Grilling, Above and Beyond the Call of Routine

As a rule, I only grill on weekends: at noon; burgers. Breaks in that schedule are generally gaps, when some family activity or other event intrudes on the routine.

Today was an exception. My wife called me to action around 4:30, with four steaks to grill for supper.

Grilling a steak calls for a different approach than what I use for burgers. Steaks are thicker, with less fat to contribute to the process: so I can't use the fast, hot 'burger' process.

Instead of three to five minutes a side, I gave the steaks about fifteen minutes each side on a medium-high heat, then set the less-done two on one side, and cranked the heat up to 'high' for them.

The results were pretty good: Next time, I'll give the process more time, and not scorch the outside of the steaks quite so much.

There's Intricate Grill Cuisine, and There's the Easy Griller Way

Now, some people don't think a steak is properly grilled unless there's a marinade, herbs, spices, and at least an hour's preparation involved before you step outside. My hat's off to those folks, but I'm the Easy Griller.

The steaks were prepared by taking them out of the freezer a few hours before supper, letting them get to around room temperature, removing the plastic wrappings, and carrying them out to the grill. I know: You're not supposed to do it that way. But we get our meat done all the way through, so it's quite safe.

It was a great afternoon, so I brought a book out with me, snagged a chair from a screen tent my wife set up in the back yard, and got some reading done. I don't suppose that's recommended practice - but I was within four feet of the grill, had a timer to check on, and could hear anything happening to the meat or the fire.

The steaks? Pretty good, if I do say so myself. And, a real treat.