You can always depend on a good neighbor. They keep a careful
watch on your home when you are away.
You can always depend on a good neighbor. They keep a careful watch on your home when you are away.
They are always there to help when you need to borrow a cup of sugar. If you enjoy talking about what is happening in the neighborhood, that cup of sugar may come with a few “cannot confirm, but cannot deny” stories too. Our neighbors are our friends, our confidants and in my case; they can also be inspiration for a good grilling story.
My family has very good neighbors where just about everyone knows everyone else.
Many have resided in the neighborhood for as long as I can remember. We are all very friendly, we get along well and it is absolutely nothing like Desperate Housewives. Well, for the most part anyway.
One neighbor in particular, Francis, has a very kind heart and is always watching out for us. We keep each other posted on our comings and goings. When we see an unfamiliar car pull into the driveway, we always check it out. When summer comes along, we are always the fortunate recipients of a few vegetables, including a little known Italian squash, Cucuzza, pronounced “ku-koo-za.”
My research tells me that the translation means, “super long squash,” and with an average length of about three feet, it is.
Just a few months ago, she inquired if I – the person who writes this column – was in fact her neighbor. My mother confirmed it for her and I learned that I had a genuine fan!
Francis says she always looks forward to reading a copy of the paper that someone brings to her. Now she has her own subscription so that she may read this column right away.
After receiving inspiration from the Herbs de Provence column, she set off to purchase some from the grocery store, only to find out that it was sold out.
I don’t know if the grocery store was just sold out at the time or if I created a run on the product. I hope she was able to purchase some later.
Knowing that I was always looking for a good grilling story and recipe, Francis thought of me when she received a mail order package of steaks. Included in the package was a combination catalog and recipe book.
The book was delivered to the house with a hand written note on it simply stating, “Give to Mitchell.”
I was experiencing a little writer’s block for this week’s installment and knew that her kindness would be the needed inspiration for this week’s column.
I understood that the prices for some of the mail order steaks were high. After doing a little more research, I found out that the steaks are a higher grade, prime and choice. They are also aged, which naturally makes them tender. The steaks are flash frozen and shipped in vacuumed packed bags. Since they are a superior product, they make an ideal gift at this time of year. Just to add a quick note, I will talk about aging beef at home in a future column.
I went in search of a great grilled recipe from the book. Not too many peaked my interest. Then I came across one for a filet mignon stuffed with bleu cheese, mushrooms and wine.
It sounded very good, until I realized that it was a prepared product. I made a good variation to this product in the past. Mine also has the benefit of cost savings.
Instead of using aged beef, you can use a piece of London broil, which in many cases is very tender.
Instead of stuffing the steak, the mushrooms are made in a grill pack to the side of the steak and the blue cheese is crumbled over the steak a few minutes before removing it from the grill.
After the steak is sliced for presentation, the mushrooms and sauce from the grill pack are poured over the steak.
London Broil with Bleu Cheese & Mushrooms makes a very nice presentation for something as simple as a family dinner, an evening affair with friends and of course, good neighbors.
London broil with bleu cheese &
mushrooms
2 to 2-1/2 pound London broil steak
4 oz. crumbled bleu cheese
8 oz. package sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves of garlic,fine minced
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/3 cup white wine
salt and pepper to taste
Step 1: Mix half of the minced garlic with the olive oil. Rub the mixture into the London Broil. Add salt and pepper to your taste.
Step 2: In a large bowl, combined the remaining garlic, melted butter, oregano, white wine and a dash of salt and pepper. Mix well and toss with the sliced mushrooms. Pour onto a large section of heavy-duty aluminum foil and wrap into a grill pack.
Step 3: Over a hot fire, grill the London Broil for 10-12 minutes on one side, after turning add the crumbled blue cheese and allow it to melt for the remaining grilling period, 8-10 more minutes for medium rare. If you would like your steak cooked more, increase both times slightly.
Step 4: Meanwhile, add the grill pack of mushrooms to the grill. Allow the mushrooms to grill for 15 minutes, shaking the grill pack periodically.
Step 5: Remove the London Broil and mushroom grill pack from the heat. Allow the London Broil to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Slice the London Broil into 1/4- to 1/2-inch thick strips and lay them on a warmed platter. Open the mushroom grill pack and spoon the contents over the sliced London Broil.
