So I’ve been dating this lovely lady for a few weeks now. She’s incredible; beautiful, smart, funny and things are really looking good. Go all out to cook a romantic dinner for her. Planned on grilling. Couple of filets, baked potatoes, homemade Caesar salad and stir fried green beans in garlic and bacon.

Go to the local butcher shop which has phenomenal meats from a local ranch. They’re out of filets so I get a couple of ribeyes instead. Plan on fixining them just like I do filets, rub with local seasoning, olive oil and wrap the edges in bacon. Everything is going great, warm up the grill throw on the steaks, go out to turn them after 5 minutes and I’ve got two flaming ribeyes. I mean these things are on fire like Michael Jackson’s hair in a Pepsi commercial. I don’t know if it was the olive oil, bacon fat or fat that in the meat but they were actually flaming on fire.

I was pissed. Two USDA Prime ribeyes blackened darker than my ER Nursing soul. Trying to impress a chick and have my man card revoked for not properly grilling a steak.

All I could do was shake my head and laugh. Fortunately she saw the humor in it too laughing hysterically as I pulled a still flaming steak off the grill and plated it. “I’ve never had a man make me a vegetarian dinner before.” It actually worked out for the better, let both of see each other’s character when things don’t go to plan.

Just had an incredible night out and going adventuring tomorrow in search of wildlife to photograph. Things are looking good. So if you have a lady you’re trying to impress, cremate a couple of steaks for dinner and see how it goes.

She sounds like a keeper

quote:

“I’ve never had a man make me a vegetarian dinner before.”

That's funny.

All the best in your future!

In the future keep a spray bottle of water handy on the grill. You can use it to tame down the flames when they shot up. My dad always keep Mom's garden hose with it's sprayer handy when he was grilling. When I asked about that he let the flames build up a bit before using the sprayer and then whispered to me that Mom didn't like black steaks. At 6 years old I thought that was a big deal secret Dad was telling me.

Note, all the flames were due to the choice of a Ribeye steak. That is the one of the MOST fat laden cut on a cow and as you discovered fat burns very very well. You can get empty spray bottles at Walmart. Put one or two on your list for your next trip down to Anchorage. As for why 2, it's simple. Odds are you'll leave one at your grill and forget it when the temps get cold. My sister's Husband was JAG at Elmendorf for 4 years and she forgot the spray bottle every single year they lived in Eagle River.

So, the wedding is next weekend?

Yea but...can she shoot

That there is a find!

Very glad to hear that you made Lemonade from the lemons! (The thread title scared me there a little...you know we are all pulling for you!)

Next time, you should try reverse searing the steak. It takes a little more time, but produces a far superior steak than just grilling (IMO), is harder to mess up, and has little to no chance of setting them on fire.

It works best with a smoker. But if you don't have on you can get similar effects using your oven instead for the first part, it just won't have as strong of a smoke/grill flavor.

Smoke/bake at 225ish until the steak is 125 internal - using a leave-in digital temp probe - which will take 45-90 minutes, depending on the size of your steak.

While it's smoking, fire up your grill and get it as hot as you can. 600-700+ ideally.

Once the steak is at 125 internal, directly transfer it to the ripping hot grill to sear for 30 seconds, then quarter-turn and sear for 30 seconds, then flip for 30 seconds, then quarter-turn for 30 more seconds.

So 1 minute each side, in 30 second increments, to get the cross-hatched marks and the Maillard effect crust on the outside.

Then put the steak in a covered tray or foil-covered plate to rest for 10 minutes before serving.

You should end up with a near-fork-tender medium-rare steak.

This reverse sear technique works great with any steak, but is especially handy with really thick steaks, like multi-inch steaks, large tomahawks, etc.

^^^I don’t know about all that. I’m sure it’ll work if you’re wanting to cook a great steak, but seems to me 2000Z-71 found a simple recipe that works.

Cajun style!

Is this the same woman who made the comment about all the guns you have and you using a bottle of windex to repel the moose?

If so, I think she’s seen all the sides of you that she needs to. Sounds like a keeper!

quote:

Originally posted by smlsig:
Is this the same woman who made the comment about all the guns you have and you using a bottle of windex to repel the moose?

If so, I think she’s seen all the sides of you that she needs to. Sounds like a keeper!

Yep.

Have a friend that made the smoke detector go off while he was trying to impress his gal with a seared steak on the stove.
They’ve been happily married for over 25 years now. I think you’ve got a good recipe!

The fact that she was a good sport about the mishap speaks volumes. Had she complained about it or even asked to go home, she wouldn't be worth a subsequent date. And likes guns?

I learned a long time ago, unless I'm doing a reverse sear I never leave the grill with steak on.

One thing I’ve come to realize, in my own marriage and observing many others, is that if the gal you’re dating doesn’t have a sense of humor, or her sense of humor doesn’t match your own to some degree, then the rest of the stuff doesn’t matter much. It’s something I don’t see talked about much in the whole dating and compatibility conversation, but it seems pretty essential to me. If you can’t laugh at the same things, or consistently make each other laugh, then what’s the point? At some point, you can’t fuck, you can’t walk, you can’t chew food, but you can laugh until your dying day.

This gal’s got a sense of humor. She’s sharp.

quote:

Originally posted by mark60:
I learned a long time ago, unless I'm doing a reverse sear I never leave the grill with steak on.

80/20 burgers for the win! Just about burned a hole in my pool cage screen the first time I did 80/20 burgers. Ribeyes are a close second for flame height.

quote:

Originally posted by 2000Z-71:

rub with local seasoning, olive oil and wrap the edges in bacon.

That is your problem right there. Filet is pretty lean but ribeyes are usually pretty fatty and you introduced even more fuel (fat) for the fire there.

With that being said, it sounded like she took it well!

The modern day equivalent of "vegetarian is Inuit word for bad hunter"