New Seasons and Old Traditions

So we are at the official end of summer. Summer really ends for us at the beginning of August when Tommy reports in for August football camp and 2 a day practices. School starts here next Tuesday, day after Labor Day and I am ready to get back to a semblance of normal life around here...whatever that is. We had our first game of the season Friday night under the lights versus Youngstown State. We had a blast tailgating and my sister and nephew attended their first ever Spartan game!

My friend Heidi, my sister Kathy, Jen, Heidi's daughter Maddie and Drew

Jen tailgates!

The fabulous Spartan Marching Band!

After the Friday night game we stayed up until almost 2 am (that's LATE for us oldies) and gabbed for awhile and watched some other great college football games. And because it was a Friday night game Tommy was gifted with a RARE day off on Saturday which NEVER happens during football season. So we decided to give my father Hank Putnam's infamous Pit Steak dinner a try again with a few fun neighbors over.

I forgot to take a photo of the roaring fire but the key is to start a big fire around 2 hours before you're ready to dress it with the cherry wood. Then we used scrap cherry wood from Harden Furniture factory in McConnellsville, NY (my hometown) courtesy of Greg Harden, an old friend. We loaded this scrap cherry hardwood up in the Land Rover and brought it home with us for this very purpose.

Burn the cherry down to red hot coals, generously salt a thick piece of Top Round (London Broil) with course sea salt and lay it directly on the red hot cherry coals

Crack open a PBR and let it cook!

We like to cook it rare to medium rare then pull it off and the coals just flick right off the meat! It sears in a delicious flavor! Slice the steak on the diagonal and put in a shallow pan with melted butter. Serve it on a kaiser roll or just as is! It is delicious!! I am happy to report that after a few failed attempts my husband has perfected Dad's Pit Steak and the Meat fork has officially been passed to him from the heavens! What a great and fun way to honor and remember my father. He would be so happy to see us continue the tradition.

Now we just need to figure out how to get a regular supply of Harden cherry...