Okay, I hate the name. Slapping anyone’s granny sounds like a horrible idea to me. But that’s what it’s called so we’ll go with that.

This steak is apparently “so good you’ll wanna slap your granny.” You marinate your steaks in a yummy Worcestershire/soy concoction inside a bag until it’s good and infused with flavor. Then you grill them.

Hold onto your Hoverround chair, cuz this stuff is good!

Don’t those look brimming with flavor???

Here’s the skinny on this recipe from “Stay At Home Dad” over at Hubpages.com.  Enjoy! (And please, don’t really slap your granny. She’s a nice lady.)

Slap Your Grandma Good!

I am not an advocate of violence and I have never actually slapped my grandmother, but this steak recipe is so good I wanted to make sure the title would get your attention.

This recipe is a variation of the one my mom taught me. I have spent years perfecting it and my wife loves it. I have designated it my ‘go to recipe’ when I have done something to upset her. It is quick and easy and guaranteed to produce the best steak you’ve ever had!

Prep time: 5 minutes

Marinate time: 1-3 hours (depending on the cut of beef)

Cook time: 10-15 minutes (depending on the cut of beef and thickness)

The Marinade

1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce (I think Lea & Perrin’s is best)

1/3 cup soy sauce ( I use Kikkoman’s)

1/2 cup A-1 steak sauce

3 Tbls. McCormick Grill Mates Montreal Steak seasoning

*A little fresh minced garlic is optional- but also very good!

I should say that I NEVER measure anything when I put this together. The measurements here are merely suggestions. My only advice is to go a little lighter on the soy than the Worcestershire. I use the soy to take a little of the ‘sweetness’ out of the Worcestershire.

Marinating in the Bag

The Steak

If you don’t have a favorite steak, I highly recommend the Ribeye. It isn’t the most expensive cut, but you cannot beat the flavor. This recipe is for two ribeye steaks- adjust accordingly if you are cooking more.

How to put it all Together

In a large zip lock bag combine all the ingredients and slosh around a bit to mix thoroughly. Add the steaks and zip the bag closed. Slosh around a bit more and be sure to coat each steak completely and refrigerate. For ribeyes, it is best not to marinate for more than two hours. I have marinated for 30 minutes if I am in a hurry, but a 1-2 hours is best.

You may need to experiment a little with the marinade times on other steaks. The following times are what I use when I splurge for more expensive cuts:

1-3 hours are best for strips

1-2 hours for Porterhouse and T-bones

30 minutes or less for Filets

I normally turn the bag over 2 or 3 times while they marinate, but it isn’t necessary. About 20 minutes before you put them on the grill, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and allow them to warm to room temperature.

Time to Light the Grill

I use a Weber charcoal grill when I cook steaks. After you light the grill and allow the coals to begin to ash on each corner, push all the coals to the outside edge of the grill. I have found the best results when I cook the steaks over the center of the grill, not directly above the coals. I have heard this referred to as ‘indirect’ cooking. If you use a gas grill, preheat on highest setting, then reduce to low heat. You may need to adjust your cook times on a gas grill.

*I never cook steaks without baked potatoes. I recommend using large russets and I have a great way to prepare them while the steaks are cooking. I’ll let you in on my secret at the bottom of this post…

Grill set up

Cooking Tips and Times

After many years of trial and error, I broke down and bought a meat thermometer. It was the best $10 I ever spent.

For best flavor, do not remove any fat prior to cooking. Place steaks in the middle of the grill. We prefer our ribeyes cooked medium rare. For steaks cut ¾ inches thick, do not cook more than 5 minutes per side. I try to only turn my steaks once during cooking. ALWAYS use tongs to handle steaks. To insure juiciness, never pierce the steaks while cooking. Keep the lid on the grill as much as possible. After approximately 8 minutes, I use a meat thermometer to check the temperature. Steaks will heat up to an additional 10 degrees after you remove them from the grill, so for medium rare remove the meat from the grill when the temperature at the thickest section reaches 135F. If you do not have a meat thermometer, DO NOT cook more than 10 minutes. You can always put them back on if they are not cooked enough.

On the grill

Suggested Temperatures for Doneness

145F for medium rare

160F for medium

170F for well done

Serve with your favorite sides and enjoy!

Baked Potato Secret

For two large baked potatoes:

Pierce each potato through with a knife in 2-3 places

Microwave two potatoes for 5 minutes on each side (10 minutes total)

Wrap with aluminum foil and place directly on the coals about 10 minutes before the steaks go on

Turn the potatoes once about the same time you turn the steaks

There is no set amount of time to leave the potatoes on the coals, but a minimum of 20 minutes is what I recommend. Top with your favorite toppings and enjoy!

Recipe and photo courtesy of Hubpages.com.

I truly love Salisbury Steak. The rich flavor of the gravy gets me every time.

But the ONE TIME I tried to make it (early in my marriage) was a disaster. Read about it here. We STILL talk about it 11 years later.

But it hasn’t soured me on the meal altogether. I just need a new recipe.

Or someone else to cook it.

So today we’re in luck because here is a fantastic recipe for Salisbury Steak and the photos were taken after someone else cooked it. Hooray!

Ingredients:

Salisbury steak-

1 lb ground beef
1/3 cup minced onions
¼ cup cracker crumbs (or bread crumbs)
1 egg (slightly beaten)
1 ½ tablespoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
3-4 tablespoons butter

Gravy-

1 onion (sliced into rings)
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon tomato paste
½ teaspoon dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons flour
¼ cup dry red wine
Parmesan Cheese (for garnish)
Minced parsley (for garnish)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Combine ground beef, minced onions, cracker or bread crumbs, egg, horseradish, and salt and pepper. Shape into oval patties.

Step 2: Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Cook patties until they are no longer pink inside, about 7-8 minutes on each side. Remove from pan.  (Or if you want, you can grill them.)

Step 3: Add onions and sugar to the pan and sauté for about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and tomato paste. Sauté for 60 seconds or until paste is browned. Sprinkle the onions with flour and cook for 60 seconds. Stir in beef broth, wine, salt and thyme. Return your patties to the pan and simmer for 10 minutes.

Step 4: Serve patties on top of cheese toast and top with sauce, onions, fresh parsley and parmesan cheese.

Photo and recipe courtesy of BlogChef.net.

Well, so, that is the question.

When a great cut of meat is involved do you sauce it or not?

Denny Howell over at MLive.com gives us one option . . .

Sauce or no sauce?
That’s a big question when you have a good cut of steak. I waiver back and forth depending on the occasion and the rest of the menu, I think a sauce can truly finish the flavors. This was the case on Saturday when cooking for a dinner party.

Now I’m not talking about A.1. Steak Sauce. I’m talking about classic finishing sauces; a Merlot reduction, a Mushroom sauce or Bearnaise. Saturday happened to be a Creamy Cognac Peppercorn sauce with Morel Mushrooms.

I really liked the sauce and the rest of the dinner guests thought it was great! Not only did it go well with the steak but I thought the flavor of it with the mashed potatoes was really harmonious.

Dinner Menu:
Grilled Romaine with Spicy Caesar Dressing
Mushroom Stuffed Filet Mignon with Cognac Peppercorn Sauce
Boursin Mashed Potatoes
Bacon Wrapped Green Beans

Serves 6

Grilled Romaine with Spicy Caesar Dressing
The Spicy Caesar dressing is very quick and easy. Just take your favorite creamy caesar dressing and add one or two finely chopped chipotles and about 1 Tbsp of the adobo sauce.

For the Grilled Romaine, cut the romaine heats in half lengthwise brush the cut side with olive oil, salt and pepper then place on the grill until slightly charred.

Serve with anchovies, croutons and grated fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Tri-Mushroom Stuffed Filet w/ Creamy Cognac Peppercorn Sauce
– (6) 6-8oz filet mignon steaks
– 1 1/2 oz. dried portabella mushrooms
– 1 1/2 oz. dried shiitake mushrooms
– 1 1/2 oz. dried chanterelle mushrooms
– 2 cups cognac (I used Hennessy)
– olive oil
– 1/2 Tbsp butter
– 4 cloves garlic, minced
– 1 cup shallots, minced
– 3 tsp. fresh thyme
– Salt and Pepper

Place all the dried mushrooms in a large bowl. Pour heated, either microwave or stove-top) cognac over mushrooms. Let stand 1.5 hours. Drain mushrooms, while saving liquid for the peppercorn sauce.

Chop the garlic, shallots and mushrooms. Heat olive oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic, saute 1 minute. Add chopped mushrooms, saute another 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat, cool and add fresh thyme.

Cut a small slit into the side of each steak and move the knife around in the middle to make a pocket. Press the cooled mushroom mixture into each steak. You can secure the pockets with toothpicks. Season the steaks with salt and pepper.

Outside – Prepare Grill. Arrange coals to have hot section to sear and medium section to finish cooking. Place steaks on hot section and sear for 1 minute, rotate 45 degrees and sear an additional minute, on each side. Move steaks to medium section and grill for 3 minutes on each side. Remove from grill and let rest 5 minutes covered with foil.

Inside – Preheat over to 350. On High heat place the steaks in a grilling pan and sear for 1 minute, rotate 45 degrees and sear an additional minute, flip the steak, sear for another minute, rotate 45 degrees and place in the over for 5-10 minutes depending on steak temp. I recommend Med-Rare.

Creamy Cognac Peppercorn Sauce
– 4 Tbsp. unsalted butter
– 4 Tbsp. chopped shallots
– 4 Tbsp. crushed green and pink peppercorns
– 1cup cognac-mushroom liquid (drained from mushrooms)
– 1cup heavy whipping cream
– salt and pepper to taste
– 4 Tbsp chopped fresh dill
– Optional
(18) morel mushrooms

In a saute pan over medium heat, melt 3 Tbsp butter. Add shallots and peppercorns. Saute until shallots are soft. Add cognac-mushroom liquid and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add cream and simmer until sauce slightly thickens, add optional morel mushrooms. Turn off heat and slowly whisk the remaining 1/2 to 1 Tbsp of butter in the sauce, season to taste with salt and pepper and dill.

Spoon over the top of the filet mignon steaks set over the mashed potatoes. Make sure to get some morel’s on each plate!
Boursin Mashed Potatoes
– 3 pounds potatoes, cut into 2-inch chunks (peeled if you don’t want the skins)
– 1 package (5.2 oz.) Boursin Garlic & Fine Herbs
– 1/4 cup whole milk
– 1/4 cup heavy cream
– Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Boil the potatoes until tender, about 20 minutes. Drain the potatoes in a colander. In a bowl, mash the potatoes until they are smooth. Add the Boursin cheese and continue mashing until the cheese is thoroughly mixed. Add the milk and cream and beat in to the potato mixture and salt and pepper to taste.

Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
– 1 pound fresh green beans
– Olive oil
– Salt and pepper
– 1/2lb to 1lb Bacon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F
Blanch green beans for 3 minutes. Toss them in olive oil and salt and pepper. Bundle about 5-7 green beans and wrap a piece of bacon around the bundle. Place in a roasting pan and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until bacon is cooked.

Enjoy….

Photo and excerpt courtesy of Denny Howell at MLive.com.