Maple-Soaked Chuck Eye Steaks

Chuck eye steaks soaked in maple syrup are the perfect thing for grilling in the fall.

Did you know that the word steak comes from the word stick? Weird. How did that happen?

The word can be traced all the way back to Proto-Indo-European. It probably originated because beef was often roasted on a big stick.*

Or a stake…

Get it? Steak?

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Makes so much more sense now!

I’ve gotta say that steaks have been on my mind a lot lately. Well, all kinds of beef really. Ever since my visit to Asheville, NC in August. When I was there I ate a ton of great food (remember how I told you about the Macaroni and Cheese?). But I also got great lessons about where food comes from. The most memorable is the time I spent at Hickory Nut Gap Farm. I learned a lot about beef and sustainable farming and even got to see some baby grass fed cows.

Being at that farm and meeting the people who live and work there connected the dots that is the Asheville food scene. In Asheville, when it comes to food it’s all about local and passion. Find out more about the Asheville Foodtopia here.

As I said, my head is firmly stuck on steaks. But it’s fall. And so I’ve decided to bring these two things together in a new grilled steak recipe. Maple-Soaked Steaks.

I used a chuck eye steak for this recipe. It’s our new favorite cut. Nearly as tender and flavorful as a rib eye but way way cheaper. The chuck eye is sometimes not noticeable at meat counters because it’s a rare cut; there are only two per cow. If you don’t see them at the store, it’s a good idea to ask your butcher (or the person at the meat counter at your grocery store) if they ever have them. It could be that they don’t have many very often. But you’ll want to know to keep your eye out for them. Their low price makes it worth it to check whenever you’re in the store. When I spot them, I buy all that they have and freeze them. They’re that good. Find out a bit more about the chuck eye steak cut here.

To start these steaks you poke them with a fork in a bunch of places on both sides. Then you dribble a teaspoon of maple syrup onto each side and rub it in. Add a bit of olive oil to each side and some coarse salt and pepper.

Then the steaks go on the grill and get a nice sweet caramelized coating. Which leads to another way thatstick and steak are related. You’re totally going to want to STICK these STEAKS in your mouth!

That was pretty bad. Sorry.

Looking for more great grilling recipes?  Be sure to also check out my recipe on grilling chicken for a crowd.

And now, here’s my Maple Soaked Steaks recipe:

Yield: 2

Prep Time: 5 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 13 minutes

Maple-Soaked Chuck Eye Steaks

Delicious, juicy, and perfectly grilled chuck eye steak.

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Ingredients:

• 2 chuck eye steaks
• 4 tsp. maple syrup
• 2 tsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Stab steaks all over on both sides with a fork, at least 10 stabs per side. Drizzle one side of each steak with 1 teaspoon of maple syrup each. Rub it in a bit. Flip steaks and repeat on other side. Let sit for at least 5 minutes.
2. Preheat grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat. Drizzle both sides of steak with olive oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Put steaks on hottest part of grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip and cook until desired doneness, 3-7 more minutes.

If you can't find chuck eyes, use rib eyes or New York strips.

*The etymology of steak comes from the Online Etymology Dictionary.

Disclosure: This blog post is being used as an entry for a contest being conducted by Explore Asheville. The winner gets a food experience for two in Asheville. I really, really want to win because I loved it there so much. So while I’ve talked about Asheville in this post as an entry, I do truly think it’s a wonderful place to visit. All opinions are my own.