Today is all about adapting. I planned to grill with Spencer as Jason was working extremely long hours this week. We needed some extra meals for the next couple days. Then the forecast turned to rain and I decided to adapt and accept. We started the grill and got a few recipes together. This one is Strip Steak with Caramelized Onions and Wine Glaze.
No, it’s not ideal grilling weather but we put out extra towels on the hardwood floor for going in and out of the house, rain jackets were put on and we moved ahead with the plan.
The other adaptation was changing this recipe. We make this indoors all the time, but thought it would be fun to make some tweaks and grill it on the Big Green Egg. I hope I’m not the only one that does that.
We look at any recipe we have and see if it can fit into life on the grill. It’s just more fun and a whole lot more flavor!
What is the difference between Strip Steak and Rib Eye Steak?
My mom always helped me with the visualizing the parts of a cow to figure out what cut of meat is tender and what isn’t. She would move like a cow (no joke – whacky mom!) and move her legs to give the visual of all the work the hips and legs are doing while the loin area is pretty much sitting back relaxing. She would go “now which part of the cow would be tender naturally?”
Tougher cuts of meat came from the muscles that did a lot of the work! We don’t want that for grilling for this recipe. So, try to look for a tender meat like a Strip Steak or a Ribeye.
Strip steak is from the loin and the muscle does minimal work. Rib Eye steak is a cut that comes from a more protected area closer to the head of the cow. Try to imagine how much work the cow does with this area……not as much.
For this recipe, I used Strip Steak. Watch the prices at the store, though. Every now and then, I can get a nice Rib Eye for the same price – and I like the taste and texture of Rib Eye better. Shop around and price check for your best deals.
Some supermarkets cut the price per pound if you buy a certain amount. My grocery store will cut the price by $2/lb if I buy 4 Rib Eyes at a time.
How to Caramelize Onions
Our family loves to caramelize onions! We buy the onions by the large bags at Costco because we caramelize onions so much!
Do you wonder how to get those awesome dark glazes on your onions? I’ll show you how!
Place your skillet on the stove top and set to medium high heat. I use a cast iron skillet but have used my All Clad skillet with success as well. Be patient and let it heat up for 3-5 minutes. Don’t jump the gun on this one. It really does need time to come up to a nice high temperature to caramelize well. That is secret number one for you!
Too often we like to throw the onions in after just 1-2 minutes (because it’s close enough, right? Nope!).
Place 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan and let that melt. You can use olive oil and I do too but if you want the true magic that happens you should suck it up and use that butter. I know, I know. The truth hurts, right? That is secret number two. Throw in a handful of your sliced onions. Not too many, as the onions will tend to “steam” instead of “caramelize”. See the picture I took. More secrets! Number three is right there!
Let them be. Don’t move the onions around much. Just throw them in, arrange them and let them alone for about 5-7 minutes. The onions will start to turn color on the bottom and that is when you can stir. Just make sure to wait until they are getting good and dark for the best flavor. That is your last secret to caramelizing onions!
It takes about 10-12 minutes to caramelize the batch.
Making the Caramelized Onion Wine Sauce
Heat up your skillet to medium high and follow the directions above to caramelize your onions along with your garlic. Once the onions are caramelized, add the steak sauce and the wine. Mix it all together. Heat through and serve sauce over the grilled steak. The Strip Steak with Caramelized Onions and Wine Sauce is so tasty!
Let’s grill Strip Steak With Caramelized Onions and Wine Sauce on the Big Green Egg
Heat up the grill to a good 400 degrees. This usually takes 25-30 minutes on our Big Green Egg. Once the grill has come to temperature, place the steak on the grill grate. Don’t touch them. Let them cook for about 5-8 minutes.
Flip them over (you should see those grill marks you love!) and let them grill for another 5-8 minutes. We like our steaks at a nice medium temperature, but check yours with a thermometer to make sure you get the temperature you want.
What Vegetable Complements Strip Steak?
I highly recommend adding a delicious vegetable to your meal. One of my favorites is Grilled Brussel Sprouts with Bacon. You already have the grill started, and that recipe can’t be any easier! It only takes a few minutes to prepare and cook!
Ingredients
Instructions
Prepare the Grill
Prepare the onion and wine sauce mixture
Grill the Steaks