Montreal Steak

Memorial Day was a great excuse to get out the grill and throw some steaks on. I have to admit (cooking novice that I am!) I had never before tried Montreal Steak Seasoning. Was it going to be spicy? Sweet? Inedible? Well I am happy to admit I was wrong on all  three counts. Montreal Steak Seasoning is fabulous!

Here is the recipe for the marinade I made with it:

1 Tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning

2 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

I used Top Sirloin and marinated it for one hour. Including an acid in your marinade (like vinegar, soy sauce, etc.) helps make that cut of steak more tender and juicy.

I didn't know what to expect, but this was a delicious seasoning - the juice burst in every bite. Yum! (If you're not a beef-eater I completely understand if you don't feel my excitement! And sorry for the...err...juicy picture right here.)

If you're not much of a grilling conoisseur and want to increase your confidence, check out Better  Homes and Gardens The New Grilling Cookbook. It is my go-to guide for grilling times. These steaks were about an inch thick and grilled for slightly less than 12 minutes total. I like to grill on high heat to seal in the juices and get nice dark grill marks, but I try to stop short of charring.

So, can I just say that I consider grill marks to be a type of art form? Okay, I don't really take it that seriously, but if it tastes that awesome it should also look awesome and grill marks take it to the next level. To make my grill marks I place steaks on the grill on the diagonal and instead of turning them once, I cook them for 1/4 of the total grilling time, rotate 90 degrees (raw side still facing up) and cook another 1/4 grilling time, then I flip them, keeping on the diagonal, grill 1/4 of the total time, and rotate again 90 degrees allowing the steak to finish cooking the last 1/4 of my time. This gives me a nice diamond pattern on the steak.

I'm interested in hearing about your favorite steak marinades. If you have a suggestion, post it below in the comments section. Thanks, and happy grilling!