Yummy Porterhouse Steak & Sauce

Yesterday we wanted to serve a really special meal for our company. My hubby had been talking about Porterhouse steaks. I had never made them, so why not try? It's fun to not know what you are doing and combine experiences. The result was a fantastic meal!

Here's our Menu:

Brie with Rosemary wafers
BBQ Porterhouse Steak with Merlot Mushroom Sause
Fresh Green Beans
Feta & Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes (posted on New Year's)
Baby Green Salad with our lastest fav Dressing (posted 5/16/12)
Corn on the cob


INGREDIENTS FOR THE PORTERHOUSE AND SAUCE:
1 Porterhouse per person
Kosher salt
Ground Pepper
Newman's Olive Oil & Vinegar Dressing
3/4 - 1 cup Merlot wine
1 lb sliced mushrooms
2 cups beef broth
6 cloves garlic, minced
4+ TBSP Wondra flour
4 TBSP unsalted butter at room temp
2+ TBSP extra virgin olive oil

DAY AHEAD:
Marinate steaks in Newman's dressing. Season both sides well with kosher salt and ground pepper. Seal in ziploc with about 1/3 the dressing. Massage well and put in the fridge. If you think about it, massage again sometime and flip the bag.

THREE HOURS AHEAD:
Bring steaks to room temperature, set on work platter. Reserve juices in bag for BBQ.

GRILLING TIPS:
Salt each side again with more kosher salt. Grill each side about 5 minutes, moving from heated to cooler areas as usual. Press steaks to check for doneness. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

MERLOT MUSHROOM SAUCE:
While steaks are on the grill, prepare sauce. In medium skillet, saute 1 pound of sliced mushrooms and minced garlic in 2 TBSP extra virgin olive oil til tender. Whisk in broth, bring to boil and reduce to simmer. Then add flour and butter to form a paste. Bring to boil again, then simmer. While simmering, slowly stir in Merlot in thirds. Add pinch of kosher salt, ground pepper and heat through. Stir frequently. Serve hot.

This was the moistest steak! Our company loved the buttery taste of the meat that just melted in our mouths. Grilled perfectly. The Merlot sauce was the perfect pairing. We couldn't stop praising the taste sensations. In fact, my hubby is having some leftovers right now.

Spot gives this 4 paws, a tail wag and a yip. Not only was she underfoot, she was under the table and was finally rewarded with her very own bone on a tea towel.

Lucy Juicies ... Yummy Sliders

These minis are just the yum! 2 lbs of hamburger makes 10 sliders. If you serve with a salad and our Deep Fried Chips, you could feed more than you think. Since I only know how to cook for 8, that's what I do. Got the idea for this recipe from a friend who gave me a Cook's Country recipe. These would also be great app's for a larger party. Wonderful leftovers for lunch, too. I like mine with dill pickle slices.



INGREDIENTS
2 lbs 85% fat ground beef (recently learned that this gives the best flavor and cooks to 90% fat - I'm sold!)
1 brick Extra Sharp Cracker Barrel White Cheddar Cheese, sliced into 10 thick pieces
3 slices wheat bread, ripped in small pieces
1/3 - 1/2 cup milk
2 tsp Kosher salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
4 cloves finely minced fresh garlic
1/2 tsp garlic salt
3 tsp finely sliced fresh basil
1 package mini hamburger buns

One hour before you want to eat... or even 24 hours ahead of time, prepare the burgers.

In large work bowl, mash the bread with the milk and seasonings until smooth. Add the milk slowly. Once this is mashed well, mix in the hamburger meat. When the meat is fully combined with the mash (you will end up using your hands so take off the rings), divide the mixture into 5 even hunks. I used a cutting board as my work surface.

Working with one hunk at a time, divide the meat in two. Taking a piece of cheese, firmly wrap one portion of meat around the cheese. Once wrapped, take the final section of meat and firmly wrap it around the first layer. You should now have something the size of a mini tennis ball. Work this again to be sure it is fully combined, then flatten to about 1/2 inch. THEN, cut this in two and make two small burgers. They will be about the size of the bottom of a juice glass if you traced it. You should have cheese in both sections.

Repeat this with the other 4 hunks. You will now have 10 mini burgers. Thick. Flattened. (Remember - start with a ball, then flatten as usual, it will just be fatter.)

Chill for at least 30 minutes separated by wax paper in a Ziplock, but up to 24 hours. (That's what we did)

TO SERVE
Get out the grill and BBQ til medium rare. Serve in mini buns. When you take a bite, the cheese will come and visit your tastebuds. Add pickles, onions, tomatoes, mustard, etc. Or this new Mayo I made tonite:

MAYO SPREAD and DIP
1/2 cup Hellman's
1 tsp Kosher salt
Juice from 1 1/2 lemons
1 tsp fresh Rosemary

Whisk and enjoy as a dip for Homemade Deep Fried Chips (from my March 19 entry) or on the burger buns.

Spot gives this 4 paws plus a tail wag. She knows that later on, I am even going to use one of these as a treat when I train her on her newest trick!