Rosemary Thyme

Rainy Day Steak Night

💛 QUESTION OF THE DAY

When bad weather changes your plans, what favorite meal do you make indoors instead?

We had planned on grilling steaks outside today on our electric grill, but the weather had other ideas. Rainy Saturdays have a way of changing plans, and over the years I’ve learned that a good backup plan can be just as enjoyable as the original one.

Instead of heading out to the patio, I’ll be firing up my George Foreman grill right here in the kitchen.

Steak has always been one of Zach’s favorite meals. Ever since he was a little boy, he has loved a good steak dinner. Some foods come and go through the years, but a perfectly cooked steak has remained at the top of his list.

There is something comforting about gathering in the kitchen on a rainy afternoon while supper cooks. The windows may be covered with raindrops, but the aroma of steak, rosemary, and butter fills the house with warmth.

Tonight’s steaks are seasoned with a simple blend of kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, rosemary, and thyme. After grilling, each steak is topped with a pat of rosemary butter that slowly melts over the warm meat.

Sometimes the best family meals aren’t the ones that go exactly as planned. They’re the ones that adapt to the weather, bring everyone together, and remind us that home is less about where the meal is cooked and more about who gathers around the table.

🥩 Grilled Sirloin Steaks with Rosemary Butter

Steak Seasoning Blend
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons coarse black pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• ½ teaspoon dried thyme

Rosemary Butter
• 4 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 teaspoon fresh thyme
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• Pinch of black pepper

Mix butter ingredients together and refrigerate until ready to use.

Pat steaks dry, brush lightly with olive oil, and season generously. Grill to your preferred doneness. Allow the steaks to rest for 5–10 minutes, then top each with rosemary butter before serving.

🌿 Kitchen Note

Don’t let rainy weather cancel dinner plans. Indoor grills can create wonderful meals and some of the coziest memories happen when everyone gathers in the kitchen.

🔴 QUESTION OF THE DAY

What meal always reminds you of family dinners at home?

#RosemaryThyme
#RainyDayCooking
#FamilyDinner
#SteakNight
#FallInLoveWithHomeAgain

🗓️ Rosemary Thyme Weekly Schedule

• Sunday – Sunday Reflections
• Monday – Peace at the Table
• Tuesday – Kitchen History
• Wednesday – Recipe Day
• Thursday – Farmhouse Tips
• Friday – Recipe Day
• Saturday – Stocking the Pantry

🌿 Rosemary Thyme
Fall in Love with Home Again

 Rosmary Thyme Slow-Smoked Brisket on the Porch Smoker

There is something about the smell of a smoker going on a summer afternoon that instantly feels like home to me. This brisket is slow-smoked the old-fashioned way — fire on one side, meat resting slowly in the gentle smoke on the other. It’s simple, peaceful cooking that takes time, patience, and a little faith in the process.

This is the kind of meal meant for family gatherings, long conversations, summer evenings on the porch, and paper plates filled beside bowls of homemade potato salad.

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Ingredients

• 1 whole brisket, about 5–7 pounds

• 2 tbsp avocado oil or yellow mustard (binder)

Rosemary Thyme Brisket Rub

• 2 tbsp coarse black pepper

• 1 tbsp garlic powder

• 1 tbsp onion powder

• 2 tsp smoked paprika

• 2 tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt

(or 1 tsp table salt)

• 1 tsp rosemary thyme herb blend

• Optional: 1 tsp brown sugar for a slight caramelized bark

For Wrapping:

• 1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth

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Instructions

Pat brisket dry and trim excess hard fat, leaving a thin layer for moisture and flavor.

Rub lightly with avocado oil or mustard to help the seasoning adhere.

Mix all rub ingredients together and coat the brisket generously on all sides.

Refrigerate several hours or overnight for deeper flavor.

Prepare smoker with the fire on one side and the brisket on the opposite side for indirect heat.

Maintain smoker temperature around 225–250°F.

Place brisket fat-side up on the cooler side of the smoker and cook slowly until the internal temperature reaches about 165°F and a deep bark forms.

Wrap brisket tightly in butcher paper or foil with the beef broth.

Return brisket to smoker and continue cooking until probe tender, usually around 195–203°F internal temperature.

Remove from smoker and let rest at least 30–45 minutes before slicing.

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Rosemary Thyme Kitchen Note

Brisket is not a fast meal — and that is part of its beauty. The tenderness comes slowly as the connective tissue melts down over time. Low heat and patience are the secret.

Rosemary Thyme Brisket Tip

If this is your first brisket, don’t panic when the temperature suddenly seems to stop moving for hours. Almost everyone who smokes brisket experiences that moment of standing beside the smoker wondering:

“Did I ruin it?”

“Why is this thing stuck?”

“Is dinner ever going to happen?”

This is called “the stall,” and it is completely normal. Usually around 160–170°F, the brisket may appear to stop rising in temperature for quite some time as moisture evaporates from the meat.

The first time I made brisket, I had no idea this could happen — so now I always start much earlier and plan ahead for the stall instead of stressing over it.

This is also why experienced brisket cooks usually think:

“How early can I start this?”

instead of:

“How late can I get away with starting it?”

At the stall stage, you can:

• continue smoking patiently through it, or

• wrap the brisket in butcher paper or foil with a splash of broth to help push through the stall while keeping the meat moist and tender.

And the good news? If a brisket finishes early, that’s perfectly fine. A wrapped brisket can rest beautifully and often becomes even more tender while resting.

Low heat, patience, and time are the real secret ingredients to great brisket.

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Serving Ideas

Perfect with:

• Family German-Style Potato Salad

• Creamy coleslaw

• Grilled corn

• Cast-iron cornbread

• Garden tomatoes

• Sweet iced tea or Garden Waters

Serves about 8–10.

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A Simple Note from My Kitchen

Some of the best meals are the ones that ask us to slow down a little. The smoker quietly going on the porch, family gathering in and out of the kitchen, summer air moving through the screens — those moments become part of the recipe too.

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May your kitchen be filled with simple meals, peaceful moments, and the quiet comfort of caring for the people you love one plate at a time.

Rosemary Thyme House Burgers

Simple • Flavorful • Indoor Grill Friendly

There’s something comforting about burgers made at home — not fast food, not overloaded, just a good burger cooked in your own kitchen with ingredients you recognize.

This seasoning blend is built the Rosemary Thyme way: flavorful herbs, gentle smokiness, garlic, onion, and black pepper doing the heavy lifting instead of excessive salt. And the indoor grill makes it easy enough for an ordinary weekday supper.

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Ingredients

For the Burgers

* 1½ lbs lean ground beef (85–90% lean works beautifully)

* 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

* 1 tsp olive oil

* 6 burger buns or sourdough rolls

Rosemary Thyme Burger Seasoning

* 1 tsp garlic powder

* 1 tsp onion powder

* 1 tsp smoked paprika

* ½ tsp dried thyme

* ½ tsp dried rosemary, crushed finely

* ½ tsp black pepper

* ¼ tsp cumin

* ¼ tsp kosher salt (optional)

Optional Toppings

* Sliced Gouda or cheddar

* Tomato slices

* Red onion

* Lettuce

* Pickles

* Avocado

* Dijon mustard or a simple yogurt sauce

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Instructions

1. Make the seasoning

In a small bowl, mix together the garlic powder, onion powder, smoked paprika, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, cumin, and optional salt.

2. Prepare the burgers

Place the ground beef in a large bowl. Add Worcestershire sauce and olive oil.

Sprinkle in most of the seasoning blend, reserving a little for the outside of the patties.

Gently mix just until combined. Do not overwork the meat.

3. Form patties

Shape into 5–6 patties slightly thinner in the center so they cook evenly on the indoor grill.

Sprinkle the outside lightly with the remaining seasoning.

4. Preheat the George Foreman grill

Lightly oil the grill plates if needed.

Cook burgers about 4–6 minutes depending on thickness and desired doneness. The George Foreman drains excess grease nicely and gives beautiful grill marks indoors.

If adding cheese, place it on during the last minute of cooking.

5. Serve warm

Serve on toasted buns with your favorite toppings.

These are especially good with:

* oven potatoes

* creamy coleslaw

* pasta-style brown rice salad

* watermelon in summer

* grilled onions and peppers

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Rosemary Thyme Kitchen Notes

* A little rosemary goes a long way in burgers — enough to create warmth without tasting “piney.”

* Smoked paprika gives that outdoor-grill flavor even indoors.

* George Foreman grills work wonderfully for lower-fat cooking because excess grease drains away naturally.

* For lower sodium, skip salting the meat heavily and finish the burger with flavorful toppings instead.

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A Simple Note from My Kitchen

Some of the best meals aren’t complicated at all. Just burgers sizzling on the grill, people gathered nearby, and the comfort of eating at home together. That kind of meal never really goes out of style.

May your kitchen be filled with simple meals, peaceful moments, and the quiet comfort of caring for the people you love one plate at a time.