This is a recipe for grilling steak that I got from Bobby Flay’s cookbook, “Grilling for Life.” I’m always on the lookout for a good grilling dish. This one fits the bill. It’s got avocado, chilies, oregano, cilantro, the works.  While the  gill is hot, and you need a unique option, this it it.

SMOKEY AND FIERY SKIRT STEAK WITH AVOCADO-OREGANO RELISH

Serves 6
For the smokey and fiery dressing:
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 chipotle chilies in adobo
1 tsp honey
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ cup canola oil
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Combine the vinegar, garlic, chilies, honey, salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the oil and blend until emulsified. Add the cilantro and pulse two times just to incorporate.

For the avocado-oregano relish:
2 ripe Hass avocados, pitted, peeled and coarsely chopped
Juice of 2 limes
½ medium red onion, finely chopped
2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp finely chopped oregano leaves
¼ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.

For the grilled skirt steak:
2 lb. skirt steak, cut crosswise into 3 equal pieces
1 tsp canola oil
1 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Method:

1. Heat your grill to high.
2.  Brush the steak with the oil and season both sides with the salt and pepper. Grill, turning once, for 6 to 8 minutes until slightly charred and cooked to medium-rare. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes.
3.  Cut the meat against the grain into ½-inch thick slices. Drizzle each with dressing and top with 2 tablespoons of the avocado relish. Serve the remaining relish on the side if desired.

This recipe renders the prefect cheeseburger for grilling. When grilling outdoors (or indoors, for that matter), cheeseburgers are a must for most of us. Place the burger on the grill, cook for a minute or so, add a slice of cheese and cook until it melts. That is the national method (some say it’s written in the Constitution). But ever try an Inside-Out Cheeseburger? If not, you’re in for a treat. Place the cheese inside the burger and then grill.  It makes for something unique and wonderful.

With my inside-out burgers, I use mozzarella cheese. It makes for a deliciously rich burger. But you can use whatever cheese you like, even Velveeta which my wife, Holly, hates. To her it’s a processed chemical product  that isn’t really cheese. She says you’re eating plastic. But, that’s another conversation.  Figure it this way, can you imagine an inside-out burger with Spanish Manchego cheese? Or Brie?, Or feta? The possibilities are endless. You can’t go wrong with this one.

INSIDE-OUT CHEESEBURGER

Ingredients:

1½ to 2 pounds ground beef or if, preferred, ground turkey or ground chicken
Salt and black ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon fresh chopped oregano leaves  or 1 teaspoon dried
About ¼ pound mozzarella, cut into 4 pieces

Instructions:

1. Start a charcoal or  gas grill over medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes.
2. Season the meat with salt, pepper and oregano. Divide meat into four portions and shape each around a piece of cheese, enclosing it fully.
3.  Cook over moderately hot fire: you will be able to hold your hand 3-4 inches over rack for a few seconds. Grill burgers about 4 minutes per side for medium-rare, 6-7 minutes for medium, and 8-9 minutes for well done. Note that cheese begins to melt after 4-5 minutes, but if cheese is well enclosed, that won’t matter.
4. Serve on buns or rolls and garnish as you like.
Yield: 4 servings.

For the 4th of July barbecue I decided to do a chuck roast on the grill.  Now, you may be saying, “Grill a roast? Isn’t that  a contradiction in terms?” Well, not at all.  If you go by common definitions, grilling is a fast cooking method that gives meat its brown charred color. That’s what you do on the 4th with your burgers and franks. Roasting is  more slow cooking process used to cook bigger pieces of meat over a period of time. So how does one grill a big piece such as a chuck roast? Simple, cut it into smaller pieces and then grill as normal.

For this recipe I chose chuck roast because, with the marinating procedure, it makes no difference if its the humble chuck or a more expensive cut. The marinade coats the meat so that it’s succulent whether its skirt steak or chuck. Save Money. Barbecue the chuck roast and still get accolades from family and friends.

GRILLED CHUCK ROAST

Ingredients:

1 beef chuck roast 3 to 3½ pounds
¼ cup red wine vinegar
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tablespoon fresh oregano leaves or or 1 teaspoon dried
¼ cup fresh rosemary
¼  cup fresh parsley
1 teaspoon honey
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup fresh cilantro

Instructions:

1. Rinse chuck roast under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Combine the vinegar, olive oil, garlic, oregano, rosemary, parsley, honey, salt and pepper in a blender, and blend until smooth.  With the motor running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil and blend until emulsified. Add the cilantro and pulse two times more to incorporate. Prick the meat all over with the tines or a fork or sharp knife. Place the chuck roast and oil/herb mix in a zip-lock bag, turning once or twice to coat, and refrigerate overnight.
3. 30 minutes before grilling, remove meat from the refrigerator and let sit, inside the zip-lock bag, at room temperature.
4. Heat the grill to medium high. Remove roast from bag, and cut into four 4 or5 portions. Place on grill and cook until slightly charred, 2-3 minutes per side. Close the grill and cook, turning once, 6-8 minutes for medium-rare, 10 minutes or more for medium or well done. Remove meat from grill and let rest on a platter for 5 minutes before slicing.
Yield: 4 or more servings.

Here we go again. Another recipe that came about because of the wine club I belong to. This time Laithwaite’s Wine sent me a 2014 Malbec , Tri-Tip, from Lodi California (not Argentina) that is tailor-made for a barbecue or a steak dinner. They also enclosed a recipe for a grilled steak that is given below. Malbec and steak go together marvelously. But even if you don’t have a Malbec on hand, a good Burgundy, or Zinfandel, or Cabernet, will be just as good. The juicy, spicy meat of a flame-grilled steak is a delicious pairing with a good red wine.

Now, for the cut of meat. This recipe can work with  your favorite steak, be it T-bone, porterhouse, rib eye, filet mignon (if you’re in the mood to splurge), New York strip, flank, sirloin, or even chuck steak. You’re only limited by your pocketbook. Also, with the ingredients given, this dish makes lesser cuts of meat seem spectacular.  In fact, chuck steaks are great for grilling with this recipe.

So, light up the grill, add some potatoes and a veggie, and you’re set.

SPICY GRILLED STEAK

Ingredients:

4 steaks, about 1 to 1½-inch thick, about 1 pound each
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 teaspoons black pepper
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon white sugar
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon cayenne
½ teaspoon chipotle

Instructions:

1. Rinse the steaks under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. In a small bowl or cup, combine all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Rub mixture onto each steak. Place in a large zip-lock bag and refrigerate for at least 24 hours. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before grilling.
3. Heat your grill to medium-high. Place steaks on grill and cook until golden brown and slightly charred. Depending upon the desired level of doneness, you can grill the steaks 4 to 5 minutes. Then turn over and continue to grill 3-5 minutes for medium-rare; 5-7 minutes for medium; or 8-10 minutes for well done. Transfer to a cutting board or platter and let rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.
Yield: 4 servings.