Grilled Rib Eye Steak Cookout—A Favorite for Company!

In my post late last night, I mentioned that we had out-of-town company over for dinner. These were longtime friends from Iowa, who were here in Dallas. We thought they’d enjoy an outdoor cookout, especially since back in Dubuque, Iowa, where they’re from, the weather was still a bit too chilly for an evening dinner outside! Imagine that! Well, that is definitely not a problem here in Dallas! So we thought we’d serve them up some VERY WARM Texas hospitality.

Last night we served marinated steaks, oven-roasted baby red potatoes, oven-baked asparagus spears, a tomato pepper salad, and coconut cream pie for dessert. The recipes are below.

TERIYAKI MARINATED RIB EYE STEAKS

2 T. olive oil
2 T. grated fresh gingerroot
6 garlic cloves, minced
6 green onions, finely chopped
2 cups thick teriyaki basting glaze
4 T. fresh lime juice
1 tsp. sesame oil
8 (12 oz.) rib eye steaks, 1 ½ inch thick

For the marinade, in a small saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add ginger and garlic; cook and stir 1 minute or until garlic is slightly golden. Add onions; cook and stir 1 minute more. Stir in teriyaki glaze, lime juice and sesame oil. Remove from heat; let cool. Place steaks in large resealable plastic bag; add marinade. Seal bag; turn to coat. Refrigerate 8 hours, turning occasionally. Coat grill rack with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat grill to medium-high heat (350 to 400 degrees). Remove steaks from marinade, and place on grill, Grill, covered, 7 to 10 minutes on each side, or to desired doneness. Remove from grill and serve.

OVEN ROASTED RED POTATOES

4 pounds baby red potatoes, washed and cubed
½ cup olive oil
2 (1 ounce) envelopes dry onion soup and dip mix

Coat potato cubes with olive oil in 10 by 13-inch baking pan. Sprinkle potatoes with onion soup mix, and stir to evenly coat. Bake about 45 minutes in 375 degree oven, stirring occasionally.

BAKED ASPARAGUS IN GARLIC BUTTER

2 lbs. fresh asparagus spears
1 cup butter
¼ cup minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

Place the spears in a single layer on baking sheet. In a saucepan over medium heat on stovetop, melt butter. Add garlic and stir to combine. Cook 3-4 minutes, being careful not to brown the garlic. Ladle the garlic-butter mixture evenly over the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (The asparagus can be prepared to this stage a day in advance. Cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to bake.) Bake, covered with foil, for 15 minutes, or until the asparagus is bright green and just tender. Be careful to not overcook, as the asparagus will become soggy. Serve immediately. Makes 12 servings.

GREEN PEPPER TOMATO SALAD

2 green bell peppers, sliced thinly
4 large tomatoes (beef steak is best, preferably ripened on-the-vine)
1 large yellow onion, sliced thinly
1 cup pitted black olives, sliced in thirds

Dressing:
¼ cup canola or olive oil
¼ cup white or wine vinegar
1 T. oregano
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. black pepper

Stir bell pepper, tomato, onion and olive slices together. Mix dressing ingredients together and stir into vegetables. For best flavor, chill 1-2 hours before serving.


COCONUT CREAM PIE

One baked 9-inch pie shell
1 cup sugar
½ cup all purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 cup milk
2 cups half and half
4 jumbo eggs, separated
2 tsp. vanilla
4 T. unsalted butter
1 ¼ cup sweetened coconut
Meringue topping

Whisk the four egg yolks in small bowl and set aside. Mix the sugar, flour and salt in saucepan. Add milk and half and half. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Reduce heat to low, and cook 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir about 1 cup of this hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks. Return egg mixture to saucepan and blend in with the rest of the cooked mixture. Cook 2 minutes more over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla, butter and 1 cup of the coconut and blend well. Pour into baked crust.

Make meringue topping by beating the 4 egg whites with 1/4 T. of granulated sugar (ideally ultra fine sugar), ¼ cream of tartar and ½ tsp. vanilla extract. Beat until firm peaks are formed, and spread on top of filling. Sprinkle with remaining coconut. Bake in 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes. Remove from oven and chill at least 2-3 hours before serving.

Happy grilling!
~Becky