Monday, August 2, 2010

Perfect grill marks


These beautiful medium-rare fillet mignons, evenly cooked to perfect pink inside and seared with well defined grill marks on the outside, are not coming from my modest grill. They are coming off this elegant technological miracle, TEC Infrared grill:
This is what my friend M. gave her husband S. for his birthday. Fortunately, M. and S. are my friends and clients. That is, when they have time, they invite me for dinner and S. grills for me on his super-grill. When they don't have time, being caught between their busy work schedules, raising C., an energetic 2.5-year old, and expecting another baby, I cook for them. And then I get to use the super-grill myself!
It goes to 800 degrees in minutes, looks like the best patio decoration you can think of, and is positioned so that while you grill you get to watch the sailboats on the bay and the planes descending to SFO. It has a glass panel between the heating element and the grill, so nothing burns, and the heat is distributed evenly.

Grilled eggplant and fire-roasted peppers were never easier and better tasting. Dressed with sherry vinegar and good olive oil.

The other kind of grilling perfection is acheived indoors, on a cast aluminum griddle heated over medium-high heat: tuna steak marinated Japanese-style, with soy sauce, toasted seasame oil, mirin, wine vinegar, black and white seasame seeds, and brown sugar, grilled about 3 minutes each side, brushed with marinade.

Served with California avocadoes and heirloom tomatoes. Salt, pepper, olive oil.

1 comment:

Nancy Grossi ~ Churned In Cali ~ The Wife of a Dairyman said...

Fillets are the best! When we have natural beef harvested, I first pick out a package of fillets and save another package for the last of the stash....my favorite :)