What is it about guys and grilling?  I think it’s that whole “return to the caveman thing”, when men went out and hunted all day long for the meat, brought it back to the cave, and then built a big fire to cook it over an open flame. Throw in a few nuts and seeds there and you had a meal. Things haven’t changed too much since pre-historic times – at least when it comes to our love of grilling meat over an open fire.

So, enter modern day…Personally, I love grilled food, but I don’t like being in front of the grill to cook it. I don’t like dealing with the open flame, and smelling like smoke when I’m done.  Don’t like prepping the grill either – messes with my manicure… Wah, wah, wah…You get the picture.  Fortunately, my husband (like many other men) likes to grill, but doesn’t like the prep work so much.  I saw an opportunity here for an even trade and made a deal with my loving hubby:  I prep – he grills – we both do clean up, a win-win situation for all!

Recently, one of my Twitter followers (if you don’t already follow me on Twitter, join in the conversation @DesertBaroness) asked me to post a recipe that guys would like to make on the grill.  Since I thought there may be a few guys out there that might like to grill-up a nice V-Day dinner for their sweeties, I went to work rifling through my recipe arsenal and found a recipe that totally checked the blocks for not only hitting the mark for great flavor, but also the mark for easy preparation. I made a few modifications, adding German Thyme and Mexican Tarragon, and added yellow bell pepper to the salsa for color. What resulted is an absolutely delicious steak, that yes, any guy, or gal can make, and come away from, looking like a restaurant Chef.

The steaks turned out so well, that I thought it would be fun to make an entire meal on the grill. With that said, I’ll be sharing recipes for: Planked Prosciuto wrapped Shrimp; Grilled Romaine Salad with Balsamic Vinegar Dressing; Grilled Potato Wedge Packets; and lastly, Vanilla Ice Cream topped with grilled pineapple and watermelon. Look for posts on all of these yummy recipes coming over the next week or so.

Oh, and  just to make sure that is was all guy (and gal) friendly, I prepped and had my hubby grill it up.  The win-win scenario played out nicely.  Here’s the main course to get you started.

Happy Day of Love,

The Baroness

Argentine Spiced-Rubbed Trip-Tip with Salsa Criolla

2015-02-11 21:03:11

A deliciously seasoned steak accompanied by a tangy/spicy tomato & pepper salsa.

Write a review

Save Recipe

Print

For rub

1. 2 cloves garlic, minced, and mashed with the side of a knife with a pinch of salt
2. 1 TBS finely chopped fresh German thyme (or regular thyme)
3. 1 TBS chili powder
4. 2 tsp brown sugar
5. Kosher salt and black pepper
6. 2 lbs. Tri-Tip steaks
7. 3 TBS extra virgin olive oil

For Salsa

1. 1 large ripe tomato, cored, seeded, and finely diced (about 1 cup)
2. 1 medium yellow onion, minced (about 1 cup)
3. ½ red bell pepper, cored, seeded and finely diced
4. ¼ yellow bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
5. 1 TBS German thyme
6. 1 tsp Mexican tarragon (optional)
7. ¼ cup extra light olive oil
8. ¼ white wine vinegar
9. ¼ cup water

Instructions

1. In a small bowl mix half of the garlic paste with 1 TBS of thyme, the chili powder, brown sugar, 1 ½ TBS salt and 2 tsp black pepper. Arrange the steaks on a rimmed baking sheet pat dry and rub with olive oil. Pat the spice rub all over the steaks. Cover and let them sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
2. In a 1 quart sized Mason jar, combine the tomato, onion, garlic, red pepper, yellow pepper, oil, vinegar, ¼ cup water, 1 TBS thyme, 2 tsp salt, and 1 tsp black pepper. Shake well and refrigerate for up to 1 day before serving.
3. Pre-heat a gas grill for 10 minutes on medium-high. Oil the grill with grill mop or brush. Grill the steak until it has good grill marks on the first side 4-5 minutes. Flip the steak and reduce the heat to medium and close the grill. Continue to grill until done to your liking. 4-5 minutes more for medium rare; 6-7 minutes for more medium. Move the steaks to a cooler zone on the grill if necessary to prevent from burning.
4. Let steaks rest for 5 minutes on a cutting board, serve steaks with salsa Criolla, either on top or on the side.

Notes

1. You don’t need to use a food processor or blender when you use a mason jar and the shake-it method!

Adapted from Fine Cooking

Adapted from Fine Cooking

The Desert Baroness cooking.eating.living.blogging http://www.thedesertbaroness.com/