Today is the beginning of my birthday festivus- the two weeks surrounding my birthday. So in celebratory fashion, I have invited our friends, Michael and Clay, over for dinner, along with my mom and our son, Seth. And yes, we love all our kids, however Tyler and Logan live in Knoxville so we will celebrate with them soon. That is the fabulousness of birthday festivus.
I didn’t really plan to have a dinner party, but a trip to Publix Saturday changed the course. Thick, bone in ribeye steaks were on sale-like half price on sale. And that is a great reason to have friends and family over. It is a dreary, rainy day today, but I am hoping the sun will come out long enough to toss them on the grill.
I love to have friends over and one thing I have learned is not to make dinner too complicated. People like good, simple things. And it is okay to buy some premade things to add to the dinner as well.
First thing this morning, I placed the steaks into a pan and poured Allegro Marinade over the top. I will flip the steaks a few times during the day to make certain both sides soak up the marinade. I leave the steaks in the pan on the counter throughout the day. I want to make certain these thick steaks are room temperature all the way through before we place them on the grill. I know this will be controversial, however I have been doing this for years with great results.
Michael is bringing a potato dish and I am going to make some broccolini tossed in olive oil and garlic, with a splash of lemon at the end. I have Ree Drummond’s Flourless Chocolate Cake in the oven (I am gluten sensitive and this cake is wonderful). I will throw together a small cheese board and open a bottle of red about 30 minutes before everyone arrives. And I will also open a really sweet white for Clay. I don’t fuss about Clay’s sweet white wine preference because he is my only friend that will drink Port with me. And for that, I am grateful.
I am not a fancy girl. I will set the table with some chargers and my white plates I have had for ages. I just think food looks better on a white plate. And I will add some cloth napkins (I have several patterns, I absolutely love cloth napkins). My silverware may or may not match- some things are just not that important to me. The most important thing are those seated around the table.
AFTER DINNER UPDATE: The cheeseboard started out as a disaster. The Brie I was going to use was expired and yes, it tasted bad. I had a block of white sharp cheddar in the back of fridge. I sliced it up and then it hit me… my friend Traci had gifted me some homemade strawberry jam and so I plopped it on the board along with some thin slices of jalapeno. I was in such a hurry, I threw the jalapeno slices into the jar lid, which in the end was kind of cute. So what started as a cheeseboard fiasco ended up being the perfect board of sweet, savory, spicy. I could have made a meal out of just that. The steaks were wonderful…I wish I would have gotten a picture of the pink/reddish center that I love so much. How in the world can you write a food blog and not get a picture of the inside of the perfectly cooked steak?
I highly recommend using a meat thermometer. After years of cooking steaks to perfection, Jay can do it in his sleep and can tell the temp of the steaks just by touch. This is a learned practice that takes lots of experience, so purchase a digital meat thermometer if you are a beginner. Also- I have been using a meat thermometer for 20 years and I still don’t really know how to program one. I just check it often to see how things are coming along. So, you don’t have to be tech savvy to use one.
Michael and Clay arrived tonight with a 2017 bottle of Silver Oak Cabernet. Silver Oak is one of my first loves and Jay and I spent half a day in 2018, with Michael and Clay, taking a chef’s tour of their winery. I made a picture at their winery that even made their annual calendar. It is a magical place and they turn out some of the best new world wines I have ever had the pleasure of drinking. We opened another red, a bottle of Bertani Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. The two wines were very different but both were special in their own rite and were a great pairing to the thick ribeyes.
And as for the dessert- I am not a baker, however this cake is one of the best desserts I have ever made. And the fact that is it gluten free is just…icing on the cake!
Steak Night Dinner
Ingredients
5 thick cut ribeye steaks
1 bottle of Allegro marinade
lots of freshly ground black pepper
Directions
Marinate the steaks overnight or at least 6-8 hours. Make certain the steaks are at room temperature before cooking. I pull my steaks out of the fridge in the morning and set them on a counter to marinate. Preheat the grill to at least 450 degrees and sear the steaks for 3 minutes on each side, lower the heat and close the lid until the steaks reach 125 degrees. I prefer my steaks medium rare, If you like them more done, continue cooking them accordingly. Pull the steaks from the grill and let them rest for at least 10-15 minutes before serving.
HINT: The resting of the meat is just as important as the cooking of the meat. Always rest at least 10-15 minutes prior to making a cut.
