Shaarey Zedek Synagogue Winnipeg > Catering Services

Joel Lafond, Executive Chef with the Shaarey Zedek Synagogue Catering Department

Is spring coming already? I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to get outside and enjoy the fresh air. While it has still been a little chilly, it is not too cold to barbecue, that is for sure. It is the time of year when everyone is craving a good steak. (Unless, of course, you are a vegetarian.) When it comes to grilling steaks, I am a firm believer in buying a good steak and not just the cheapest piece of meat because it is huge. Who eats that much red meat in one sitting anymore? I would recommend a nice rib eye steak or a New York steak. The rib eye is a little more tender, but both are good, tasty cuts of beef. The following recipe is very simple, but makes for a delicious steak. It borrows from the same principles that make a prime rib taste so good. Enjoy, and remember to allow your steaks to rest for a few minutes before you cut into them. This allows the meat to relax, so to speak, and goes a long way to having a nice tender piece of beef.

Method

Thoroughly coat the steaks with all the ingredients and allow to marinate overnight if possible, but at least for a couple of hours. When you are ready to grill, sprinkle some Kosher salt, cracked black pepper and Montreal steak spice on both sides of each steak. Grill them to the temperature you like, allow them to rest for a few minutes and enjoy.

Grilled Asparagus goes well with steak. If you have jumbo asparagus, I recommend that you blanch or par-boil the asparagus first. This can be done ahead of time. Put the asparagus into boiling salted water for just a few minutes, until softened slightly, and then cool quickly in an ice bath.

The asparagus can then be drained and tossed with a mixture of olive oil, Montreal steak spice and salt and pepper. Roll them around on the grill just before the steaks are done and enjoy. The smaller variety of asparagus does not have to be blanched first. It is small enough that it will cook on the grill.

Have a great spring. Summer can not come soon enough!