Garlicky Rib Eye Steak with Garlic Bruschetta and Aged Balsamic for #NationalGarlicDay

This Garlicky Ribeye Steak with Garlic Bruschetta and Aged Balsamic was pretty much a revelation.

Placing the steak on grilled garlic bruschetta and having a bit of each on each forkful was sooooo good! Even my steak and potatoes Irish-born husband, who would just as soon skip anything garlic, said he would have skipped the potato (as did I) if he'd known how good this combination was.

The steak is marinated in olive oil, chopped garlic, and rosemary, along with freshly ground pepper.

The bruschetta is rubbed with lots and lots (rub vigorously) of crushed garlic, then brushed with olive oil, and grilled while the steak is resting. Grilling the bruschetta results in an amazing sweet roasted garlic flavor.

Even though we live in southern California, our grill was not ready for prime time, so I grilled these steaks in this grill pan on very high heat. It worked out great!

Cooking tip (which I learned the hard way): To clean a grill pan after cooking meat on high heat, deglaze it! While the heat is still on, just toss in a cup of water and scrub it with a heat proof brush, then let the whole thing cool. How Julia is that? You're welcome!

Finishing these steaks with aged balsamic vinegar was also a revelation. I'm going to be doing this a lot more. It's soooo delicious.

I am participating in #NationalGarlicDay. After the recipe, check out 17 more garlicky recipes from some pretty cool bloggers who love garlic as much as I do.

Garlicky Ribeye Steak with Garlic Bruschetta

Serves 4, very, very generously. This recipe has been adapted from Tom Douglas' Seattle Kitchen.

Ingredients

Four 14 ounce ribeye steaks about 1 inch thick

10 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped

2 T chopped fresh rosemary

1/2 C extra virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling and drizzling

Black pepper

Kosher or sea salt
Peanut or vegetable oil for brushing the grill or grill pan

Four 1/2 inch thick slices of Italian, French, or other rustic bread
10 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed with a mallet or the side of a chef's knife
Olive oil for brushing the bread

Balsamic vinegar

Instructions

1. Place the steaks in a shallow baking dish and cover with the oil, garlic and rosemary. and grind some pepper over the top. Cover with plastic rap and refrigerate for several hours. Remove the steaks from the refrigerator about an hour before grilling. 
2. Sprinkle the steaks with pepper and Kosher or sea salt on both sides.
3. Heat a cast iron grill pan or a barbecue on high heat. If you are using a grill pan, brush it with peanut oil once it is hot. If you are using a barbecue, prepare it as you normally would. 
4. Grill the steaks, about 5 minutes a side, for medium rare. Use an instant read thermometer to determine when your steaks are done. I cooked mine to 128 degrees F.
5. Place the steaks on a plate and cover with foil to rest.
6. Rub the slices of bread with crushed garlic (lots of it). Brush the slices with olive oil, and then grill the bread until toasty. Watch it closely.
7. Place a bruschetta on each dinner plate, and top with a steak. 
8. Sprinkle the steaks with aged balsamic vinegar. 
9. Serve. 

Calling all garlic lovers! Welcome to National Garlic Day 2015, hosted by Heather from girlichef. April 19th is a day for garlic lovers far and wide to come together and celebrate the wonder of "the stinking rose". Whether it's the ability to ward off vampires (and bugs), its numerous health benefits, or the way it lends flavor to a dish, there are so many reasons for singing the praises of garlic. To help you get in the mood, check out these garlicky good recipes from this year's National Garlic Day bloggers:

• Black Garlic Chocolate Cake from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic from My Catholic Kitchen
• Epic Garlic Bread from Shockingly Delicious
• Garlic and White Bean Hummus from Kelli's Kitchen
• Garlic Lovers Focaccia with Shallots and Sweet Corn from Kudos Kitchen by Renee
• Garlic-Parmesan Chicken Stuffed Shells for Two from The Spiffy Cookie
• Garlicky Chard Stuffed Flank Steak from girlichef
• Garlicky Lobster Crab Scampi from Food Lust People Love
• Garlicky Rib Eye Steak with Garlic Bruschetta from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• IPA Pickles from NY Foodgasm
• Lebanese Garlic Sauce from A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Louisiana Garlic Bread from Wishes and Dishes
• Roasted Garlic and Parmesan Hummus from From Gate to Plate
• Roasted Garlic Cauliflower from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Roasted Garlic Gruyère Pull-Apart Bread from Big Flavors from a Tiny Kitchen
• Spicy Garlic Noodles with Pork from Healthy Delicious