Rosemary update

I am happy to report that there are 8 rosemary plants quietly growing in the terra cotta planter. I have been following the advice of the Grass Doctor, so I am watering the rosemary sparingly. I am keeping the soil moist but not saturated. I am hoping that in a few weeks I will have some fresh rosemary to use in the Cafe.

Germination!

Well, it has been a couple of weeks since I planted a handful of rosemary seeds in a pot and I am happy to report that a couple of the the seeds have germinated. I will continue to tend that pot and look for more sings of the other seeds germinating.

Slow Smoked Baby Back Ribs

I just lit the charcoal in preparation for smoking three racks of baby back ribs. Earlier today, dry rub was applied per the following proportions:

DRY RUB FOR RIBS

3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1 1/2 tablespoons salt
1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder

1. Mix all the ingredients in a bowl. Press the rub onto both sides of the ribs. This rub works best when you can coat the ribs and let them sit in a refrigerator overnight. If you are pressed for time, apply the rub 4-6 hours before you put them on the grill.

And in a few hours I will make the following BBQ Sauce:

HOME MADE BBQ SAUCE

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 cups tomato catsup
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. Heat the oil in a saucepan over moderate heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook gently, stirring for about 5 minutes.
2. Add the catsup, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, sugar, chili powder and cayenne pepper (the more chili powder and cayenne pepper you add the spicier the sauce will be).
3. Reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, until sauce has thickened, about 25 minutes.

I will place the racks in the smoker as soon as the coals are gray. 5 or so hours later, the ribs will be done. I am also serving bread, cole slaw and beer. Cocktails are at 6:30PM sharp. See you then!

Thanks for the shout out!

I am pleased to tell you, dear reader, that the East of the Equator Cafe was recently listed on another cooking blog, www.meaten.com. For those of you coming here from that blog, welcome to the Cafe!

Steaks. Charcaol briquets

Dinner tonight will be simple:

- NY strip steaks
- Corn on the cob
- Tosssed greens with home made Ceasar dressing

I have been on a bit of a charcoal kick the past few weeks. I used our gas grill throughout the winter, but now that spring is in full swing, I am firing up our Weber Kettle Grill on a regular basis. I have to plan ahead when I use charcoal, though. It is less than 10 minutes from lighting to ready in my gas grill, but the charcoal takes at least 45 minutes to be ready. I suppose I can use those 45 minutes to blog or sip some wine or an oat pop. You get the idea.

Soon, I will fire up the water smoker. Now that will be some good eating!

Rosemary

Normally, this blog is all about cooking and discussing the aftermath of trying a new recipes or a special meal. I am going to take a small departure from the usual and talk about a new project: growing fresh rosemary. I have to be upfront about this. I am not a gardener. I do not like to "work the soil," nor have I had much luck at all in any previous attempts to grow things. Some of the gentle readers of this blog are accomplished gardeners and I applaud their efforts.
I am pretty good at cutting grass and occasionally planing some new seeds. Growing other plants? Fuh-get-aboutit.

The reason why I am trying my hand at growing fresh rosemary is that our friend Amy, the proprietor of our favorite store Art of the Table, handed me a packet of rosemary seeds as part her "Spring Fling" program. I told her that I was not much or a gardener and she seemed a little surprised at that statement. I suppose that Amy has sort of thrown down the gauntlet and now it is up to me to deliver.

I went to our local hardware store and purchased a small pot in which to plant the rosemary. I checked out a couple of websites about how to grow the herb and I am now happy to report that the seeds Amy gave me yesterday are now quietly beneath some soil. All I have to do is wait for the seeds to germinate. Updates to follow as conditions warrant.

GINGER AND ORANGE MARMALADE MARINATED FLANK STEAK

I made the recipe below for dinner last night. If you like flank steak, ginger and soy sauce, you owe it to yourself to make this recipe soon.

GINGER AND ORANGE MARMALADE MARINATED FLANK STEAK
- 1 flank steak
- ¾ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup fresh ground ginger, finely chopped
- 5-6 green onions, finely chopped
- ¼ cup soy sauce for the reduction (optional)

1. In a bowl or a zip-lock bag combine all the ingredients together and mix.
Place the flank steak in the bag and push all of the air out of the bag and seal.
Place the bag in the refrigerator and allow to marinate for at least 4 hours
(over night is recommended).

2. Prepare a fire. Remove the steak from the marinade and save the marinade.
Place the steak on the grill and cook to desired doneness (6-7 minutes per side
for medium rare). Brush some of the marinade over the steak while it is cooking.

3. When the steak is done, remove it from the grill and place on a cutting
board. Loosely cover it with foil and allow the meat to rest for 10 minutes.
After resting, slice the meat across the grain and serve.

4. (Optional) While the meat is resting, pour the remaining marinade and ¼ cup
of soy sauce into a small sauce pan. Reduce the marinade and soy sauce for
6-7 minutes over high heat. Spoon the reduction over the sliced steak.

Cook’s Notes: I made this recipe last night and it was nothing short of
fantastic. I used my food processor to finely chop up the ginger and the
green onions and that really brought out the ginger flavor. I marinated
the steak for 24 hours and the meat was incredibly tender. I also made
the reduction while the meat was resting and I spooned it over the sliced steak.