Saturday, June 09, 2012

Grilled Pineapple, Tenderloin, Sauté Carrots with Shallot

A PERFECT DINNERAgain....it's been a while since blogging has happened. I'be been gone at a conference for a week, NOT cooking, all eating out. Poor Wayne has had to fend for himself.BUT last night I got to cook again! I got a most beautiful pineapple in a gift bag (also from speaking at a conference) ripe, sweet and just waiting to be grilled along with steaks.I peeled it and then split into quarters, cutting out the core. Then concocted a marinade of honey, ground hazel nuts, orange juice and chili powder, oh...and butter.I had some tenderloin steaks, just the right size. Defrosted, dried, rubbed a mix of herbs from the garden that included chive, rosemary, lavender, and salt and pepper. Then I put them on a grate and put them in the freezer to dry just a bit. Why? Any meat will not get nice and brown-crispy with perfect grill marks if it wet in anyway. The wetness absorbs all the heat when it hits the grill by making steam. Steaks in particular need to be DRY. The slightly frozen outside is perfect because the freezing also drys the outside. It also allows the outside to heat up and cook/brown while the inside stays rare to medium rare. JUST PERFECT!Here's a pic of the grill.
I put the marinated pineapple on first, turning to brown all sides then put them up on the warming rack while I put on the steaks. Then went inside to sauté the carrots. Get a nice sizzle on the steaks, then turn 90 degrees for grill marks. Go inside, shake and stir the carrots, go outside... Flip the steaks... Go inside, stir the carrots....go outside rotate steaks 90 degrees (grill marks again).....go inside...add spinach leaves to Vegies....go outside...take off steaks...THEY ARE DONE. cover steaks with foil to rest 5 min. Retrieve pineapple from grill, plate. Plate the vegies, plate your steaks, pour wine (red), EAT! Ahhhhhhh, bliss!Ideally, outside on the deck....BUT it's still so freaking cool here we went inside to watch six Mariner pitchers throw a NO HITTER against the Dodgers!PRICELESS!

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