Chuck's Favorite Meal

With all of the fancy things Chuck cooks, deep down he is a meat and potatoes kind of guy.  He first cooked this steak and potato for me not too long after we met (August 11, 2012).  We had only known each other for a couple of weeks and he had a friend coming to visit for the weekend.  I was thinking I wouldn't see them at all.  It was boys weekend, I was the new girl.  I guess I'll see you on Monday!  I was very wrong.  He called me to meet them for drinks the night his buddy got in.  He invited my roommate and me to go golfing with them the next morning. And he invited me to dinner with them, cooking this on his rooftop grill while we lounged in the heat.  It was great.

We probably have this steak once each month and I'm excited for it every time.  And wrapping a potato in bacon?  Pretty darn good!  He introduced me to his favorite salad at the end of September.  Just last week I was eating a similar, but still very different, salad and thinking how great it was and that I was going to ask Chuck to make it again.  Not kidding, the very next day he suggested we have it for dinner.

Drooling yet?  

Coffee Rub for Steak

Ingredients:

     3-4          New York Strip Steaks (we only had 2 but had some rub left)
     1 1/2 t     Chili powder
     1 T          Ancho chili powder
     1 T          Kosher salt
     1 1/2 t     Black pepper
     1/2 t        Garlic powder
     1/2 t        Smoked paprika
     1 t           Paprika
     1/2 t        Cayenne pepper
     pinch      Dried Thyme
     1 t           Ground coffee (we used an espresso blend)
                    Olive oil

Directions:

     1:     Mix all of the dry ingredients together in a small bowl.

     2:     Sprinkle each side of the steak with the rub, pat it in a little, then drizzle a little olive 
                      oil onto the steak and give it a little massage.

     3:     Let the steaks warm to room temperature before throwing them on a hot grill and 
                      grilling to your preferred taste.

Bacon Wrapped Potatoes

Ingredients:

     1      Baker Potato
     3      Bacon strips
             Salad Supreme seasoning
             Cajun/grill seasoning Chuck's pick: Slap Ya Mama, but it's only available in the 
                     south or online.

Directions:

     1:     Wash potato and leave it damp.
     2:     Sprinkle with Cajun seasoning and salad supreme. 

 
     3:     Wrap it in bacon.

     4:     Wrap in in foil.

     5:     Grill at 400 degrees, over indirect heat, for 75 minutes.

Chuck likes to slather his with sour cream and shredded cheddar.


Bacon Broccoli Salad with Green Goddess Dressing

Ingredients:

     3         Bacon strips
     1         Medium head of broccoli, cut into bite size florets
     1/2     Head of iceberg lettuce
     10       Grape tomatoes, halved
     1/3     Cucumber, quartered and thickly sliced
                Green Goddess Salad Dressing

Directions:

     1:     Dice and cook the bacon.

     2:     Add broccoli to a glass bowl with enough water to cover the florets, cover but leave a 
                        vent and microwave 2 minutes or until you can start to smell the broccoli.  Let 
                        rest 5 minutes, drain the water and refrigerate so it completely cools.

     3:     Tear iceberg lettuce and put in a salad bowl, top with cucumber and tomato, 
                        followed by the cooled bacon and the broccoli once it is completely cold.

     4:     Toss with dressing just before serving.