Hard work, great meal, beautiful sunset (again)

[TCups]

Well, Gene -- Sorry I didn't make the shoot at your place in Belton today. I got an invitation I couldn't refuse (or shouldn't have refused). It involved 3 other men, two boys, two pick up trucks, a tractor with a front bucket, logging chains, 3 chain saws and a hydraulic log splitter. We took down a large, dead red oak and a smaller dead hickory tree, then cut and split 4 large pick up truck loads of wood. Then hauled them back to our houses and stacked the wood. Here is my share. Doesn't look like that much, huh? But for a guy who works in an air conditioned office day in and day out, a day in the mountains cutting wood seems like a nice change, and I am sure it was good for me. So today, I cut wood instead of shooting. I did get to see another magnificent sunset this evening. The my lovely wife and I had a pretty simple but delicious dinner -- fresh tomatoes and potato salad, to go with a grilled medium rare NY Strip steak that we split. Yum.

Life is good. Thanks, God. Sorry I didn't make it to your place today, Gene.

[ShadowShot]

Tommy,

It looks like you had a great time on your own, along with great food, a great view and
the sweetest company a man could ask for, his wife.
We had a great time shooting the breeze, air rifles and targets. As usual, the company and food was great.
It was nice to see Bob enjoying his new Marauder, and to put faces with the people you talk to all the time on the forum.
May be the next time you can come.

We had Jay Woodcock and his wife "Dirty Sherry", Gene, Bob, David "Kirby", Earny, Timbo, Paul (me, shadowshot), my nephew Seth (CoffeyBean)
two little boys from next door (Christopher and Kobby I think), Connie from next door and Leyland. ( I KNOW I MISSED THAT NAME BAD.)
Over all, a nice little group for sun, fun, food and shoots. You would have been the icing on the cake.

I'm sure Gene and others will post pictures later.

[Dave1899]

Wood is good Tommy...I don't use it any more since I let TN but I do remember thatwood heats you twice...once when you cut it and again when you burn it I'd love to have gone up there for the Fun shoot too but I went to Tampa Saturday and picked up a Ruger 10/22 SS Laminate It's posted on RFC. It's all your fault too...LOL Good looking dinner and sunset.

[North Pack]

That wood brought back memories, - of when I lived in Maine, we heated with wood. Probably about the only house in the state that didn't have central heat. I can remember two times getting home late in the afternoon, after it snowed all day, VERY dark, and having to "shovel down" to get at the wood. Usually started the winter with three cords, perhaps a tad more.

[ronbeaux]

It would be hard to turn that down.

[TCups]

NY Strip, rare -

Gas grill on high, and wait a good 5-10 minutes for the grill to get searing hot.

Spray meat lightly with vegetable oil (Pam) and season with Montreal Steak Seasoning and a little extra fresh, cracked pepper and, if you have it, just a bit of fresh crushed garlic.

Sear each side on a fresh area of the hot grate for less than 1 minute (to seal the juices), then flip again, rotating 90 degrees to get the nice cross-hatch and finish with another 1.5 to 2 minutes per side, (depending on thickness of the cut).  The oil should keep the steak from sticking to the grill and helps give the nice cross-hatched finish to the seared meat.

Hard to explain, but with a pair of tongs, you can feel how done the steak is getting.  After you sear the outside, you can't go by how the outside looks.  The firmer and less "floppy" the steak feels when you turn it, the more thoroughly the meat is cooked.  I like mine with a red, slightly warm center.

Did I mention that the wife cooked a fresh peach cobbler with local peaches from near Spartanburg, SC?  Yummy.

[shadow]

Fine looking eats along with a beautiful sunset, pass me the Wine please hehe. Great pic's brother. Ed

[Jerrycup]

Glad you got all that done before I get there, whew! See you Saturday. I'll stop at Engles for supplies...

[TCups]

Modelo Negro & Yuengling, please.  Bring work clothes.  We will be cleaning out the basement workshop and setting up a reloading bench.  Don't want to get dehydrated, right?

[ronbeaux]

You are correct Sir. I always use the hand method for telling how done my steaks are. I shoot for the feel of the pad below my little finger as medium. Rare would be the texture or firmness of the pad of your palm that connects to the thumb, and well done the exact middle of the palm.

UNLESS, the steak is over 1 1/4" thick. I use the reverse sear method. Start it off in a 250F oven and let it slowly rise to 110F internal temp, then sear the crap out of it on both sides until you get it to 138 to 140, pull it off and let it rest a few minutes before slicing. You end up with the most evenly consistant interior of the meat as you have ever seen and very little juice loss.

Actually if you research cooking steaks to retain the most juice you need to look no further than Alton Brown's episode on 'Good Eats.'

Typically Chefs are taught the sear hot and fast method as being the best there is, but times have changed and it's been proven otherwise using the reverse sear on thicker cuts, especially a Prime Rib rack or and eye of round for pit beef. I am not a trained Chef by any means but I have all the textbooks they use and have practiced most everything in them for many years.

Here is an example of a reverse sear done on an eye of round cooked to just above rare. (Oh, and sign me up for any and all variations of peach cobbler!!!!!!!!!)

[Gene_SC]

Looks great Tommy, and maybe I should of come up for dinner.. But we had some great road kill turkey that Timmy brought up. It was fantastic and very moist and healthy..