the perfect steak

NY strip steak was also on sale yesterday, so I changed my chicken piccata plans and we grilled steak for dinner, served with sugared asparagus (one of our favorites) and roasted garlic mashed potatoes.

We learned the sugared asparagus trick about a year ago on the Next Food Network Star (we still think Rory should have won)! They're a perfect pair for steak, we think.

Freddy learned the perfect way to grill steak from another Food Network star, Bobby Flay.

Perfectly Grilled Steak

Ingredients:
2 NY strip steaks (ours were about 10 oz a piece)
Dale's Seasoning or your choice of marinade

Freddy's Instructions:
Let your steak reach room temperature before grilling. Some people might tell you that this isn't necessary, however based on the number of articles I have read, I feel that this helps grill your steak more evenly and faster. Season. You can use your marinade of choice. I sometimes use Dale's or put together a do it yourself marinade. A light brushing of olive oil and maybe some fresh cracked pepper is also a simple choice. The Seasoning and marinade is entirely up to you.

Preheat the grill. Hot as it will go for a gas grill.

Place the steaks on the grill and only flip once based on the time outlined below. Take the time and divide in half for each side. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving. This will let the juices flow out from the center so the whole steak is nice and juicy.

I use the following scale below for grilling times by thickness. These times are total cooking times. Times are approximate and will vary depending on the type of grill:

Sugared Asparagus
Ingredients:
1/2 lb asparagus, woody ends removed
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon sugar

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 375°F. Toss the asparagus in olive oil and then sprinkle with sugar to thoroughly coat. Bake for 15-20 minutes, tossing halfway through.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients:
5 red skinned potatoes
2 cloves of garlic, roasted in the oven (while still in paper) with olive oil until "squishy"
1-2 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons sour cream
Salt
Pepper
Parsley (to garnish)

Instructions:
Boil potatoes until fork tender. Drain water. Smash with a potato masher. Add garlic (removed from paper). Mash more. Add 1 tablespoon sour cream and 1 tablespoon butter. Mash more and add the rest of the sour cream/butter if needed. Salt and pepper to taste and garnish with chopped parsley.

Serves two.