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.
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.
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.
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.)