Rib Steak Cooking Lesson

A friend of ours expressed an interest in learning to cook.  He has a BBQ and loves steak so that seemed like a good place to start. I picked up two nice Rib Steaks, sour cream and some mushrooms. 

First was to prep everything.  All vegetables and starches must be washed and cut up for cooking. I scrub the potato with a plastic pot scrubber, brush loose dirt off the mushrooms with a brush but keep them dry. I rinse the broccoli and shake it dry. 

First I poke holes with a fork so the potatoes won't explode, then microwave them till they are almost completely done.  Then I wrap them in foil with butter, chives and salt. They go in the BBQ on the top rack, not over the heat. They are already cooked so it's just to flavour them with the butter and chives.

The steak was first seasoned on both sides with salt, black pepper and olive oil. Then the steak goes on a hot BBQ on high heat right over the hottest part. Leave 2 minutes then rotate 90 degrees for another 2 minutes. Then turn over, 2 minutes, rotate 90 degrees and cook 2 minutes more for a total of 8 minutes.  The steaks will be medium rare at this point. If the steaks are really thin then use less time. Thick, use more. Gaining that experience depends mostly on the BBQ you use, so you have to learn how your equipment performs.

The mushrooms were fried in oil and butter with a bit of salt.  The broccoli was steamed then cooled under cold running water.  The pot was put back on the burner with olive oil to cook off the bitterness.  When the oil's bitter smell is gone add the broccoli and keep tossing it with a little salt till it warms through. 

Plate the potato with sour cream and garnish with bacon bits and fresh chives if you have them. (I had only dried) Plate the steak with the mushrooms on top and set the broccoli beside. A little grated Parmesan or cheddar on the broccoli if you want to impress someone. I was keeping it simple.

My student liked well done steak because that's how his father liked his. This time however, he decided to try it the way I make it just to see what it's like. It was juicy and full of flavour, something he'd never experienced before. He'll never have well done steak again and he's determined to changed his fathers choices. At 88 I don't think he'll change much.

Teaching cooking is just as much fun as teaching computers. I think maybe teaching people to eat well could be a good direction to go for my impending retirement.