I love a good steak, but to make a steak great, you need a simple, but great rub.  Here is what I use for my steak rub (also good on chicken, turkey, pork, vegetables, and almost anything else with the exception of toast, don’t ask):

• 1 tablespoon cracked peppercorns
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons granulated garlic
• 1 teaspoon Spanish paprika
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds, finely ground

Put a good coating on both sides of the steak and put on high grill over direct heat for about 1 1/2 minutes per side for a searing (caramelization, not trapping the juices in).  Move to indirect heat till desired doneness is reached (and leather is not a valid desired doneness).

This is a simple rub that compliments beef very nicely.

For the corn this time, I decided to make a herbed butter. I took a softened stick of butter and placed in a bowl with 2 tablespoons dill and 1 tablespoon chive, both finely chopped. It was the first time we used some fresh herbs we actually grew. After mixing the butter well, place on some was paper and form into a log.  Place in the refrigerator to solidify.  Now prepare corn for the grill, but melt a little bit of the butter and brush on the corn, before covering back up with the husks.  Grill as you normally would and serve with remaining herbed butter.

Uccelletti di Campania is loosely translated to "little country birds", but in the food world is translated to grilled beef rolls with bread and pancetta.  This is another skewered recipe that uses very few ingredients, but the powerful aromatic herb, meat, and bread combination really stands out.  As I was eating these, the flavor in a way reminded me of the famous bacon explosion, but the aroma from the sage made it really stand out.  This is great as a main dish, but you can also cut them down in size and serve them as an appetizer.  Either way, people will love the taste of these "little birds".

To start the recipe you need to butterfly the flank steak.  The best way to do this is to lay the steak flat on a surface, long side facing you.  Take a long knife (bread knife works great) and slice the steak in half horizontally, guiding the blade through the meat by placing your hands flat on top.  Make sure to keep your hand slightly behind the blade so that you don’t accidentally slice yourself.

Next, cut the butterflied steak into 12 3 X 5-inch slice.  Place each slice of meat between 2 pieces of wax paper and flatten with a mallet (or flat side of a heavy cleaver) until very thing.  Be extremely careful not to tear the meat.

Lay a slice of prosciutto and 1 sage leaf on each slice of beef with pepper to taste.  Roll the meat up and secure with a toothpick.  Double skewer the rolls, putting about 3 rolls per double skewer and place a cube of bread between each. 

Prepare the grill for medium-hot indirect grilling with a drip pan on the cold side.  Drizzle olive oil over the skewers and place on the grill and cook for about 30 minutes, turning occasionally.  When down pour the collected juices of the rolls.

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds flank steak
• 12 thin slices prosciutto
• 12 fresh sage leaves
• black pepper
• 1/4 pound pancetta
• skewers
• 1/4 loaf French or Italian bread, cut into twelve 1-inch cubes
• Salt
• Olive Oil

Today’s BBQ was a New York Strip steak for me and 2 Chicken Kabobs for the wife.  

New York Strip:

• 3 t Peppercorn Melange – rough grind
• 2 t Fresh Garlic
• 2 t Kosher Salt

Mix up the ingredients and apply to both sides of the steak.  I generally get a good roaring fire going, then sear both sides of the steak for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, then set it away from the fire to cook the remainder of the way.  This actually ended up being an easy, but very tasty steak. 

Chicken Kabobs

• 2 Chicken Kabobs from the meat counter
• About 1/4 cup Italian Dressing

Let the kabobs marinated in the Italian dressing for about an hour, rotating after 30 minutes.  Cook over direct heat for about 1 minute, then rotate, and cook for another minute.  Place just next to the direct heat and let it cook until chicken is heated throughout.

For the first BBQ of the year, it was simple and good.  The only problem I had was with the 2 lighters that stayed in the garage all winter long.  Getting those things to light the charcoal was a real pain. 

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