Grilling season again, in full flower. One of my favorites is grilled steaks; and since I have some maple syrup on hand, why not maple-spiced grilled steaks? In terms of the meat used, it could be boneless rib-eye, strip steak, T-bone, flank steak, skirt steak, or even filet mignon. If it’s strip steak, it should be about 12-ounces each, if it’s filet mignon, it should be 8-10 ounces each. If it’s T-bone or rib-eye, it should be at east 1½-inch thick. Whatever cut you use, figure it this way, your steak is done when it reaches 125-160 degrees F.  Using a digital meat thermometer, 125 degrees is rare, 145 is medium, and 160 is well done. Your choice.

Back in my salad days, my grilling would invariably be chuck or flat iron steak. It was a matter of economics. But, you know what? I still like cooking with those. What I discovered with these humble cuts of meat is that the longer you marinate them, the better they will be. So, for the maple-spiced steaks, spiced them up, placed them in a zip lock bag for 2-4 hours, better yet, overnight, and then grill. I am a Philistine, a barbarian, if you will, and I still prefer these cuts when they are cooked to perfection.

Ingredients:

4 steaks of your choice
Olive oil
Maple syrup
Salt and ground black pepper to state
2 tablespoon Fresh chopped oregano or 2 teaspoons dried

Instructions:

  1. About 15-20 minutes before grilling, remove the steaks from the fridge and let sit, covered, at room temperature.
  2. Brush steaks on both sided with olive oil, then with maple syrup. Season liberally with the salt, pepper and oregano.
  3. Heat your grill to high. Place steaks on grill and cook until golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. Turn and cook for 3-5 minutes more for medium rare (135 degrees F.), 5-7 minutes for medium (140 degrees F.), and 8-10 minutes for medium-well (150 degrees), or longer for well-done.
  4. Transfer the steaks to a cutting board or platter and let rest 5 minutes before slicing. This allows the juices to absorb into the meat, ensuring better flavor.
    Yield: 4 servings