I Had Some Gams

Recently I’ve told you about when I was a teenager, I spent time with a boating club that the family of a girlfriend belonged to. On one sailing trip the club took we had a picnic dinner ashore on a remote beach. Everyone brought their food, drinks some portable music and had a great time.

The committee responsible for planning the festivities also came up with a few activities each time the club got together. This night was no exception.

The first activity was a sexy legs contest. Open to only the males of the group (and if you were male and post-puberty, you were almost required to attend. I must have been 16 and while a pretty confident in myself, I wasn’t sure I wanted a bunch of middle-aged women issuing catcalls at my bare legs, but after encouragement from my girlfriend, I participated.

Each attendee was marked with erasable marker with a number on their left thigh. A large sheet was put up and one at a time the males walked back and forth, behind the sheet, to the catcalls and laughing of the ladies. When it was my turn, I heard many whistles and calls. After all had gone, all the men lined up behind the sheet and the emcee pointed at one leg then the next trying to measure the cheers to see who won. Being one of the few males under 30, having very toned legs from miles of daily bicycling and being tanned (after all I was a teen in southern California during the summer), I won hands down.

The next activity, also with a leg theme, was where the males stood in a circle, shoulder to shoulder and a spouse/girlfriend/mate was put blindfolded into the center. They bent down and using just touch, felt the leg first of one male then the next, trying to find their mate. One by one, the women easily identified their own mate. One woman, whose husband had had several knee surgeries felt his leg first and decided she just wanted to feel more legs, so she kept going. Knowing her game, her husband would drop out of the circle and come back in right in front of her again. She must have felt his leg 20 times in that circle, finally pointing him out.

My girlfriend quickly identified me and then it was time for the Commodore’s wife. The Commodore was in charge of the club and while in office held some level of power. His wife went around the circle and then proudly proclaimed she had found her husband, all while holding on to my leg! He pretended to not be amused and at 16 I was genuinely worried!

Grilled Korean-Style Skirt Steak

As far as food photography goes, this is one sexy picture!

A handful of ingredients.

Toasting the sesame seeds in my toaster oven.

The skirt steak is a tough piece of meat so it really needs to be marinated to not be as chewy.

Grilling the steak and peppers.

The onions sit on top.

Such radiant flavors!

Grilled Korean-Style Skirt Steak

Prep Time: 0 hours 20 minutes | Cook Time: 0 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 4-6 servings | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1 3/4 to 2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed and cut crosswise into 4-inch pieces
3 tablespoons sesame seeds
4 cloves garlic, smashed
1 cup cola
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 large white onion, cut into 2-inch-thick wedges
2 to 3 banana or Cubanelle peppers

Directions:

Pierce the steak a few times with a fork. Toast the sesame seeds in a skillet over medium heat until golden, shaking the pan, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool.

Combine the sesame seeds, garlic, cola, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the steak and onion wedges, turning to coat. Cover and refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.

Remove the steak and onion wedges from the marinade with a slotted spoon and transfer to a baking sheet. Heat a grill pan over high heat. Grill the onion wedges and peppers, turning, until charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter. Grill the steak until charred, 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium rare. Add to the platter.

Source: http://m.foodnetwork.com/recipes/top-cookout-recipes/steak/grilled-korean-style-skirt-steak