Look, I know it’s been deemed some sort of sacrilege or blasphemy, but, I enjoy my steaks medium rather than rare.
Unfortunately, at events like the “Great Steak Cook-off” you don’t have many options once you choose a cook team to patronize.
Now, to be fair, half of my steak was rare, and the other borderline medium-rare.
I’m in the latter camp rather than the former if only because I want to actually taste the meat rather than just blood.
Medium –rare is pushing my comfort zone and I know that’s less than the norm around here.
I know plenty of people – family members included - who think any more than a quick sear will ruin a steak.
That just leads to me shuddering and holding back a gag since even the sight of a rare steak turns my stomach a bit.
Luckily these steaks were seasoned well enough and larger than last year’s.
In fact, those factors contributed enough so that I could overlook most of the cooking issues.
Still, this is only my second foray into the Great Steak event and I’ve learned more since last years’ experience.
Being early isn’t much of a perk if you’re not on a cook team and by far can lead to some sunburn if you aren’t prepared.
I was glad to see that there were picnic tables set outside so attendees could sit and enjoy the breezy weather last Saturday.
I also noticed how many more people brought their children to the event and totally think there should be more for them to do like maybe a bounce house or other fun activity.
In previous years, I hadn’t seen or heard of many children being in attendance.
I was happy to see that complimentary drinks included water among the usual sodas, beers, and wine fare.
We also had a chance for iced tea at the self-serve portion of the dinner.
This year, I also noticed more cook teams than before, and that lead to a better variety of appetizers, mixed drinks, and the overall grazing fare available.
One cook team even had a basket full of Chick-fil-A chicken nuggets and those famous dipping sauces.
I think adding a menu board outside of each team’s spot or tent would only make things easier – especially with crowding for certain nibbles and drinks.
Really, the only thing missing this time was a bit of shade or cloud cover and a little regulation on steak cooking.
I guess I might just cruise the tents a bit more thoroughly to find out who has steaks cooked more suited to my needs.
Maybe I could even find a cook team that’s alright with putting mine back on the grill for a handful of minutes before serving it to me.
Overall, it was an improved experience from last year and I’m sure it’ll only grow for years to come.
After all, it’s a fundraiser for a very important cause – the children of Matagorda County.
And I think that’s one of the best ways to invest in our future by far!