When you’re out shopping and come across a special cut of meat—buy it. That’s what I did when I spotted USDA Prime ribeye cap steaks at Costco.

The ribeye cap, or spinalis dorsi, is probably the most flavorful part of the cow. You’ve probably enjoyed it when eating prime rib—it’s that highly marbled outside edge that surrounds the large center eye of the prime rib. Here it’s been separated from the prime rib roast in a single piece and cut into narrow “steaks”.

When grilling such a special cut, seasonings should be simple and used only to enhance the natural flavor of the meat. Kosher salt, black pepper, and granulated garlic are just the ticket.

Preheat the grill on HIGH for 10 minutes, then scrub the grates with a grill brush. Turn the heat down to MEDIUM and place the steaks on the grill. Keep the lid open and turn the steaks every 60-90 seconds so they cook evenly on all four sides.

Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal meat temp. I grilled these steaks to 135-140°F for something between medium-rare and medium doneness.

Once the meat is done to your liking, remove to a platter and let rest for just a few minutes to allow juices to redistribute within the meat. Finish with a sprinkle of sea salt or kosher salt to boost the flavor.

So soft, so tender, so delicious…that’s all I can say about these ribeye cap steaks. They were a real treat! If you have a chance to try them, do it. If you’re in the mood to splurge, you can order a whole ribeye cap from Snake River Farms.

The porterhouse steak is one of my favorites because it’s two steaks in one: the larger strip steak on one side of the bone and the smaller tenderloin steak on the other side of the bone. The strip has better flavor, but the tenderloin has better tenderness. The porterhouse steak is the best of both worlds!

I’ve grilled these steaks over direct heat for years with good results, but grilling indirect with a reverse sear at the end is all the rage these days, so I thought I’d give it a try with these two beauties. The process I followed comes from a recipe in Cook’s Country magazine.

Place the steaks on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towels then sprinkle with kosher salt.

Let sit at room temperature until the steaks register an internal temperature of 55*F, about 60 minutes.

Once the steaks hit 55*F, rub both sides with olive oil and sprinkle with freshly cracked black pepper.

About 45 minutes into the salting process, preheat your gas grill with all burners on HIGH for 15 minutes, then clean the grates with a grill brush. Turn one burner to MEDIUM LOW and turn off all the other burners. Adjust this one burner as needed to maintain about 300*F.

Place the porterhouse steaks on the grill just off the edge of the fire, with the bone-end facing the lit burner. Cook the steaks to 75*F, about 10-20 minutes.

Flip the steaks, keeping the bone-end facing the lit burner, and cook to 95*F, another 10-20 minutes.

Remove the steaks from the grill. Turn all burners to HIGH and let the grill preheat for 5 minutes. (If you have a cast iron griddle or plancha, place it on the grill and preheat for 10 minutes.)

Put the steaks back on the grill (or griddle or plancha) and sear both sides until well browned to an internal temp of 120*F for medium-rare, about 4 minutes per side.

Remove steaks from the grill, cover loosely with foil and let rest for just a few minutes while getting the rest of your meal to the table.

The indirect cooking process with reverse sear results in evenly done meat with minimal overcooked meat at the surface of the steak. The process is a little fussy and takes a bit more time versus the typical direct cooking process, but the results are worth it.

I spotted some beautiful, double-thick, bone-in Niman Ranch pork chops at a supermarket here in San Jose. I thought they’d be a real treat for my birthday dinner. What could be better than giving myself the gift of delicious, juicy pork?

Here’s how I grilled these chops on the Weber Summit 450 gas grill.

To prevent the chops from cupping during grilling, make a series of cuts around the edge of each chop through the fat just to the meat. Pat the chops dry with paper towels and apply Slap Yo’ Daddy All-Purpose Rub to all sides. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat the grill on HIGH for 10 minutes. While the grill is heating, remove the chops from the refrigerator. Spray both sides with non-stick cooking spray.

Clean the grates with a grill brush and turn the burners down to MEDIUM.

Place the chops on the grate. Cook 2-3 minutes on the first side. Use a spatula to help release the chops from the grate. Cook the second side for 2-3 minutes. Turn the chops back onto the first side, rotating 90 degrees to create diamond pattern grill marks. Cook 2-3 minutes, then repeat for the second side.

Watch the grill carefully for flare-ups during this initial searing process. The chops shown here had some nice fat around the edges that rendered and flared-up; just move the chops away from the flames if this happens.

After 8-12 minutes of cooking, the double-thick chops are now nicely seared on the outside, but not even close to being done on the inside. They need to be cooked more at a lower temperature until perfectly done.

Use an instant-read thermometer to check the internal temperature of the meat. Apply a thin coat of barbecue sauce to both sides of the chops and wrap them in heavy-duty aluminum foil.

Setup the grill for indirect cooking at 350°F by turning some burners OFF and some burners to LOW or MEDIUM. Place the foil package over the OFF burner(s) and cook the chops until they reach an internal temperature of 140°F.

Open the foil every 5 minutes, check the meat temp quickly, then close the foil and the grill lid. While checking the temp, occasionally flip and turn the chops so they cook evenly.

The chops shown here were seared for about 10 minutes then cooked in foil for an additional 30 minutes and flipped/turned twice in the foil. Your timing will vary, of course, depending on your specific grill and the thickness and starting internal temp of your chops.

Once the chops reach 140°F, remove them from the foil and give them another thin coat of barbecue sauce. Remove the chops to a serving plate and let rest for 5 minutes while getting the rest of your meal to the table.

We served these pork chops with mashed potatoes, apple sauce, and a hipster pineapple cider al fresco by candlelight. Couldn’t have asked for a nicer birthday dinner or a more succulent pork chop. I can’t wait to make these again, and I won’t be waiting for another birthday to do so!

There’s nothing better than summer corn, and unless you’re standing out in a corn field eating it raw, there’s no better way to prepare corn than to grill it.

This recipe for husk-grilled corn comes from Cook’s Country Magazine, June/July 2015. You can follow the basic grilling technique described below and serve with butter, salt and pepper at the dinner table, or you can “guild the lily” by serving the corn with this brown sugar-cayenne butter.

I hope you enjoy it!

Husk-Grilled Corn with Brown Sugar-Cayenne Butter

Ingredients:

• 6 ears of corn in husks
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 2 Tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon table salt
• 1/2 teaspoon coarse black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Stir butter, brown sugar, salt, black pepper, and cayenne until smooth and combined.

Make a foil boat to hold the butter mixture: Tear a sheet of heavy duty aluminum foil 12″ x 14″. Fold in half to 12″ x 7″. Roll up sides and crimp to form a boat just big enough to hold an ear of corn.

Place butter mixture into the foil boat.

Preheat your gas grill on HIGH for 15 minutes. Use a grill brush to scrub the grates clean.

Cut silk from the end of each ear of corn. Put corn straight onto the ripping hot grill and close the lid. Cook 3 minutes, then use long tongs to give the corn a 1/4 turn. Repeat until 4 sides have been grilled, about 12 minutes total time. Corn is cooked when you pull back the husk to reveal steaming corn and bright yellow kernels.

Remove corn to a cutting board. Cut off the stem ends. Carefully remove husks and silk using tongs and a towel.

Roll corn in the butter mixture and return it to the grill with the lid open. The grill may initially flare-up and make some loud popping noises due to the butter. Move the corn around to avoid flames, turning frequently until there is some char, maybe 3-5 minutes max. If you see any soot on the corn due to burned butter from the initial flare-up, gently wipe it off with a towel.

Remove corn from the grill. Roll again in the butter mixture. Serve with any leftover butter on the side.

This corn is sweet with a little heat. You may notice a slight caramel corn note. Delicious!