Sometimes you just want something different.

I had just gotten back from Florida and had received a complimentary package of strip steaks from one of my new sponsors for 2017, Certified Angus Beef (this isn't a sponsored post, though). Normally, I'm just a salt, pepper, and maybe garlic guy with steaks but tonight I was wanting something different.  

Tennessee was smoky and grey...I was wanting something different.  Something more "Sunny Florida Beaches" than "Tennessee Smoky Mountains" and this is where that inspiration took me.

Ginger Rubbed Strip Steaks with Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Veggies

Published 12/12/2016

Ingredients

• 4 Certified Angus Beef NY Strip Steaks
• kosher salt, to taste 
• course ground black pepper, to taste
• 2 teaspoons ginger paste
• 2 cups cooked sweet jasmine rice

For the compound butter

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek (red chile paste)
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
• 1/4 teaspoon ginger paste

For the Sweet and Sour Stir Fry

• 1 tablespoon peanut oil (sub another high heat oil for allergies)
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/2 red bell pepper, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1/2 green bell pepper, cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 white onion, peeled and cut into 1/2" pieces
• 1 pineapple, peeled, cored, cut into 3/4" thick rings

For the Sweet and Sour Sauce

• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/3 cup Mr Yoshida's Gourmet Sauce (or a quality teriyaki sauce)
• 1 tablespoon sambal oelek 
• 1 tablespoon pineapple juice or nectar
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste

Instructions

1. Make the compound butter.  Mix the ingredients together.  You can do this ahead of time but keep refrigerated until an hour before serving.
2. Make the sweet and sour sauce.  Mix ingredients together in a medium pot and simmer over medium high heat until thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. Rub the steaks with the ginger paste, a half teaspoon per steak.  Set the steaks out at room temperature for an hour.
4. Preheat a charcoal grill to 450°f and set it up for direct heat.
5. Grill pineapple slices until lightly browned and have grill marks - about 2 minutes per side. I like to rotate them a quarter turn on each side so you get the cross hatch marks.  Cut all but 4 of the rings into cubes.  Save the other 4 for garnish.
6. Make the Stir Fry Veggies.  Preheat a small wok over high heat.  Add the oil and stir fry the vegetables for 6 minutes.  Add the chunked pineapple and sweet and sour sauce, cook until the sauce is thickened and slightly clinging to the vegetables, another 2-3 minutes.
7. Grill the steaks.  Generally season both sides with salt and pepper. Grill about 4 minutes per side for medium rare, pull when they reach an internal temperature of 125-127°f.   
8. Butter let it rest.  Immediately top each steak with 1-2 tablespoons of the compound butter and allow them to rest for 5 minutes while you prepare the plates.
9. Serve each steak with a slice of grilled pineapple and a half cup of sweet jasmine rice topped with the sweet and sour veggies.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 00 hrs. 20 mins.

Cook time: 00 hrs. 40 mins.
Total time: 1 hrs. 00 mins.

Honestly this might be a little more compound butter than you need but you can use the leftovers to pan toss some potatoes or throw in with some scrambled eggs.  Don't like cilantro? Use green onion instead.

Grilling the pineapple concentrates it's natural sugars and amplifies it's flavor.

No reverse sears, sear/roasts, etc tonight - just a quick straight grilling over direct heat.  This was on my BGE Mini-Max (a small ceramic kamado grill).

I did the veggies this small wok on my gas grill's side burner. 

This really satisfied my craving for something different.  The bright flavors made me forget it was grey and blah outside.

Perfect medium rare.

Certified Angus Beef visits Knoxville

Speaking of Certified Angus Beef, I've got Chef Michael Ollier coming to my house THIS THURSDAY (12/15/2016) at 12:30pm to do a Facebook Live video.  

We'll be talking about using a whole beef tenderloin for the centerpiece of your holiday meal.  We will be talking about how to select the perfect roast, cooking options, and we will into using the reverse sear technique on this great cut of beef.  So tune in this Thursday on the Certified Angus Beef Facebook page at 12:30pm Eastern time.