Gina: This is Pat’s “feel like a king” dish, and if you are married to a meat-and-potatoes man like I am, this dish will make him feel—you guessed it, girl—like a king. The secret to this sauce is two ingredients: bacon and beer. There isn’t a man anywhere in Memphis who would turn up his nose at a steak lacquered with both of those. We like to serve this steak sliced on the diagonal, with plenty of extra sauce on the side. When Pat takes a bite of this and gives me one of his sly winks, honey, I know it’s a slam dunk!

　　

Ingredients

serves 6

　　Three 16-ounce, 1/2-inch-thick prime-aged New York strip steaks

　　3 tablespoons vegetable oil

　　Kosher salt

　　Freshly ground black pepper

　　

Molasses Sauce

2 teaspoons butter

　　2 strips thick-sliced bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces

　　1/2 medium onion, finely diced

　　1 garlic clove, minced

　　1 cup ketchup

　　1/4 cup molasses

　　1/4 cup apple cider

　　1/4 cup lager-style beer

　　1 tablespoon honey

　　1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard

　　1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

　　1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

　　1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

　　1/2 teaspoon paprika

　　

Step 1

Rub the steaks with the oil and season generously with salt and pepper.

　　

Step 2

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the bacon, onion, and garlic, and sauté for 3 minutes, or until softened. Add the rest of the ingredients, bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, and simmer until the sauce is reduced and thickened, 15 to 20 minutes.

　　

Step 3

Preheat the grill or a grill pan to medium-high. Grill the steaks for about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare; brush the steaks with sauce during the last 2 minutes of cooking time. Allow the steaks to rest for 10 minutes, then slice on the diagonal, and serve with the remaining sauce on the side.

　　From Down Home with the Neelys by Patrick and Gina Neely Copyright (c) 2009 by Patrick and Gina Neely Published by Knopf.Patrick and Gina Neely are owners of Neely's Bar-B-Que in Memphis and hosts of several Food Network shows, including the series Down Home with the Neelys, one of the highest-rated programs to debut on the popular Food Network. High school sweethearts who reconciled at their ten-year reunion, they have been married since 1994. They live in Memphis with their two daughters.Paula Disbrowe collaborated with Susan Spicer on Crescent City Cooking and is the author of Cowgirl Cuisine.