NY Strips

Mr. Tom's favorite grill menu

I don't think there was a man alive who enjoyed a great steak like Mr. Tom. Around the propane gas industry both local and national he was legendary for his leadership when it came to choosing a great steak house. He was always anointed with this task on behalf of the group when they traveled to both regional and national shows. It was on one of these journeys that he would acquire a nick name that lasted him the rest of his days. T-bone!

As the story goes Mr. Tom made reservations at Bern's Steak House in Tampa Fla. ... Bern's is reputed to be one of the best steak houses in the world. The experience there is legendary this included a million bottle wine cellar that stretches two full blocks under the restaurant. The evening always includes tours of the kitchen and cellar given by the servers. In order to have dessert you make the reservation during dinner and you are reserved a seat on the second floor, you are escorted up in the elevator by your server, dessert is not served at the dinner table. Rolling carts of after dinner cordials are brought table side and the over sized desserts were just the way t-bone liked them, spectacular. It was not unusual for the dessert tabs to run fifty dollars and up, dinner, well forget about it!

The servers at Bern's make 70 to 80 thousand a year and as you might imagine, once in as a server you go nowhere else. Getting in is another story. Bern's has their own farm and raises their own produce, beef and has two 15 foot tall round fish tanks in the kitchen where the fish are still swimming until you order them. The tanks have glass walls so the guests are able to view the swimming fish. The whole experience is like Disney for foodies and especially for steak lovers. As a rite of passage the waiters are required to work on the farm for one year before the go on the floor at the restaurant. Their product knowledge is second to none in the industry.

Once you have been seated and have ordered your favorite libation the attentive staff is at your beckon call. This is generally when the kitchen tour takes place, the server will find your order hanging in the kitchen while you journey through and point to where the butcher is cutting your steak. They are not cut until your order arrives in the kitchen.

At Bern's Steak House you order your steak by the type of cut and whatever size you desire. There are minimums but no ceiling on how large, music to Mr. Tom's ears.. A typical order from Mr. Tom would sound something like this. "I'll have the king cut, just knock the horns off wipe its butt and put it on the plate". He liked it with the chill taken off! There were 8 propane gas men at the table and when the steaks arrived, the other 7 looked at Mr. Tom's Plate in amazement and asked the waiter "Lord how big is that steak". The waiter replied "that's not a steak that's a roast for a small family"! from that day forward he was T-bone.

Well the fourth of July is upon us, arguably one of the busiest grilling days of the year. Here is Mr. Toms favorite meal for the grill. Purchase a choice steak, a NY Strip would make Mr. Tom happy, 10 oz minimum, T-bone would say "14oz minimum". Mr. Tom loved a good dog with the same passion and if its dogs on the grill or a good kielbasa we suggest you stop by Big Lenny's Cart and purchase his savory relishes and mustard's to accompany your grilling. Oh and just to get into the spirit have a Big Lenny Treat while you're there. It's the thing I miss most about Rutland! Mr. Tom loved Lenny's kielbasa with the onion sauce and would always say" Lenny I'm not sure I liked that, better try another just to see".

Ingredients

4 12 oz NY Strips CAB or Choice

4 russet potatoes or good baking potato
1 bunch medium stock asparagus
2 large Vidalia onions if you can get them or white Spanish
1 stick unsalted butter/ room temp

Marinade

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped rosemary
4 cloves chopped garlic
2 teaspoons course cracked pepper
salt to taste

Place the oil, rosemary, garlic and pepper together in a bowl and whisk. Place the steaks on a flat plate and brush on the mixture and let them sit for 30 minutes at room temperature. Do not salt until the steaks are on the grill or it draws the juices from the meat.

Cut the potatoes lengthwise and open up. With a sharp knife score the potatoes fairly deep in a crisscross pattern. Spread butter across and salt and pepper them, wrap them in foil.

Do the same with the onions. Make sure to peel the outside of the onion first.

Wash the asparagus and wrap them in foil with butter and S&P.

Heat the grill on high/ turn one side to medium heat

Place the potatoes cut side up on the grill so the butter will seep into the crevasses where the potato is scored. Leave them for about 15 minutes on the hot part of the grill, turn them over and move to the medium heat for another 20 minutes.

Place the onions on the grill in the same fashion they will take a little less time and come out with a wonderful caramelized texture.

Place the asparagus on last, turn it a few times and leave them on the medium heat for 10 minutes.

Remove the steaks from the plate and let the excess oil drain leaving as much of the herb mixture on the steak as possible. Place the steaks on the hot side of the grill. Depending on how hot your grill is about 7 minutes on each side for medium rare. The meat is expensive so to be sure I would always check with a meat thermometer. Brush the steaks with the remaining marinade as they cook. 120 TO 130 for medium rare.

Mrs. Toms Secret

Make sure to let your steaks rest for at least 10 minutes before you serve or cut them in order to let the juices recover and keep the meat nice and juicy. If you pay extra for Angus beef make sure it says CAB or Certified Angus Beef. Unless it does just purchase the choice cuts.