Man-day Monday: Grilling

Alright, so. I know I gave this big, grandiose speech yesterday about not posting about the things I "do". But honestly, there are some activities in life that really just ought to be celebrated.

As a young woman living in a house with other young women, my roommates and I don't always have the luxury of calling our dads/brothers/guy friends to come do traditional "man's work." But we're modern, independent women, right? Or something like that...

With that brief, vague introduction, allow me to introduce a concept which we at Good to Talk will be referring to as "Man-day Monday;" these posts will celebrate a group of female friends who rely on themselves, each other, and Google to figure out how to take care of things that society would normally assign to our male counterparts. Our inaugural post is appropriately timed with the arrival of the most glorious spring I've ever seen in Minnesota: grilling.

This weekend, my roommate and I had a friend over, and I was itching to be in the kitchen. But with the thermometer reading a whopping 76 degrees, we had to grill. Now, let me preface all of this by saying that my father is the grill-master of the century; he can make anything my little meat-and-potatoes heart desires, and he can make it well. That said, I've always had a bit of trepidation surrounding the grill, because I've got some pretty big shoes to fill. My first attempt at grilling steak literally reduced me to tears and a very long sit on the kitchen floor; ask Kristen. BUT. I'm not one to give up after one (or several) failed attempts. I did some research, asked around at work, and ended up with a stellar recommendation for what promised to be the cure to my steak-grilling woes (Adam, shout out).

First, I dried the steaks and covered them in a dry rub; Montreal Steak Seasoning is quite possibly the best thing you can use, if you ask me. I let them sit in the fridge for about three hours, after which they were transferred to the freezer for 45 minutes (next time I think I might go a little longer, maybe an hour). Next came the scary step: moving the steaks to a freaking hot grill for about 2 minutes per side (again, would probably go about 2 minutes longer on each side next time). After searing the steaks, I let them finish cooking in the oven for about 45 minutes. The results? Tears of a different kind. The steaks had great flavor all the way through, were slightly crusted from the rub on the outside, and incredibly tender in the center. Noms. Take that, you little propane monster.

All in all, I'd say the experience was a life lesson. Persistence, research, courage, and patience all played a part in a lovely Saturday dinner, and I can't wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store. Hope has replaced fear, success has replaced defeat, and happy tommies replaced hungry ones.

Good to talk.

Tia