Steakhouse Master's BBQ, On A Shoestring!

Food Facts

Sirloin:The sirloin steak is beef steak cut from the lower portion of the ribs, continuing off the tenderloin from which filet mignon is cut. Of the steaks typically considered to be premium steaks, the sirloin is the cheapest, because the muscles still do quite a bit of work.
The sirloin is actually divided into several types of steak. The top sirloin is the most prized of these. The bottom sirloin is less tender, much larger, and is typically what is offered when one just buys sirloin steaks instead of steaks specifically marked top sirloin. The bottom sirloin in turn connects to the sirloin tip roast, which is generally considered to be a good, if somewhat tough, roast.

Edamame: A preparation of baby soybeans in the pod commonly found in Japan, China and Korea. The pods are boiled in water together with condiments such as salt, and served whole. Outside East Asia, the dish is most often found in Japanese restaurants and some Chinese restaurants, but has also found popularity elsewhere as a healthy food item.

Succotash: A food dish consisting primarily of corn and lima beans or other shell beans. Other ingredients may be added, including tomatoes, green and sweet red peppers, and possibly including pieces of cured meat or fish. This method of preparing vegetables became very popular during the Great Depression in the United States. It was sometimes cooked in a casserole form, often with a light pie crust on top as in a traditional pot pie. In some parts of the American south, any mixture of vegetables prepared with lima beans and topped with lard or butter is called succotash.

Recipes

Iceberg Chopped Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

INGREDIENTS:
1 head iceberg lettuce, cored and chopped
2 vine ripe tomatoes, cored and chopped
5 pieces bacon, cooked crisp and sliced
1/2 medium red onion, sliced into thin rounds
Marinated carrots (recipe below)
Blue cheese vinaigrette (recipe below)
Crumbled blue cheese

Marinated Carrots
2 carrots, peeled and julienned
2 oranges, juiced
1 lemon, juiced
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Blue Cheese Dressing
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
Ground black pepper to taste

METHOD:
Place buttermilk and blue cheese in a food processor and puree. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise and blend. Add the lemon juice and black pepper. Mix and reserve.

Julienne the carrots and toss in the other ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Refrigerate.

Place the chopped iceberg lettuce in a mixing bowl and toss with four ounces of the blue cheese vinaigrette. Add half of the blue cheese crumble and re-toss. In a serving bowl, place 2/3rds of the marinated carrots on the bottom of the bowl. Place the dressed iceberg in a serving bowl and sprinkle the chopped tomatoes, bacon and remaining blue cheese on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle the remaining carrots and the red onion slices on top and serve.

For more recipes, go to Page 2.

Charred Sirloin "Family" Steak

INGREDIENTS:
1-1/2 - 2 lbs sirloin steak
1/4 cup blended oil
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper

METHOD:
Dry the sirloin steak on a towel. Place the oil in a pan bigger than the steak. Lightly coat the sirloin steak with oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place on a hot part of the grill and proceed to char/grill. When charred, flip the meat over onto another hot part of the grill and repeat the process. Length of time on the grill depends on thickness of the cut. When finished, allow the meat to rest for 4-6 minutes before slicing. A quick return to the grill to sizzle the surface may be done before slicing.

Edamame and Corn Succotash

INGREDIENTS:
3 cups corn kernels, shucked from 4 ears of corn
1 Spanish onion, peeled and diced small
2/3 cup frozen peeled edamame
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 basil leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

METHOD:
In a Teflon pan, sauté the diced onions in the butter until translucent, but do not caramelize. Add the minced garlic and continue to cook. Add the corn and continue to cook on high heat until the corn is almost tender. Add the edamame, season to taste, and continue to cook for about three minutes until the edamame is hot. Toss in the chopped basil leaves. Remove from heat and transfer to a sheet pan and quickly chill in the refrigerator. Reheat when needed.

Grilled Pineapple with Vanilla Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
1 ripe pineapple, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 pint vanilla ice cream

METHOD:
Remove the top and bottom from the ripe pineapple and cut off the peel. Slice the pineapple into 1/2 inch thick rounds and remove the core. Dry the pineapple on paper towels. Combine the melted butter and dark brown sugar, and coat each of the pineapple slices then place sugared side down on a hot part of the grill. Cook for 1 ½ minutes, flip and repeat. Once grilled, place the pineapple in the center of a plate and place a scoop of vanilla ice cream in the middle.

So, how did John do in our "How Low Can You Go?" competition?

Iceberg Salad
lettuce $1.69
tomatoes $1.50
bacon $2.00
red onion $.52
carrots $.69
oranges $.66
lemon $.80
buttermilk $1.99
blue cheese $2.49
sour cream $.97
total $13.31

Sirloin Steak
sirloin steak $10.49
corn $.76
onion $.71
edamame $1.59
garlic $.39
basil $1.99
total $15.93

Grilled Pineapple
pineapple $3.99
ice cream $.99
total $4.98

Grand total: $34.22

Where does that put John on the leader's board?

1. Paul Liebrandt $32.35
Corton

2. Scott Peacock $32.60
Watershed Restaurant

3. Joey Campanaro $33.27
The Little Owl