A la Recherche de BBQ Perdu
So, today is a gloomy, rainy day here in DC. Fraulein M and I took the opportunity to do a bit of shopping. Given the general dreariness, we decided to get outdoorsy stuff for hiking and BBQing. And this naturally lead me to pine over last weekend, the Official Opening of BBQ Season (denoted by Daylight Savings Day).
Last Saturday, the Fraulein and I had our old friend Mr. Squishy over for dinner. He'd been kickin' it bachelor-style while his lovely wife Madam Smith was busy trotting the globe doing Terribly Important Things in the National Interest. We had a perfectly nice meal of grilled filet mignon (rubbed with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper, seared low over the coals for a minute a side, then cooked to about 120 degrees internal temp, a fine rare-to-medium-rare--I'm notorious for overcooking steaks on the grill and was quite pleased with how they came out), a medley of roasted vegetables, and a few tasty side dishes Mr. S brought over from the estimable Lebanese Taverna Market (stuffed grape leaves, tabouleh, and avocado salad). We shared a few beers, had some coffee and enjoyable conversation, but the best part? Leftovers!
As good as that meal was, the next day's lunch was better, thanks to a handy side-effect of Costco shopping: 4 filets for 3 people. Why freeze the extra one when it'll fit on the grill next to the others? That means premium leftovers! Come Sunday, a couple minutes in the microwave to warm it up, slice it as thinly as you can manage, then onto some toasted sourdough bread with a smear of Devil's Mustard* and a handful of organic greens (also from Costco--just because it's bulk doesn't mean it's crap). Heaven on toast. The only reason I don't call it life-changing is that I was already a fan of both meat and sandwiches (either independently or concurrently). I had to make a second one immediately after finishing the first. Luckily that consumed the last of the excess tenderloin (if there is such a thing), or I might have pushed myself to attempt a third. The moral? Don't be afraid to use swank leftovers in a mundane dish.
*The link is a recipe for DIYers; we cheated and bought some (although I'm not sure if it counts as cheating when we had to schlepp it 2500 miles from a shop in Belgium).
Last Saturday, the Fraulein and I had our old friend Mr. Squishy over for dinner. He'd been kickin' it bachelor-style while his lovely wife Madam Smith was busy trotting the globe doing Terribly Important Things in the National Interest. We had a perfectly nice meal of grilled filet mignon (rubbed with garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper, seared low over the coals for a minute a side, then cooked to about 120 degrees internal temp, a fine rare-to-medium-rare--I'm notorious for overcooking steaks on the grill and was quite pleased with how they came out), a medley of roasted vegetables, and a few tasty side dishes Mr. S brought over from the estimable Lebanese Taverna Market (stuffed grape leaves, tabouleh, and avocado salad). We shared a few beers, had some coffee and enjoyable conversation, but the best part? Leftovers!
As good as that meal was, the next day's lunch was better, thanks to a handy side-effect of Costco shopping: 4 filets for 3 people. Why freeze the extra one when it'll fit on the grill next to the others? That means premium leftovers! Come Sunday, a couple minutes in the microwave to warm it up, slice it as thinly as you can manage, then onto some toasted sourdough bread with a smear of Devil's Mustard* and a handful of organic greens (also from Costco--just because it's bulk doesn't mean it's crap). Heaven on toast. The only reason I don't call it life-changing is that I was already a fan of both meat and sandwiches (either independently or concurrently). I had to make a second one immediately after finishing the first. Luckily that consumed the last of the excess tenderloin (if there is such a thing), or I might have pushed myself to attempt a third. The moral? Don't be afraid to use swank leftovers in a mundane dish.
*The link is a recipe for DIYers; we cheated and bought some (although I'm not sure if it counts as cheating when we had to schlepp it 2500 miles from a shop in Belgium).
posted by Doghouse Riley at 3:57 PM
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