John Brown has been a wine and food columnist in West Virginia since the 1980’s. His regular columns appear in the Charleston (WV) Gazette-Mail under the title Vines & Vittles and in The State Journal - a statewide business weekly
Grilled Nirvana: release your inner-ogre
I am flawed human being. I know this because I am married to a brutally candid woman who reminds me daily of my myriad imperfections.
Hey, I’m not complaining. If she were not critical of some of my more my aberrant idiosyncrasies, I would probably be living in a cave, wearing an animal skin and reduced to yodeling – u-da-lay-ee-o!
However, the older I get, the more I have come to the conclusion that some of these imperfections are acceptable. No, let me rephrase that: they are essential!
I’m not endorsing really obnoxious behavior like flatulence, profanity or – heaven forbid –rooting for Pitt. And while I may have (once or twice) lapsed with regard to the first two infractions mentioned above, you may be assured that I would rather go streaking through St. Peter’s Square than root for Pitt.
No, the oft-criticized behavior I am endorsing involves eating red meat on a regular basis. I know it’s not politically correct to admit this, but I am addicted to red meat, particularly steak. I must consume the roasted flesh of a steer or cow at least once a week or I turn into my alter ego - the ogre just waiting to emerge.
Okay, so maybe I’ve engaged in a little hyperbole here, but I do really love a good steak, preferably one grilled over blazing charcoal. So while too much of a good thing like beef can be a health risk, I mitigate that problem by flushing my arteries regularly with a steady stream of red wine.
Today, I’m going to share my mouth-watering recipe for grilled steak nirvana and provide you with a few nice red wine recommendations that will please your palate and transform the meal into an other worldly experience. I prefer to use rib eye, but strip or porterhouse steak work just as well.
Grilled Nirvana
1 one and one- half inch thick bone-in rib eye
1 tablespoon of Kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon of fresh coarsely ground black pepper
1 small clove of garlic finely minced
1 teaspoon of olive oil
[caption id="attachment_810" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Grilled Nirvana
Cover steak all over with the olive oil
Rub the steak with salt, pepper and garlic
Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes
Prepare a hot charcoal fire or turn one side of a gas grill up to the highest setting
Place steak on grill, close lid and cook for two minutes a side
Move steak off direct coals (or direct heat on grill)
Cook indirectly for 8 minutes for medium rare
Remove from grill and allow to sit for 10 minutes and then serve
Any full-bodied red wine will go well with the steak, but I prefer cabernet sauvignon or a Bordeaux blend (cabernet, merlot, cabernet franc, etc.). Here are some of my favorite labels priced between $15 and $30 a bottle: Franciscan, Sebastiani, Alamos, Alexander Valley Vineyards, St. Supery, B-Side, Robert Mondavi, BV Rutherford, William Hill, Clos Du Val and Newton Claret.
So go ahead and give it up for a little grilled nirvana and release your inner-ogre.
Hey, I’m not complaining. If she were not critical of some of my more my aberrant idiosyncrasies, I would probably be living in a cave, wearing an animal skin and reduced to yodeling – u-da-lay-ee-o!
However, the older I get, the more I have come to the conclusion that some of these imperfections are acceptable. No, let me rephrase that: they are essential!
I’m not endorsing really obnoxious behavior like flatulence, profanity or – heaven forbid –rooting for Pitt. And while I may have (once or twice) lapsed with regard to the first two infractions mentioned above, you may be assured that I would rather go streaking through St. Peter’s Square than root for Pitt.
No, the oft-criticized behavior I am endorsing involves eating red meat on a regular basis. I know it’s not politically correct to admit this, but I am addicted to red meat, particularly steak. I must consume the roasted flesh of a steer or cow at least once a week or I turn into my alter ego - the ogre just waiting to emerge.
Okay, so maybe I’ve engaged in a little hyperbole here, but I do really love a good steak, preferably one grilled over blazing charcoal. So while too much of a good thing like beef can be a health risk, I mitigate that problem by flushing my arteries regularly with a steady stream of red wine.
Today, I’m going to share my mouth-watering recipe for grilled steak nirvana and provide you with a few nice red wine recommendations that will please your palate and transform the meal into an other worldly experience. I prefer to use rib eye, but strip or porterhouse steak work just as well.
Grilled Nirvana
1 one and one- half inch thick bone-in rib eye
1 tablespoon of Kosher or sea salt
1 tablespoon of fresh coarsely ground black pepper
1 small clove of garlic finely minced
1 teaspoon of olive oil
[caption id="attachment_810" align="alignleft" width="300"]
Grilled NirvanaCover steak all over with the olive oil
Rub the steak with salt, pepper and garlic
Allow to sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes
Prepare a hot charcoal fire or turn one side of a gas grill up to the highest setting
Place steak on grill, close lid and cook for two minutes a side
Move steak off direct coals (or direct heat on grill)
Cook indirectly for 8 minutes for medium rare
Remove from grill and allow to sit for 10 minutes and then serve
Any full-bodied red wine will go well with the steak, but I prefer cabernet sauvignon or a Bordeaux blend (cabernet, merlot, cabernet franc, etc.). Here are some of my favorite labels priced between $15 and $30 a bottle: Franciscan, Sebastiani, Alamos, Alexander Valley Vineyards, St. Supery, B-Side, Robert Mondavi, BV Rutherford, William Hill, Clos Du Val and Newton Claret.
So go ahead and give it up for a little grilled nirvana and release your inner-ogre.
