one bourbon

Derby day is fast approaching. This means women in Kentucky will start looking for silly hats, horse gamblers will start speculating on their bets, and the rest of us will celebrate by finding a reason to kick back a few bourbon drinks. (Well, maybe not this pregnant lady, but some people will.) And sure you can have your traditional mint julep while you admire the bluegrass and thoroughbreds, but may I make a suggestion for you meat eaters out there - have your whiskey and eat it too.

Sound too good to be true? Well, I marinated a super sized steak for the carnivore recently with a recipe I found (and tweaked a bit) in Weber's Real Grilling , also known as my husband's favorite cookbook, called Bourbon-Barbecued Rib-Eye. He happily grilled and devoured it once I had it prepped. Here is what you will need for your own whiskey soaked slab of meat:

for the marinade:                                                   the rest:
1/4 cup of bourbon                                                1 thick bone-in rib-eye
2 tblsp of ketchup                                                  1 tblsp of olive oil
1 tblsp olive oil                                                       1 tsp of paprika
1 tblsp of soy sauce                                                salt and pepper
2 minced garlic cloves                                          chopped parsley
several dashes of tabasco sauce
a bit of salt and pepper

Simply mix the marinade in a medium sized bowl then pour it in a resealable bag. Place the steak in the same bag. Remove any air and toss it around until well coated. Place the bag on a plate and refrigerate for about two hours, turning every now and again. Allow the steak to stand at room temperature for about 20 minutes while you heat up grill. Remove the meat from the bag and discard the marinade. Pat the steak dry. Brush it with oil on both sides. In small bowl mix together the paprika, salt and pepper. Press the seasonings into both sides of meat. Then give the steak to your carnivore to grill over direct high heat until desired doneness, 8-10 minutes for medium rare, turning only once. Transfer it to plate and let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting. Garnish with parsley and serve while warm.

Hey, it might not be your traditional way to enjoy the derby, but I guarantee your carnivore will enjoy it more than a sweet drink from a silver cup or a silly hat.