Large Cuts and Beef

“Chili Coffee Crusted Beef Filet”

Filet of beef is a real treat. Most outdoor cooks are either afraid of it because it’s too expensive and delicate OR they are like a bull in the china shop and they just kill it. If done with the right amount of care, it can be one of the best beef dishes you will ever eat. It literally melts in your mouth. There is very little (if any) fat, so you have to cook it fast and hot and then rest it so it doesn't dry out. Remember, fat is flavor so because it’s so lean, you will have to add some really bold flavors to enhance the subtle beef flavor of the meat. I have crusted this one with the big flavors of chili and coffee and then a sweet a rich cherry sauce. The salty, sweet, hot, and bold coffee combination works some magic. I like to serve this as a starter. It gets everyone's mouth-watering for the main event.

The Sauce:

1/2 small onion chopped
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4-1/2 cup beef broth (low-sodium)
2 tbsp cherry or black cherry preserves
1 tbsp butter

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, sweat onions in butter until soft and translucent. Add the red wine vinegar and reduce by 1/2. Add 1/4 cup beef broth and reduce again by 1/2. Add the cherry preserves and stir until incorporated. Reduce to a smooth sauce consistency. Turn off heat, cover, and hold until ready to serve the meat. When reheating if you need to thin it out, use some extra beef broth. If you want to richen this up, even more, add a pad of butter while reheating and whisk in.

Before grilling, remove meat from refrigeration and bring to room temp. Grill meat over direct high heat on your grill, turning frequently until an internal temperature of 125 degrees F is achieved (for medium-rare after resting). The outside should have an even dark brown (almost black) char on it.

Remove from heat, tent loosely on your cutting board with foil, and rest for 15 minutes. Slice medallions on the bias and plate in a domino pattern. Drizzle with the reheated cherry sauce and serve family-style with extra sauce on the side.

Serve this as a starter. Folks can have a bit of this as they are enjoying their beer wine or cocktail as your event is getting underway.

"Holiday Roast Beast" (Chili/Java Crusted Beef Rib Roast)

There is no more glorious a cut of meat for a festive holiday meal with family and friends than a rib roast—a massive one. The mere sight of one of these beasts is enough to make anyone, but the most devout vegetarians, drool. The dark brown crust on the outside. The juicy pink interior. It’s hard to think about it without drooling. Well, we have taken this whole thing to the next level by putting a Southwestern dried chili and java crust on it, hauled it all outside to the grill or the smoker, and added a little smoke. WOW!!! The result is just ridiculous!! Ridiculously good that is!! And the gravy that these pan drippings make is just out of this world. The recipe is a little involved but not difficult. Please make sure to pay strict attention to 3 things: grill/smoker temp, time, and meat temp. If you have those three things nailed, the rest takes care of itself. Enjoy!!!! Your friends and family will!!!

The Chili Paste:

4 guajillo chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded
2 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce (these are canned)
4 cloves of garlic (finely chopped or crushed with a garlic press)
½ onion chopped (medium-sized)
2 tbsps brown sugar (light or regular–don’t use the dark)
3 tbsps extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps red wine vinegar

Soak the chilis in 2 cups of hot water for 30 minutes. Place chilis, garlic, onions, chipotle chilis, and 1 cup soaking liquid in blender and puree until smooth. Cook the puree in a frying pan over medium heat with 2-3 tbsps of olive oil for 30 minutes to thicken. Add brown sugar and vinegar and cook stirring 15 more minutes. Set aside to cool.

The Dry Rub:

Depending on the size of your roast, you may need to make a double batch to be able to rub it all over.

6 tbsps ground dark roast coffee (espresso grind)
2 tbsps cocoa powder (don’t use hot cocoa mix)
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix well and cover and set aside until ready for use.

Grill/Smoker Setup:

Set up your grill or smoker for indirect heat cooking and a little smoke.
Use soaked fruitwood chunks. I recommend just 1 small fist-sized chunk for the right amount of smoke flavor.
Use enough charcoal to manage the heat of about 400 degrees to start and then sustain 350 degrees for a few hours, depending on the size of the roast.
Preheat grill to 400 degrees.

The Dry Rub:

Depending on the size of your roast, you may need to make a double batch to be able to rub it all over.

6 tbsps ground dark roast coffee (espresso grind)
2 tbsps cocoa powder (don’t use hot cocoa mix)
1 tbsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Mix well and cover and set aside until ready for use.

Grill/Smoker Setup:

Set up your grill or smoker for indirect heat cooking and a little smoke.
Use soaked fruitwood chunks. I recommend just 1 small fist-sized chunk for the right amount of smoke flavor.
Use enough charcoal to manage the heat of about 400 degrees to start and then sustain 350 degrees for a few hours, depending on the size of the roast.
Preheat grill to 400 degrees.

Chef’s Directions:

Unwrap and pat the meat dry with a paper towel and let sit out for 15 minutes to take the chill off the meat.
Trim away “excess” fat from your roast. Note: “Excess” fat means more than about ½ inch. Remember, fat is flavor so you want at least a 1/4-1/2 inch of fat. Plus this is “prime” beef, and you are paying for all that marbling so use it.
Rub the meat all over with the cooled wet chili mixture. Sprinkle dry rub all over using your hands or a shaker if you have one. Sprinkle a little more on the fatty top layer. Cover and let come to room temperature (about 15-20 minutes).
Place the meat in the roasting pan fat side up (bones down). Do not cover.
Place in your 400-degree cooker for 15 minutes (cooker lid closed, no peeking).
After 15 minutes, adjust the air intakes of the cooker to drop the temperature to 350 degrees for the rest of the cooking time.
Baste with pan juices every 30 minutes (be quick so you don’t lose too much heat in your cooker).
Use your instant-read thermometer inserted into the middle of the thickest part of the meat without touching any bones to gauge temperature.
When done, remove from the cooker, cover loosely with heavy-duty aluminum foil, and let rest about 15-20 minutes “minimum” before cutting.

Note: See below for cooking time, temp, and resting guidelines.

"IMPORTANT" Cooking Times:

Depending on the size of your roast, a 4-7 rib roast can take anywhere from 2-4 hours. You cannot gauge the time by the minutes per pound method like our moms probably did. You need an instant-read thermometer to get you in the ballpark for guest arrival timing, etc. It works out to be about 12-15 minutes per pound but go by the temperature guidelines below. Do not rely on time. You will either undercook your roast or overcook it, and you won’t know until you cut into it, and then it is just too late.

"IMPORTANT" Resting Notes:

The temperatures listed below are fully rested temperatures. When you remove your roast from the cooker and rest it covered under aluminum foil for 15-20 minutes, the temperature will continue to rise about 5-10 degrees over that time, so take your roast out of the cooker about 5-10 degrees cooler than desired, leave the thermometer in the meat, tent it, and keep an eye on the temp as it rises.

Rare (Warm Red Center) (120-125 degrees F)

Medium Rare (Warm Pink Center) (130-135 degrees F)

Medium (Warmer Light Pink Center) (140-145 degrees F)

Medium Well (Grey Interior) (150-155 degrees F)

Well (Dark Gray or Brown Dry Interior) (Anything 160 degrees F or More)

“The Day After” Roast Beef Hash

A prime rib or rib roast done on a grill or smoker is just an amazing thing. It has often left me with the thought: “Now, how the hell do you improve on that?” Well, you can’t really. But what you can do is make an outrageous breakfast the next morning with what’s left. These cuts of meat are holiday favorites so you will almost always have friends or relatives to make breakfast for the next morning, and this is perfect! This hash is smoky and a little spicy to clear out the cobwebs from last night’s celebration. Topped with the leftover savory brown gravy and a poached egg and served with a toasted leftover roll, this is a breakfast that cannot be beaten!! Make this from the recipe first and then go nuts! Get creative. Try some variations.

Ingredients:

2-2 ½ lbs. of Flank Steak (you can use Skirt Steak just as well).

Marinade:

Mix all of the following ingredients in a re-sealable plastic bag or deep glass bowl. Put flank steak in making sure that all of the meat is getting hit with marinade. Cover or seal and refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

1 tablespoon Red Pepper Flakes.
1 Tablespoon Dried Oregano crushed between your fingers into a finer powder.
2 Tablespoons Fresh Thyme leaves chopped fine.
2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce or Maggi (meat flavoring)
½ Yellow Onion finely chopped.
¼ Cup fresh squeezed Lime Juice.
¼ Cup fresh squeezed Orange Juice.
2 Tablespoons of Worcestershire Sauce or Maggi (meat flavoring)
Dash of your favorite hot sauce.
1 Tablespoon of Sea Salt.

Resting Butter:

Prepare the following and hold until the steaks are done.

Melt one stick of unsalted butter over low heat.
¼ cup Chopped Cilantro.
2 tablespoons Dried oregano crushed between your fingers.
1 teaspoon of smoked paprika OR Chipotle Chili Powder.

Grill Setup:

Prepare grill for “Direct Heat” Grilling (Use natural hardwood charcoal and add some soaked fruitwood chunks for a little smoke).

Chef’s Directions:

Remove steaks from marinade and gently brush off excess marinade.
Place on a plate, cover, and let sit for 15 minutes to take the chill off them from the refrigerator.
Grill the Flank Steaks over a high “Direct Heat” 3 minutes each side moving them as little as possible in between flips so they get a nice char on them.
Turn them ¼ turn once more for 2 more minutes on each side.
Pour the melted resting butter into a sheet pan.
When done, remove the steaks from the grill and place on the sheet pan. Dredge both sides in the butter concoction until they are well coated.
Cover loosely with tin foil and let rest for 10 minutes.
Thinly Slice “across the grain” on the bias.

Serve with Warm Flour or Corn Tortillas, a squirt from a wedge of lime, and all the fixings you like. You won’t need much!!!