Birthday steak

Eastside Road, Healdsburg, August 20, 2009
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WELL IT'S MY BIRTHDAY too, yeah, so why not have steak a second day running? There was a little left from yesterday, grilled a little less rare than I like (I was thinking of the guests when I grilled it) but still damn tasty. What you do is, when you get it home from the butcher, immediately sprinkle salt on all surfaces, stack the steaks, and wrap them loosely in brown paper (an old paper bag works fine) and refrigerate until needed. Mesquite charcoal, a few grapevine cuttings. That's the last of the aïoli; I'll have to make another batch next week. The shell beans are from the garden, delicious little Italian beans and a few ringers from the next row. Broccoli for health. Green salad, of course.
And before dinner, since it's a special day, guacamole; and afterward, a nice local crottin.

Merlot (it was a gift), Barefoot Cellars, nv