We Are Steak People

Yep. That's a fact. As much as my family loves our veggies, we could never  be vegetarians. And that's not judging those out there who are, more power to you! It's simply a statement of how much we love, no make that adore, meat!

All kinds of meat, from all walks of life. If it comes from a cow, pig, chicken, fish, buffalo, pheasant...I could go on, but I won't, we will eat it! We are most definitely carnivores.

Now, here is a little secret. When I was growing up, I wasn't that big of a beef fan. It wasn't until Adam came along (Mr. give me my steak as rare as it can be. Seriously, I'm talking, show it the grill and walk away!) and showed me there were other ways to eat steak other than "well done", that I really started to enjoy it. See, like many kids, I never had my own steak, I usually shared with my mom. And like many women out there, she was a big fan of "cook it til it's dead"! And that's okay. She liked her steaks well done, and a little bit crispy around the edges, so that's the only way I ate steak for many years. Then Adam explained this wonderful thing called medium rare, and to this day, that is how I love my steaks. In fact, we've even converted mom a little, and she is now a medium steak gal. We learned that many times, you can take a steak that is tender and fabulous and cook it that long, the flavor gets ruined, becoming tough and dry. This is especially true if ordering in a restaurant. If a steakhouse knows they are going to cook it that long, that will choose a piece of "substandard" meat, so to speak. (I am saying this as a former employee of a restaurant.) But if you order one that is less cooked, they know it better come out juicy and tender, so they choice a nicer piece of beef.

And we have passed this beef love onto our son, of course. Now, when he was younger, I will admit, I made sure his meat was very well done. But as he has gotten older and his stomach has "grown up" a little, I allow him to have one that is cooked a little more like ours. (Trust me though, he never eats one that is still mooing, like his father!) Alex needs one thing for his steak....steak sauce! He likes the bottled version just fine (He gets that from his Pa Pa...another meat lover!) but I thought making a homemade version might be fun.

With grilling season in full swing for a lot of us, it's the perfect time to have something yummy to dip that perfectly cooked steak into...rather it's well done (and if that's you, I respect that!)...or pink inside for me....or practically walking off the plate like my husband!

Homemade Steak Sauce

1/2 c. ketchup

1 TBS brown sugar

1 TBS soy sauce

1/2 TBS onion powder

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/8 c. water

1/8 c. lemon juice

1/8 c. Worcestershire sauce

1/2 TBS yellow mustard

Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Simmer, uncovered,  for 15-20 minutes until thickened. Allow to cool and then refrigerate until serving. If it thickens too much, just add a little warm water to thin. Serve with your favorite steak!

Shared on Make Ahead Meals May 13, 2013
Shared on Mandy's Recipe Box May 14, 2013
Shared on Lady Behind The Curtain May 15, 2013
Shared on The Country Cook May 17, 2013

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