Okay, we’ve seen the use of coffee in flavoring a steak before. But here’s a different twist on that, PLUS a recipe for barbecue steak fries!

Holy BBQ, Batman! Enjoy . . .

Coffee and Pepper Steak

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped green onions

3/4 cup cider vinegar

1/2 cup olive oil

1/4 cup molasses

1 1/2 tablespoons instant coffee, preferably espresso roast

1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

One 1 1/2 pound sirloin steak (or flank steak)

Salt to taste

Directions:

In medium bowl, stir together onions, vinegar, oil, molasses, coffee powder, pepper and mustard until completely blended.

With a sharp knife, make parallel 1/2 inch-deep slashes, about 2 inches apart, on both sides of steak. Transfer the steak to a zippered plastic bag and add the marinade, making sure steak is completely coated. Refrigerate for six hours or overnight.

Spray your grill with non-stick coating and heat to medium-high. Season both sides of the steak with salt. Grill the steak directly over the heat four to six minutes per side for medium-rare, or longer to suit your personal taste.

Set steak on a cutting board, cover with foil and let stand for about five minutes for juices to settle, before slicing diagonally. Transfer to serving plate and serve with a crisp salad and corn on the cob or your favorite vegetable. This recipe serves about 4.

If you’d like to barbecue a nice accompaniment for your steak, try these easy steak fries on the grill.

Barbecued Steak Fries

Directions:

Cut four medium russet potatoes in half lengthwise and then cut each half into four thick wedges. Bring about 2 cups of water to boiling in a medium sauce pan and add potatoes.

Lower heat to medium and cook potatoes, covered, for about eight to 10 minutes or until they are almost tender. Drain and cool.

Place cooled potatoes in a large bowl. Mix 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 teaspoon each of your favorite herbs and spices. For example, you could use salt, pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, dried rosemary or whatever else you like. Drizzle the mixture over the potato wedges, tossing gently and being careful not to break them.

Place the potato wedges on the upper rack of the barbecue while your steak is cooking, and grill the potatoes for six to 10 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of kitsapsun.com.

Photo courtesy of KansasCitySteaks.com.

Super Bowl Sunday is a victory for meat eaters everywhere.

I love the day ’cause it’s an excuse to cook something yummy.

What’s that you say?  I don’t need an excuse?  Oh yeah.

Well, here’s how we spent the commercial breaks in the second quarter . . .

We may have missed a few great commercials, but it was well worth it. I already know which beer I want to drink and which hosting company to use, thank you very much.

Our group on this day was a persnickety one. So our marinades had to be kept separate. We had three distinct flavorings going on. Heaven forbid the Teriyaki mix in with the spicy Worcestershire bunch.

Just don’t tell anyone we used the same spatula to turn them all on the grill.

From the strips to the ribeyes, to the filets, our group was happy no matter who won the game.

One slight mishap did threaten to ruin the fun, though. That football in the top photo? Two minutes after that shot was taken, it was a major player in an incident resulting in an ice pack and some Children’s Motrin.

But that’s football for you.  You gotta be tough.

It was cold this weekend and we wanted something to make us feel better about being mammals and hating the weather.

What better than a hot, juicy piece of steak??!!

First, we clicked on our remote control fire (tres classy) . . .

Yeah, I said we *clicked* it to the “on” position. Carry on.

Then, we found some cool jazz tunes on the Sirius satellite radio . . .

We then began the marinating. Filet mignon in Worcestershire sauce, sea salt, ground pepper (and cayenne pepper for my spicy husband).

After partaking in some wine and reminiscing about the days when we thought jazz was for old fuddy duddies, the steaks were put on the grill in 25-degree weather. Outside.

I watched from the kitchen.

The end result was everything we imagined. Tender, juicy filets to warm the body and spirit.

We then scooped up the kids, put them in bed, read all about sea monsters and retired to the fire-lit living room with the rest of that bottle of wine.

No sitter needed. No dress code. And no tips.

Unless, of course, you count my husband reminding me to click the fire off as a “tip.”

Our evenings at home always far surpass the nights out in the elements because they’re custom-made just for us.

Perfect.