Country Cookin’

You might be surprised at how much good old-fashioned country cooking goes on during the warm summer months. When you take into account all the home gardens, it starts to make sense. Not only do you prepare daily meals, you spend time canning and freezing items from the garden, as well as making all sorts of jellies, jams, preserves, pickles and relishes. Let’s not forget about all the barbecues, cookouts, and backyard grilling. With all this cooking going on, it’s no wonder why June is Country Cooking Month.

Country cooking with your family paves the way for traditions that should be passed down for generations to come. Whether there is one already in place or you are creating a new one, a country cooking tradition should be celebrated before June is over. You better believe it’s that time to bust out the grill, slip on your ridiculously cheesy apron and make some mouths water.

OKLAHOMA HOT STEAKS (serves 6 to 7)

6 (12-ounce) rib eye steaks

1 jar sliced jalapenos, plus the juice

3 fresh jalapeno peppers, stemmed and sliced

2 ounces olive oil

Place the steaks in a 1-gallon plastic bag. Add the juice from the jar of jalapenos into the bag, along with half the sliced jalapeno peppers.

Chop the raw jalapenos and add them, along with the olive oil, to the bag. Seal the gallon bag and turn several times to make sure the ingredients are mixed. Refrigerate overnight. On the day of your party, remove the steaks from the bag and allow them to sit out and come to room temperature, at least one hour.

Cook the steaks for 3 to 4 minutes on each side over a hot grill for a medium steak. If you’re cooking the steaks inside, place them on a broiler pan and broil them in the oven on high for 3 minutes. Then turn them over and cook for 3 more minutes on the other side. The steaks at this point will be medium to medium well. Reduce the cooking time if you wish the steaks to be more rare.

Note: If you want the recipe to be less spicy, omit the raw jalapenos. These were included for Big Momma, since she is from New Mexico and is a fan of hot food. Also, remember to use rubber gloves when handling raw chicken and/or jalapeno peppers. Don’t forget to season the steaks well with sea salt and, of course, pepper before serving.