Iron Chef Grill 2!

Good things happen when he grills... that's why I (as Family Budget Officer) authorized the purchase of a new grill out of our tax return. He got this shiny pretty one at Big Lots, of all places. Hey... it works! We had been ogling various really fancy grills at Lowe's. This one cost about $800 less than those. And the whole point is... they make fire. This cheap one makes fire just fine.

Anyway, enough about grills and more about gills. I chose marlin steaks as his secret ingredient. The man behind the counter said they were well-suited for grilling, and I'd never had them before. That makes for a perfect Iron Chef Grill ingredient!


The menu, as he wrote it:

Wine: Frei Brothers Chardonnay, 2005
Entrée: Grilled Naigiri steak with lime butter
Side 1: Lemon Salsa
Side 2: Sautéed Mushrooms and Onion
Side 3: Jasmine Rice
Dessert: Grilled Grapefruit

Sautéed Mushrooms and Onions

2 tbsp. butter
½ lg. onion, sliced
4 oz. fresh mushrooms, clean and thickly sliced
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 c. red wine

Mix first four ingredients, cook over medium-low heat. Stir once. After 5 minutes, pour wine in and stir. Cook for another 5-7 minutes, or until onions are turning translucent, stirring once or twice more.

Grilled Naigiri with Lime Rum Butter

2 Nairagi (marling) steaks (about ½ lb. each), skin removed
2 slices bacon
1/3 cup butter
1 medium-size clove garlic, minced or pressed
Juice of 1 lime
1 shot Sailor Jerry's Spiced Navy Rum

Skin fish, wrap bacon along edge, securing with toothpick. Melt butter, mix in lime juice, rum and garlic.

Grill fish for 5 min per side, basting with lime butter.

Lemon Salsa

1 lemon, diced
½ tsp. capers, rinsed
3 green onions, chopped
4 shakes dried parsley
1 tsp sea salt
cracked black pepper to taste
¼ cup red wine

Mix all, squeeze lemon peel over mixture, stir.

Grilled Grapefruit

1 grapefruits
2 tbsp. agave nectar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon

Mix nectar and cinnamon, cut grapefruit into ¾ inch rounds, 2 minutes and flip until lightly caramelized.

Grill Maestro in action. I love how the smoke shows up in this shot. I can almost smell it!


There it is, in all it's delicious glory. Bacon-wrapped (total pandering to the judge!) marlin, topped with delicious lemon salsa, coconut rice smothered in wine-soaked mushrooms and onions, and the fabulous, out-of-this-world incredible grilled grapefruit. Everything was so good... once again, I was making noises while eating. I can't help it.