Grill-Grate Ribeye with Blistered Tomatoes and Asparagus
Two steaks, a pint of tomatoes, and a mustard-balsamic dressing mixed in the cup you drink from.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 14 oz
- cal / oz
- 51
- protein
- 45 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 15 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total time
- 40 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Gluten free
- Nut free
- Foil packet
- Pre-mix at home
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Ribeye steaks | 2, about 1 inch thick | packed frozen, thawed in the cooler by day two |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | 1/2 cup | split between the dressing and the vegetables |
| Balsamic vinegar | 2 tbsp | |
| Dijon mustard | 1 tbsp | |
| Honey | 1 tsp | |
| Garlic | 1 clove, minced | or 1/2 tsp granulated garlic |
| Salt | 2 tsp total | half on the steaks, half on the vegetables |
| Black pepper | 2 tsp total | |
| Garlic powder | 1 tsp | |
| Asparagus | 1 bunch, ends snapped off | |
| Cherry tomatoes | 1 pint | |
| Feta | 1/4 cup crumbled | vacuum-packed block keeps better than a tub |
| Dried parsley | 1 tsp |
Method
- Pull the steaks out of the cooler and let them sit 30 minutes while the fire burns down to coals or the grill comes up to heat. Salt and pepper both sides.
- Shake the balsamic, mustard, honey, garlic, and 1/4 cup of the oil together in a bottle or jar. Set it somewhere it will not tip over.
- Toss the asparagus and tomatoes with the rest of the oil, the garlic powder, and the remaining salt and pepper. Pile them onto a doubled sheet of heavy foil and crimp it into a sealed packet.
- Put the packet over the coals first. It needs 12 to 15 minutes, turned once. The tomatoes should split.
- Grill the steaks directly over the heat, 4 to 5 minutes a side for medium-rare. Move them to the cool edge of the grate if the fat flares.
- Rest the steaks on a plate for 8 minutes. Do not skip this or the board turns into a puddle.
- Open the packet, pour over the dressing, and scatter the feta and parsley. Slice the steaks against the grain and eat off the foil.
This is a cooler meal, not a pack meal. Ribeye and a pint of tomatoes weigh what they weigh, so it belongs at a site you drive to. The steaks travel frozen and thaw over a day or two, which also keeps the rest of the cooler cold.
The dressing does the heavy lifting. Mustard holds the oil and vinegar together so it clings to the vegetables instead of running to the bottom of the foil, and the honey balances the acid against the fat off the steak. Mixing it at home means one bottle in camp instead of five small containers. Everything cooks over the same coals, and the foil packet means the only thing to wash is a knife.
Packing
Mix the dressing at home and carry it in a leakproof bottle; it holds a week in a cooler. Steaks go in the coldest part of the cooler, frozen flat in a vacuum bag so they thaw slow and stay dry. Bring more foil than you think.
Variations
- No grill grate: sear the steaks in a cast iron skillet set on the coals and cook the vegetables in the same pan after.
- Swap the asparagus for green beans or halved zucchini; both survive a cooler longer.
- Skip the feta and the dish is dairy-free.
https://www.lodgecastiron.com/blogs/recipe/grilled-ribeyes-summer-vegetables