrating on the grill. If you don’t have skewers (or don’t want to mess with them), just grill the chicken without them. I substituted pine nuts for the walnuts, and used 2 cups of cilantro instead of 1 1/2 cups of cilantro and 1/2 cup Italian parsley. Also, I grilled the chicken over direct medium heat so it wouldn’t get too charred. Chicken tenders cook quickly so don’t walk away and leave them on the grill…you definitely don’t want skewered charcoal! Once the chicken was finished cooking, I let the skewers rest on a plate for a few minutes then finished them with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. The lime juice really brightens up the flavors. Yumm!

Cilantro Pesto Chicken Tenders
-recipe from Weber’s Real Grilling by Jamie Purviance

Makes 4-6 servings.

Marinade:
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped walnuts
2 medium garlic cloves
1 1/2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
1/2 cup loosely packed fresh Italian parsley leaves and tender stems
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 pounds chicken breast tenders
1 lime, cut into wedges

To make the marinade: In a food processor, finely chop the walnuts and garlic. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the cilantro, parsley, salt, and pepper and process until finely chopped. With the motor running, slowly add the oil to create a smooth puree.

Place the chicken in a large, resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly. Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place in a bowl, and refrigerate for 2 hours.

Remove the chicken from the bag and thread onto skewers. Grill over Direct High heat until the meat is firm and the juices run clear, 6 to 8 minutes total (3-4 minutes per side), turning once. Serve warm with the lime wedges.

Tags: Chicken, cilantro, cilantro pesto, grill, skewers

If you’ve ever had a panini than you know how good they are. Warm, crunchy, often gooey (depending on the ingredients) and delicious. With all the ingredient possibilities, you could enjoy a different panini everyday. Oh, what a beautiful world it would be! I recently received a Villaware UNO ProPress Panini Grill from some girlfriends as group birthday gift. Not only was I surprised but I was also elated with my new cooking tool. I love cooking gadgetry! Anyway, my new panini grill is a beautiful little appliance. I feel like I’m working in a bistro when I’ve got it on the counter. Not only is it good-looking, but it’s functional, too. It’s got a good-sized non-stick cooking surface (11″x9″), adjustable temperature control and a commercial-style handle. You can even grill meat on it, although I haven’t tried that yet. Unfortunately, the cooking plates aren’t removable (which would aid in clean up) but that’s a small sacrifice for a delicious grilled sandwich.

The first sandwich I made on the panini grill was a simple ham & cheddar on wheat bread for my kids. They each devoured their share then asked for more, which of course left me beaming. When I told my 6-year-old that I was glad he liked the sandwich, he replied, “I don’t like it. I LOVE it.” Well there you have it…you better believe I’ll be using my panini grill on a regular basis if it continues to get that kind of a response out of a simple ham & cheese sandwich. Thank you, girlfriends (you know who you are).

Tags: Cookware, grill, panini