Grilling season

Nate is the grill master in our family (nuclear and extended). He loves cooking, and grilling is probably his favorite means of doing so. Therefore, was there a better way for us to welcome summer (one day early) than having a meal from the grill last night?

It also worked out well that yesterday was Father's Day, and it gave me an "excuse" to honor Nate with a gift: a new Weber charcoal grill. He's wanted one for a long time so he could try out the nuances and the skills it takes to grill using charcoal. I had complete confidence in him and was excited to see what he'd choose to make the first time out.

I stayed home with Abby while Nate took a drive to Central Market and their fantastic meat counter. I shouldn't have been surprised when he came home with none other than a one-pound cut of beef - tri-tip to be exact. He also came home with a bag of Central Market mesquite charcoal (another item he's really been yearning to use). After quickly assembling the grill and a trip to Target for a chimney starter and a newspaper, he was ready.

For me, the smell of charcoal reminds me of summers when I was a kid in Las Cruces, NM. In our second house, we had a big sand box in the backyard where my sister and I often played. I remember distinctly the smell of charcoal grills throughout our neighborhood, or the one from our own black Weber grill in our backyard. I remember when I was about 9 years old and my parents bought our first Weber propane grill. That was a big deal. And yes, propane grills are nice and convenient and make great steaks, burgers, etc. But charcoal...oh, man...

That brings me back to our Father's Day meal, cooked by my grill master extraordinaire husband: DELICIOUS!! I was never at any time concerned that it wouldn't be anything other than just that. But, boy, was it fun to take that first bite, lookat each other excitedly, and then dig in for more. The tri-tip was cooked to medium/medium-well perfection, with a dark pink (from the smoke) exterior. The corn and the asparagus had just the right crunch, the grilled quesadillas were a fun touch, and the fresh guacamole and pico de gallo were the perfect finishing touch.

Nate was extremely proud of himself, and that made me really happy. He is very hard on himself when cooking; he always critiques what he has done and thinks of ways he can make it better next time. And while that's well and good, I'm glad he was able to savor this first charcoal-grilled meal and call it a success.

Here are two shots from our meal last night: one on the grill and the final result, plated by Nate (did I also mention he has a way with assembling food for display, too?!)