Staff

Writer

The

official arrival of summer and Father's Day celebrations

just cry out for a slab of beef cooked outdoors on the

grill. Try to ignore the cows' directive to "eat

more chicken" and head to the market for some red

meat.

"Any

T-bone, rib eye, or top sirloin is good for

grilling," said Tim Grubbs, meat manager at Kroger

on Peachtree Parkway in Peachtree City. "For a well

done steak, thinner is better," Grubbs added.

"The more fat, the better the taste" is his

credo. "The flavor comes from the fat," Grubbs

explained. Leaner meats are healthier, but tend to become

dry. "Wait until the coals turn white hot," he

cautioned. "If you put the meat on too early, it

will scorch."

Pre-seasoning

or marinating the meat adds to the overall flavor and

Kroger's Chef Brian Boldt, who also cooks at Milano's in

Sharpsburg, offered some quick and easy recipes to

enhance your meat.

For a quick

spicy rub, Boldt recommended taking red, green, black and

white peppercorns, (25 percent of each), crushing the

peppercorns with the back of a small pot until coarse and

rubbing it on the both sides of the meat with some fresh

or dried garlic.

For a

spirited meal, try Boldt's bourbon steak. Saute some

shitake or plain mushrooms and onions in olive oil in a

pan until onions are translucent. Take 1/4 cup bourbon,

1/4 cup maple syrup and 1/8 cup dark balsamic vinegar and

add to the mushrooms and onions. Cook until the liquid

reduces to 1/3 cup. Pour over grilled steak. This can

also be used as a marinade overnight.

"It

also works for fish like salmon or tuna," Boldt

said.

Another

specialty offered by Boldt is strip steak with bleu

cheese and sauteed mushrooms. Saute the mushrooms in

olive oil with green and red peppers and about a

tablespoon of garlic. Grill steaks until half-done. Split

the steak and stuff with the mushroom and pepper mixture.

Finish grilling and top with bleu cheese. Buying a steak

is relatively easy, especially with the handy red

stickers attached to Kroger's meat which provide

information on preparation. Buying a grill is another

story.

Walk into

any hardware store or house wares department of a major

retailer, and it's easy to be overwhelmed with the

various styles, sizes, extra components and prices of

outdoor grills available.

"You

can buy a good grill for about $200," said Keith

Chambers, sales associate at Home Depot in Fayetteville.

The Grillmaster by Sunbeam costs $198. It's propane

powered, includes a side burner and lava rocks. For about

$149, Sunbeam offers a smaller natural gas powered grill.

On the other end of the price spectrum is a

propane-powered Weber grill. Great for slow cooking and

the only grill that can maintain 500 degrees safely,

according to Chambers. The Weber rings up at $669.

New on the

outdoor cooking scene this season are "flavorizing

bars" which replace lava rocks and can be removed

for easy cleaning.

Chambers

offered some advice to shoppers on selecting and

maintaining a grill.

"Treat

it like an investment. Check the warranty. If you're a

small family, don't buy a grill that's too big. Always

keep your grill covered when not in use and cut off the

propane tank when finished."

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