This post is a collaboration with my amazing wife, who has crafted a recipe for steak that will impress everyone. This recipe can be made by folks of all cooking levels, but requires a bit more planning and preparation than the typical “Hungry & Tired” meal (and a grill). With a little thinking ahead, you can grill up a succulent piece of meat.

Ingredients Steak:

• 1 lb. of Tri Tip steak
• 1 can frozen orange juice concentrate (the secret ingredient)
• 1 Tb. minced garlic (about 5 cloves of garlic)
• 1 Tb. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp. Kosher Salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. onion powder
• 1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Brussels sprouts:

• 1 bunch brussels sprouts
• 1 Tb. olive oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper
• 1 pack pancetta, chopped

Serves: 2-4

Time: 4-12 hours of marinating + 45 minutes of preparation time.

On the morning (or a few hours) before you make your steak, you’ll want to marinate the steak. The longer you marinate it (within reason), the juicier the steak will be. However, if you really want to make this, and only have a few hours, don’t freak out. A few hours of marinating is enough to ensure a delicious meal, especially if you’re working with a nice piece of steak. Start by taking out your tri tip, putting it in a small, shallow dish, and covering it with the garlic and the orange juice concentrate.  (You can also use a large, resealable bag that everyone calls by its brand name, but I am trying not to) The orange juice concentrate really tenderizes the meat and leaves it with a slight citrus flavor, which is absolutely delightful.  It also makes the steak a little more forgiving for any grilling errors, whether they be owing to forgetfulness, being new to grilling, or (as most grilling errors are) beverage enhancements. After your steak is cloaked in garlic and frozen orange juice concentrate, cover with plastic-wrap and put in the fridge.  Marinate between 4-12 hours. If you have the time, flip the meat halfway through the marinade to make sure both side of the steak are tenderized. When you’re ready to cook the steak, the first thing you’ll do is make sure your grill is ready. We use a gas grill, so it’s essential that we have adequate amounts of propane (not that we’ve ever made that mistake… multiple times… )  Make sure your grill is clean and hot. Start by turning your grill on, and heating it on high with the lid closed. We use a small gas grill, and it gets very hot very quickly. Heat the grill for 5-10 minutes. Open the grill, and using a heavy wire brush cleaner, brush the grates and remove any remnants of former meals and grease. After the grill is clean, heat it to 400 degrees and give it a couple minutes to stabilize at that temperature. While the grill is heating, start preparing the brussels sprouts. First, heat the oven to 450 degrees. Then, wash the sprouts: After you wash the sprouts, lay them on a paper towel to dry. Cover them with another paper towel and get the sprouts as dry as possible. Move the brussels sprouts to a cutting board, and cut them up. First, start by cutting off the inedible bottom parts. If the sprouts are small, just cut the remainder of each in half. If the sprouts are big, cut them in four pieces. Throw the sprouts in a big, oven safe dish that is large enough to accommodate all the sprouts in one layer (or they will never cook). Cut up the pancetta. Pancetta is italian bacon and it is so good. Toss the pancetta with the brussels sprouts Cover the sprouts with 1 Tb. of olive oil, 1 tsp. of kosher salt, and 1/2 tsp. of freshly ground black pepper. Toss the brussels to ensure that they’re all covered with the olive oil, seasoning and pancetta, and put in the 450 degree oven. Set a timer for 35 minutes. Stir every 10 minutes to make sure the brussels sprouts get crisp but don’t burn. Make sure that you take your steak out of the refrigerator and shake off the excess marinate at least a half hour before you grill it. You want the steak to come close to room temperature before you grill it. Before putting it on the grill, season the steak with the Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, salt and pepper When the grill is at 400 degrees, put the steak on the middle of the grates, between the front and back burners. The idea is the heat is a little less direct, and any fat that drips off won’t hit the flames underneath (and make them big flames ). Close the lid and grill for 12-16 minutes at 400 degrees, depending on the degree of pinkness you like in steak.  You will flip the steak the scientifically-proven optimum number of times to flip steak: ONCE.  In the interim, you should touch it the equally scientifically-proven optimum number of times to poke, prod, jiggle, or even stare at your steak with an overly judgmental glare: no times.   If you are the impatient type, grab a glass of wine and enjoy a beautiful evening.   If your father-in-law is the impatient type, and has to be chased away from the grill, grab a bottle of wine and walk about pointing at things in the backyard that you will improve “someday.”  But don’t ever give up the pink flamingos.   This thing can stay too. While the steak is cooking, give the brussels a stir. After 12 minutes on the grill, flip your steak. When you flip your steak it will look something like this: After you flip the steak, close the lid and grill at 400 degrees for 10-14 more minutes. While the steak is cooking, move back to the kitchen and check on the brussels. They should be done after cooking for about 35 minutes. At that time, pull the brussels out of the oven using oven mits, and if you would like a little more decadence, using a microplane grater, grate some Parmigiano-Reggiano or Peccorino cheese over the brussels sprouts.  Right about when you pull your brussels out of the oven, your steak will be ready. Turn off the oven, and put the brussels back in to keep them warm. Go to your grill and place your steak on a cutting board. After the ten minutes, the steak will be medium rare. Let the steak rest for 10 minutes before cutting it. While it’s resting, top with the 1/4 cup of blue cheese. After letting the steak sit for ten minutes, cut it into serving sizes. This feeds two very hungry people, or four moderately hungry people. You can also use a bigger piece of meat with essentially no other changes to the recipe. After the steak’s rested, plate your steak.   Take the brusells out of the oven and spoon them onto plates. Enjoy!  Beverage enhancements optional.