The best music is about connection, that place where words and music allow an artist to fire real emotion in listeners. And it’s that connection that has been at the heart of Frankie Ballard‘s rise as an artist. “I see people relating to the words of these songs,” he says, “using the lyrics to reflect on their own lives.”
Nowhere has that been more evident than in Ballard’s breakthrough #1 hit, “Helluva Life.” Fans are owning every line as they sing it back in concert and use social media to share their own stories of good times and bad, and the song’s maxim that “bad times make the good times better” has become a rallying cry and a life-affirming motto.
It also rings true to the life Ballard himself has been living. “I’ve been slugging it out on the road for a long, long time,” he says with a characteristic smile, “and it’s great when I’m far from home to have people out there know who I am and to feel like we’ve created a real bond.”
And when he isn’t “slugging it out on the road,” Ballard can often be found relaxing at home … making “good times better” with his Big Green Egg.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in rib-eyes
- Salt and pepper
Mushroom Whiskey Cream Sauce Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- ¼ cup mushrooms, cut to bite size
- ¼ cup chopped leeks
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- ½ cup whiskey
- 2 cups heavy cream
- ⅛ tsp cayenne pepper
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Set up your EGG for direct cooking, preferably with the Cast Iron Grid, at about 650°F/343°C.
Coat both sides of the steak with salt and lots of pepper.
Set a cast iron skillet or Dutch Oven on the grid and let it heat up for a few minutes. Add the butter and cook it until it is slightly brown, then add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Stir in the leeks and garlic.
Put the steaks on the grid and close the lid. Grill for about 4 minutes for medium-rare, turning once. Move the steaks to plates. Pour the sauce over the steaks and serve – they won’t last long!