Captivate editor Amber Plante recently participated in the Granite Chef Challenge in New Hampshire’s seacoast town of Portsmouth. The recipes she and her partner prepared garnered *first place* from a panel of local celebrity judges and chefs – including a pretty famous local boy: Dancing With The Stars host Tom Bergeron!

To recreate the winning meal, check out the following recipes! Grill on, Captivate viewers!

Menu:
Cuban dry-rubbed Rib-eye steak, grilled to perfection
Rice and black bean salad with avocado
Sliced pineapple, sugared and grilled

Ingredients:

• 4 Rib-eye steaks
• Adobo spice rub, with pinches of cinnamon and cumin
• 3 cups rice (brown or white, cooked and cooled)
  
• 1 cup chopped avocado
• 1 cup tomato, seeded and chopped
• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
• ½ cup chopped cilantro
• ½ cup chopped parsley
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• Oregano, salt and pepper to taste
  
• 1 large pineapple, skinned and cut into ½” slices
• ½ cup brown sugar
• 1 cup rum, any flavor (coconut would be good)
  

Instructions:

Rice Salad:
Chop up the ingredients and add them to a large bowl. Pour on vinegar and add spices and stir. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the flavors to deepen while the steak cooks.

Steaks:
Take the steaks out of refrigeration and allow to come to room temperature. (TIP: Before adding any rub, pop the steaks into the microwave for 30 seconds, just to take off any remaining chill.)

With your fingers, cover the steaks in the Cuban rub, including on the sides. Place on the grill and forget about it for a few minutes, allowing it to form a great crunchy crust and marks.

Cook until desired doneness is achieved, then allow the meat to rest for a few minutes for the juices inside to redistribute.

Pineapple:
Slice the skinned pineapple into ½” pieces, reserving the leaves, and sprinkle one side liberally with the brown sugar. Pour the rum into a small spray bottle, and coat the slices and sugar with rum.

Place the slices sugar-side down directly on the greased grill, and allow to cook for 1 minute, or until grill marks appear. Apply the same sugar-and-rum technique to the upside of the pineapple, then flip.

Repeat the sugaring and spraying process until the fruit is the desired sweetness, with deep brown grill marks on both sides and a golden color to the flesh.

Plating:
On a colored plate, place a slice of grilled pineapple in opposite corners. Rest one steak slightly covering the top slice, and add a serving of rice to the other half of the plate, slightly covering the second slice. For an added flourish, place the reserved top of the pineapple on the center between the two dishes.