15 Steak
Todd Swindell
My grandmother raised me for much of my youth, until her death. While she was alive I thought she was the most amazing cook in the world. I still think her cooking was very good, and I still use a couple of her recipes. However, I have found better techniques and ingredients to improve those recipes. My grandmother very rarely would prepare steak. She would emphasize the cost of the steak, how it was the most expensive. My grandmother owned a house, a car, and had to take care of the household expenses for three people. On the outside I’m sure people would have thought we could afford expensive foods. When I was young, I could not understand her decision making. It was no secret my grandmother enjoyed steak. On the rare occasion we went out to dinner she would order a steak frequently. After I lost her I didn’t enjoy steak as much. I would watch cooking shows that featured steak so much that I learned a lot about cuts of steak, cost of the cuts, and the best cooking strategies. Finally, after I was married and was raising a stepchild and a biological child I began to salivate at the thought of a steak enjoyed with the family I had made. Growing older and having to budget for myself and my family I learned just how expensive cuts of steak are. To prepare a meal around my favorite cut of steak, the cost of the meal would be more than twice what my family would spend on a dinner made with a cheaper cut of beef or chicken. I chose to save the experience for a special occasion. One Thanksgiving there were so many scheduling conflicts we just decided it would be the four of us. I decided that, on that Thanksgiving night in the snow I would grill steaks for my family. It is a memory I pray I will never forget.
[Add the triptic – need the file. How was it created?]
American Style Turf & Turf
Ingredients:
- One 1 inch thick cut of choice beef, per person
- One golden Idaho potato, per person
- One ear of corn, per person
- 2 Tablespoons corn oil
- Season to taste
Prep:
- Marinate steak liberally in corn oil and seasonings
- Let sit for 1-3 hours
Cook:
- Fire grill
- Place steak on grill. Cook to desired temperature.
- Microwave potato for five minutes, turning half way through.
- Wrap potato in aluminum foil and grill for 30-40 minutes. Top with butter, sour cream, chives, bacon etc.
- Coat corn with oil and grill 12-15 minutes.
Enjoy!!
Comments
- Alcira (Colombia): Todd, I really appreciate your post with a narrative that touches on sentiments, economics, and taste, of course.
- Sarah (Mexico): Beautiful story, Todd!
- Trinidad (Ecuador): Todd, I am reading attentively what you share about your Mom and going out eventually and choosing steak. That Thanksgiving you talk about I am sure is in everyone’s memory. Sometimes we reproduce and reproduce and create expectations and we rather go for what we really enjoy. Steak is one of my favorite dishes, several cuts, including the expensive ones… And what was last Thanksgiving dinner meal? saludos TRINIDAD.
