The weather is finally getting warmer. You know what that means… grilling season!
Are you known as the grill master in your home or neighborhood? Our friends at Macy’s are on the hunt for the next Great American Grilling Guru* and that could be you!
In 2014, Just A Pinch member Sherri Williams competed and was crowned Macy’s Great American Grilling Guru. She’ll be at the Macy’s 4th of July Fireworks celebration in New York City this summer and Sherri scored $10,000! Think you have the chops to compete? Check out macys.com/culinarycouncil for all the details.
And my, my there are so many great “winning” grillers on Just A Pinch. For me and my husband, we love to grill steaks. Choose different cuts of meat, adjust the seasonings, mix-up the marinade and you create a magnificent meal.
The marinade for Ashley Muller’s Bold Tastin Grilled Steak is extremely easy to whip up, and boy does it make the steak so tasty. “This was a favorite when I was growing up,” reminisces Ashley. “We rarely had meat but when we did, we sure loved the bold flavors this marinade brought out!”
The blend of spices (clove, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, pepper) is just perfect and would compliment any red meat. But I have to say it was especially good on steak!
“Unless properly treated flank steak can come out as tough as shoe leather or as crispy as overcooked bacon,” explains Scott Anderson. “The biggest tip is to marinate the flank steak overnight to tenderize it and bring out the flavor.”
The red wine and red wine vinegar in Scott’s Grilled Sesame Flank Steak recipe break down the enzymes and make the steak extremely tender. Don’t forget to let it rest for a few minutes before slicing (it will be hard to not dig in!). Resting allows all the juices and flavor to stay in the meat.
Shirley Terhaar also adds red wine to the marinade for her Steak on the Grill. But she also has another secret ingredient… coffee!
“We like T-bone steak and it’s the best with this recipe,” shares Shirley. I thoroughly enjoyed the subtle flavors in this steak. The red wine and the coffee beans make for a wonderfully rich taste.
Want to impress guests at your next cookout? Look no further than Eddie Jordan’s Steak Parmesan with Grilled Vegetables recipe. “Good meal… what can I say,” jokes Eddie.
Alongside the steak seasoned with garlic, basil and pepper, Eddie grills peppers and onions. He coats them with a yummy Parmesan cheese, vinegar and oil mixture. You could try other veggies too. I bet zucchini or portobello mushrooms would work great. This is one super satisfying meal.
While it’s great to let steak marinate, sometimes guests drop by unannounced and you need to put together a quick meal. That’s why I suggest whipping up a batch of Dana Ramsey’s Blackbear’s Grilling Sauce and keeping a stash in your fridge.
“It is so yummy I swear I could drink it right out of the container,” says Dana. Paprika, brown sugar, chili powder and chipotle peppers are only a few of the ingredients that help to pack a big flavor punch. This sauce is versatile, delicious and possibly addicting.
Grab a glass of sweet tea or a refreshing cocktail and get grilling!
*Contest closes 5/2/15