Well damnarama, it’s already Friday again.
This has been one of those absolutely crazy weeks around Chi Wulff West; it seems like about 20 minutes ago I was planning the attack for the week on Sunday night and here it is Friday morning again.
We still have friends and family who think that as a largely self-employed entrepreneur type I spend the bulk of my days sitting at my computer in my underwear for two or three hours after rising late, hitting the coffee shop and then otherwise scratching my navel / ass for the remains of the day (depends on who you ask).
Those whose livelihoods depend solely on the fruits of their own labor understand the alternative (read actual) reality – work days are much more likely in the 10 to 16 hour (or more) range and much more time is spent problem solving the next crisis rather than addressing issues plaguing mankind or even doing something so mundane as in fact earning a living.
This week’s festivities have been punctuated by a couple of events that typify the life of self-employed.
One was a project’s technical crisis due to a software supplier failing to disclose a key limitation of their product forcing me to dump roughly 300 hours of work and start over; of course the looming deadline is unchanged. (Dammit, still pissed about this one….)
The other is actually a bright spot – a business Jake and I chartered about a year ago and have been grinding on intently this summer has finally born fruit, so much so that over the past couple of weeks we’ve created a demand that we actually haven’t been able to service yet. A great problem but also one that keeps you up at night.
I don’t know how it works at your house, but when life gets crazy busy, time in the kitchen tends to shrink, sometimes down to almost nothing as She Who Must Be Obeyed remarked casually last night.
Mind you, she had nothing to complain about as we enjoyed lat night’s dinner of grapes, cheese sticks and tortilla chips after she had spent a long day battling bizarre happenings in her work world.
I salvaged the evening by promising something off the grill tonight as we enjoy some of the last sunny days remaining in the season (so the locals say) – a long time favorite Grilled Mustard Ribeye. This works supremely well with thick cut round steak sliced thinly across the grain and even with pork tenderloins, though the rib eye is king.
1 cup Dijon mustard (we prefer the whole grain versions)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup dry white wine
4 tsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 tbsp. Tabasco
5 or 6 of your favorite steak cut (we’re doing ribeyes….)
Make a marinade. Mix everything on the list in a medium bowl, stirring to a smooth and even consistency. Reserve 2/3 cup in a covered container in the fridge.
Drench those steaks. Trim the steaks, pat dry and lightly salt. Cover the steaks on both sides with the mustard mixture, place in a covered container in the fridge for at least 6 hours, best if overnight.
Grill and sauce time. Fire the grill and pour the reserved marinade into a small saucepan; place over low heat.
Gently shake excess marinade from the steaks and then place on your prepped grill; cooked to desired doneness, turning once. Rest for 5 minutes.
Plate ‘em up. Serve with the warmed sauce on the side to drizzle over your medium-rare masterpiece.
Enjoy.
