The Real Estate Weekly Vol. 25 Vol. 25 Issue 28 | Page 38

38 VOL. 25, NO. 28 JULY 10, 2014 REAL ESTATE WEEKLY™

Tasty tips from a Southern grilling guru
(StatePoint) The seasoned griller commands an arsenal of
experience and
recipes, all having
been painstakingly
passed through the
generations and perfected over time and
temperature. The origin of these tasty traditions usually can be
found in family, and
the one often deserving the credit is dear
old Dad.
Southern grilling guru
Fred Thompson,
author of the new
book “Williams-Sonoma Grill Master” a collection of back-tobasics tips and
recipes, recalls the
influence of his father
as early as nine years
old. “Every Saturday
night my father grilled
rib-eye steaks. I
wanted to keep up
with daddy so I hung
out at the grill,” he
says. “I was fascinated
with what my father
could do.”
Take a page out of
Thompson’s book and
learn the secrets to
grilling the perfect steak:
• Buy good meat: Grass-fed and grass-finished beef tastes better and has a bolder
flavor that holds up particularly well against
the lick of the grill’s flames.
• Simple seasoning: Sprinkle steak liberally
on both sides with salt and pepper when
you take it out of the refrigerator. Brush
steaks on both sides with a little olive oil
(not extra virgin). This facilitates the heat
transfer, so you can get an evenly browned
crust and a delicious steak house flavor.
• Timing is important: There’s nothing worse

than a rubbery, tasteless overcooked steak.
Professionals use touch to gauge doneness,
and so can you. Touch your index finger to
your cheek. When the meat feels this way,
the steak is rare. Touch the tip of your nose.
That firmness equates to medium. Your
forehead is well done. “But please don’t go
there,” says Thompson.
• Let it rest: If you cut into a piece of beef as
soon as it comes off the grill, you will lose
precious juices. Give the proteins in the
steak the opportunity to unwind a little bit
from the heat they have just experienced.
Let most steaks rest at least five to 10 minutes to give the juices time to redistribute
evenly throughout the meat.

• Goes great with: Skip the steak sauce. A
pat of plain or compound butter is the perfect finish.
Even experienced grillers need new tips,
tools and tricks to perfect their steaks, ribs
and dry rub techniques. Consider gifting
dad or the grill master in your life a successful grilling season with “Grill Master.” Grill
tips, BBQ recipes and information about the
book can be found at
www.WeldonOwen.com.
“There’s a mystique that happens with
smoke and flame that you just can’t get any
way else, and it’s pretty simple to create,”
says Thompson.