If I remember correctly, I made a claim in yesterday’s post that our Sunday steak dinner would be divine. Chris thought it was. I thought about it too much. Let’s start with my journey to Whole Foods to purchase the meat. As I was leaving with the boys, Chris gave me some advice to heed when I was speaking with the butcher. “Just tell him you want a steak to grill that is really good, but won’t break the bank!”

“Really good…won’t break the bank,” was the mantra I continued in my head until I reached the meat counter. A nice young man asked me if he could help me and I certainly did tell him what Chris suggested I tell him. And, I said I needed enough for my husband and I at dinner (we would give the boys a taste, but we provide back up in the form of hot dogs for them).  I also told him we were hungry people. This whole while, I’m eyeing the average cost per pound at around $12. Was that normal? Expensive? I had never bought steak like this before, I didn’t have a clue. And, no, I didn’t think I needed grass-fed beef. The nice butcher held up a rather large hunk of meat and said, “This is a little more than a pound.” Perhaps it was the gasp that escaped my throat or the look of surprise on my face or both, that caused him to immediately ask if that was too much. Ha! For sure that was too much, but he was talking in terms of weight. I’m talking in terms of big slab of red meat being cut right then and there in front of me-too much for my brain. “I can certainly get you a smaller piece,” he assured me. No, no. That wasn’t the problem. I explained to him that I was new at this and I’m sure that if he cut me a smaller piece, that would be fine. I asked him how to grill it appropriately and found I was surprised when the whole process wouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. Turn one side of the grill really hot so when the steak hit it, it would get a nice sear, then after five minutes, move it to the other side where there was no heat and close the lid to get a nice smoky way about it. Ok. “One side really hot…nice sear…five minutes…close lid…no heat….” repeating to myself until I could unload it on Chris and not carry the burden of forgetting the butcher’s suggestion.

I had thought about cooking up my favorite cherry tomatoes from Whole Foods with some button mushrooms, fresh basil, garlic and olive oil in a foil “bowl” on the grill, but Chris suggested instead cooking them in a white wine butter sauce on the stove top, similar to Pappardelle Party. A much better choice.

I wish you could have smelled it! While I was tending to my tomato, mushroom concoction, Chris was tending to the steak. (Queue: Tim Allen’s man sound from  Home Improvement).  I’m sure that’s what I had to have been hearing from the back yard!

Turns out this cut of Top Sirloin was pretty thick in the middle and my loving husband was doing me a favor by cooking it a little longer. I do cringe at pink meat in the center, if I’m being honest. However, I know and appreciate that steak is supposed to be at it’s finest with a pink center. Again, thinking too much. I was ravenous by now and told him to just take it off and I’d eat around the edges if necessary.

I threw my fresh basil in with the tomatoes and mushrooms at the end, just long enough for the leaves to wilt, and placed it onto the table next to the meat. It did look lovely and smelled even better.

Oh my word, look at that pink. It was hard for me to eat this, I will admit. Chris loved it. Logan loved it, too! He said he liked the middle! Oh my word, again! Chris said that was his idea of the perfect meal. He even enjoyed last night’s meal more than the ribs we cooked a while back. I happen to prefer the ribs by a long shot, as well as the pork chops. When it comes right down to it, I don’t prefer the actual taste of steak and I think i’ve said it before. If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times! (Right? Hehehe!). Well, after I told that to Chris, he was quick to remind me that the steak I ate and loved at Craftsteak in Las Vegas was the best I’ve ever eaten. I assured him that whatever it was that they did to that steak was magic and we are without the secret.