Every Friday, the Yandell backyard fills with the aroma of Ken’s legendary grilled steak. His secret: Love, patience and a marinade of honey and steak seasoning. The steak sizzles to perfection, with skewered shrimp in a sweet and smoky marinade lying beside it.
Most know him as Ken, but I call him dad, and he makes each steak to “your perfection.” My mom and sister prepare baked potatoes and macaroni and cheese in the kitchen, while around the dinner table, laughter at grandpa’s jokes flows as easily as the iced tea. In this treasured tradition of a backyard barbecue at Dad’s, each bite carries memories of shared stories and love.
RECIPE: Mesquite Grilled Filet Mignon by Kenneth Yandell
Prep time: 5 minutes | Inactive prep time: 70 minutes | Cook time: 15-20 minutes
Ingredients:
- Four 1 1/2-inch filet mignon steaks
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp Uncle Chris’ Steak Seasoning
- 1 tbsp Montreal Steak Seasoning
Directions:
Remove steaks from refrigeration and let rest at room temperature for 30 minutes, then pat dry with paper towels. Brush steaks with honey, then season liberally with Uncle Chris’ and Montreal steak seasonings. Marinate an additional 30 minutes while grill preheats.
Preheat grill to 450-500˚F. (Dad recommends using a pellet grill with mesquite pellets.)
Grill steaks for 7 minutes on each side for medium rare, 9 minutes on each side for medium, 10 to 10 1/2 minutes for well done. Let steak rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
RECIPE: Horseradish Cream Sauce
Prep time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 2 tbsp grated fresh or jarred horseradish
- 2 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp chopped chives
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp cracked black pepper
Directions:
Stir all ingredients in a small bowl until well incorporated and serve immediately with steak.
RECIPE: Two-Step Grilled Shrimp by Lynn Yandell
Prep time: 5 minutes | Cook time: 3 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1 lb jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/3 cup raspberry chipotle marinade
Directions:
Soak skewers in water. Brush shrimp on all sides with marinade and skewer each shrimp on soaked skewers. Grill skewered shrimp for about 1 minute on each side, or until opaque with obvious chargrill lines. Serve immediately.
