Merlot steaks have a lot of flavor but are very lean. Grilled merlot steaks are best cooked to rare or medium-rare – going any hotter will dry them out. One steak, sliced, comfortably serves three to four people. Because it's a leaner cut, a hit of sage butter brings depth and a nice hit of salty herbaceous fat into the mix.
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
- 2 tablespoons minced sage leaves
- 1 merlot steak (about 1 1/2 pounds)
- sea salt
- fresh ground pepper
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Ahead of time, mix sage into soft butter. Press into a mold or small, straight glass jar and set in fridge to chill.
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Set steak on counter and to come to room temperature.
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Prepare a hot grill. Allow coals to get hot enough that you can't hold you hand four inches above them for more than a few seconds. Bank coals to one side of the grill to create a zone of high heat and a zone of indirect heat.
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Just before grilling, sprinkle merlot steak on both sides with sea salt and pepper; lightly press seasoning into surface. Set steak over hot coals, grill 2 - 3 minutes, flip, and grill 2 - 3 minutes longer. More steak over indirect heat until internal temperature reaches 130 degrees F for rare or 140 degrees F for medium-rare (steaks pictured are medium-rare). Rest 5 minutes.
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With a very sharp chef's knife, slice steaks into thin (1/4-inch thick) slices, dot with butter, and serve immediately.
We served our steaks with grilled asparagus (To make: Salt asparagus and grill 3 - 4 minutes) and red potatoes (To make: Halve potatoes, set in a cold pot of water, bring to boil, add salt, and boil 4 minutes, or until just tender. Drain, plunge into ice water, and pat dry. Toss potatoes with olive oil and sea salt, and grill on both sides 3 - 4 minutes or until potatoes are tender and have a nice char.)