Maybe the smell of charcoal will lure spring out of hiding!

It's March 12th and it's still cold and white here in Minnesota.  Very cold, and very white.  We've had snow on the ground since November 23rd and I think we're all starting to feel a bit monochromatic.

Most years Rich does a little winter grilling but this winter has been so harsh that the grill has stood lonely and forgotten.  Today, Rich got sick of waiting for robin red breast and decided to grill, despite the below freezing temps and even colder windchill.  I thought I was going to get frostbite while fueling up my car.  He's a crazy man.

We had a piece of skirt steak still in the freezer from last summer so Rich modified our usual shish-ka-bob marinade and added a bit of zip with cayenne.  He also did our favorite grilled veggies, a medley of thinly sliced onions as well as red and orange peppers.  These he puts in our cast iron skillet which then goes straight on the coals.  They end up caramelizing down to a delicious veggie "slaw," though that's not the best word for it.

The meal was simple, hearty, and filling.  He served the thinly sliced steak atop a bed of veggies, all drizzled with some reduced leftover marinade.  Plus we have enough meat and veg to make a few sandwiches in the days to come.

The marinade was an improvisation but here is Rich's best guess:

1 1/2 cups soy sauce
1/4 cup oil
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 TB vinegar (He used white, rice or cider would be delicious)
2 TB onion powder
2 TB garlic powder
1/2 tsp cayenne powder

The 1/2 tsp of cayenne gave it a nice subtle zip, but I would go for a touch more next time.  The sweetness of the veggies really offsets the spice nicely!