STEAKS AND STUFF

Not much to say about this one, as it is dominating this web page with the way it looks.

The pan sauce is pretty simple... sautee some shrooms and shallots in a little red wine until it reduces by about half. Next, add a little beef stock and tomato paste and continue to cook on med-high heat until the pan sauce is nice and rich brown.

This steak was cooked to a nice medium/medium-rare temp which I like b/c i can't decide which texture I like better. If you feel like you're not getting enough protein with a big slab of steak, try adding some jumbo shrimp to the equation. I like to make this meal and eat it next to a bench press and eat meat while I lift metal.

GRILLED BUFFALO CHICKEN SALAD

Oh man, this is one of my favorite things to eat, because it is a great medium to use hot buffalo sauce and blue cheese dressing at the same time..

Marinated chicken breast is always good. Buffalo sauce is always good. And blue cheese dressing is always good.

So all three together are always great.

Not much to this one here except making this buffalo sauce and this blue cheese dressing and then putting it on a fresh bed of romaine lettuce. Bacon bits, tomatoes and other stuff don't hurt either.

And then eat it. Don't forget to do that while you're drooling all over yourself.

SMOKED PORK BUTT

A little butt goes a long way. After chopping, pulling, shredding, or whatever you plan on doing, this sucker will make a ton of meat. I will be making one every single weekend for the rest of my life.

I finally smoked my first pork butt the other day, and it turned out awesome.

Not much to this article, except that cooking this meal not only allows you to drink beers for over seven hours, but it actually requires it. Actually, I didn't drink that many, but may have to next time, huh.

Simply put... I had a 4.5 lb. pork shoulder (butt), and put a dry rub on it that consisted of chili powder, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, sugar, and salt/pepper. Left it on the smoker for 6 hours, continuously adding wood chips and a few coals in the middle. After six hours, it was transferred to the oven for an hour at 250-degrees, wrapped in foil.

When it's done, let it cool for 30 or 40 minutes, and then pull or chop. I recommend a nice spicy, vinegar barbecue sauce.

I also recommend serving with black and blue cole slaw. Mixture of chopped red cabbage, mayonnaise, vinegar, crumbled blue cheese, finely chopped onion, and parsley.

FABULOUS GRILLING PASTE

Asparagus with bearnaise sauce (great tangy, buttery sauce), fried sweet potato chips, seared top sirloin with homemade blue cheese dressing.

My future mother-in-law, a fabulous woman herself recently sent Audrey and I a gift that included two wonderful items from Williams- Sonoma: 1) Oaxacan Grilling Paste (chipotle chili, oregano and garlic); 2) Provencal Grilling Drizzle (rosemary, thyme and lavendar olive oil). From the moment they entered my huble abode, I could not wait to use them.

The following night, I finally had my chance with a fat 12-ounce top sirloin (pound for pound, the best cut of meat for the price, considering taste, tenderness and steakability ... thanks to my dad on this piece of knowledge). After rubbing paste on each side of the steak and letting it sear on each side for a few minutes, I had a wonderful looking grilled piece of cow.

The purpose of this article was mainly to let anyone reading this know that if you want a great tasting grilling paste or something to make your steaks taste outstanding, then please please try the Oaxacn Grilling Paste from Williams-Sonoma.

It has a nice peppery taste to it, with a hint of Mexican/Cajun. It reminded me of a rub they use on the prime rib at Tim's Cajun Kitchen in Huntsville, AL. However, a prime rib is a pretty lousy cut, unless you're eating it for breakfast.

So, anyway, this paste has served one important purpose in my recent life ... I WILL be eating more steak until it's gone. I love this stuff. Give it a try. Visit your local Williams-Sonoma.

The total meal you see presented with this was a combination of many different spices and sauces that are meant to totally mask the taste of any real food. Just kidding. Despite using many sauces, I am able to still taste the food underneath, believe it or not.

I will eventually put everything in this meal up online: Steak with grilling paste and fine grilling oil covered with homemade blue cheese dressing; fried sweet potato chips; asparagus with a homemade bearnaise sauce. And Audrey, eating like an animal.