Friday Finds: Paprika-Rubbed Steaks with Pickled Onions

I don't know what was going on in Chicago this week, but summer made a hot and fleeting appearance here a few days ago.  It's amazing that we saw snow just a few weeks ago and then we saw 80 degrees this week.  It's chilly again now, but we made sure to get in some grilling time while it still felt like summer. 

This week was also crazy busy with all of our (mostly, my) traveling so we had a lot of dinners out, ordered in, or on the go so I felt like I owed Alex a decent homemade dinner-- even if he had to grill it.  I don't make steaks often, but will occasionally in the warm months because I definitely prefer a steak cooked on the grill.  This is another recipe that from the Weber's Real Grilling cookbook by Jamie Purviance.  It's surprisingly simple and the smoky paprika on the steak with the sweet onions is a great flavor combination. 

Don't forget to prep the onions ahead of time!  They need a few hours to quick pickle.

Ingredients:

For the onions--

• 1 small red or sweet yellow onion *I used a red onion -- I love the pink color!
• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 2 Tbs. red wine vinegar
• 2 tsp. granulated sugar
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp. dry mustard

For the rub--

• 1 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. light brown sugar 
• 1/2 tsp. kosher salt 
• 1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
• 4 New York strip steaks, each about 8 oz. and 1-inch thick 
• Extra virgin olive oil

To prepare the onion: Cute the peeled onion in half lengthwise through the root end. Trim off the ends. With a very sharp knife, cut the onions into paper-thin slices and place in a shallow dish, such as a glass pie plate. Add the remaining onion ingredients and toss to dissolve the salt and sugar. Set aside at room temperature for about 3 hours, stirring the onions occasionally.

Allow the steaks to stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. Lightly brush or spray both sides of the steaks with oil. In a small bowl, mix the paprika, brown sugar, salt, and pepper together and then press the seasonings into both sides of the steaks. Grill over direct heat until cooked to desired doneness, 6 to 8 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Remove from the grill and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes. Strain the onions in a sieve. Serve the steaks warm with the pickled onions on top.

Makes 4 servings.