Steak

“Bodacious Bone-In Ribeye”

When you absolutely, positively need to show everyone at the barbecue “who’s their daddy,” this is the steak that you haul out!!! “Bone-in Ribeye,” “Cowboy Ribeye,” “Tomahawk Steak,” “Cote de boeuf.” There are a lot of names associated with this amazing cut of steak. Double thick-cut, bone-in, well-marbled, and juicy, this steak has it all: The Visual, the Reaction of your guests, and of course, Fabulous Taste!!! You will note that the recipe is fairly simple. There is no spice rub and no BBQ sauce. Just charred and grill-marked steak goodness. There isn’t much you can do to improve on perfection in this steak. I have added a little twist in the end by resting it in some butter and herbs but only an enhancement. Serve with a salad, some good crusty bread, and your favorite potato side (I suggest Baked or French Fried) and you have a memory.

Ingredients:

4 double thick-cut bone-in ribeye steaks (or “rib-steaks” as your butcher may call them something different)
Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
1 stick of unsalted butter
A couple of sprigs of “fresh” tarragon, roughly chopped
Vegetable oil for lubricating your grill

Grill Setup:

Set up your grill for direct cooking on one side of the grill. Get it “HOT” (Not screaming hot but real hot).

Chef’s Instructions:

Take the steaks out of the refrigerator 30 minutes (no longer) before you are ready to grill. Keep them covered but let them almost to room temperature.
While the chill is coming out of the steaks, melt the stick of butter over low heat in a small pot, and add about 10-15 leaves of chopped “fresh” tarragon. Keep melted and warm (not bubbling).
Salt and pepper the steaks on both sides to taste.
Using a clean, bunched up cloth or paper towel, dip in vegetable oil, grab with tongs and lubricate the grill grates on your grill.
Immediately add the steaks to the grill (AND DO NOT TOUCH THEM FOR AT LEAST 3-4 MINUTES).
Using “TONGS” pull the steaks off onto a clean platter and re-lubricate your grill with the oiled cloth or paper towel.
Turn steaks over and grill again for 3-4 more minutes.
Flip steaks over-rotating a ¼ turn so that you will get a nice crisscross pattern when done (3 more minutes).
Flip steaks one more time rotating ¼ turn again (3 more minutes).

NOTE: Remember these are double thick. At this point, the steaks will be nicely charred but may still be very “rare” on the inside. If you like them more done than that (I recommend no more than medium-rare which is a hot pink center). Place steaks on the side of the grill that is not directly over the coals or heat source. Close the lid of the grill and let the steaks continue to cook for about 4-5 minutes, depending on how done you are shooting for. Remember, they will continue to cook a bit while resting, so pull them off early enough so they don’t overcook.

Pour some of the melted butter tarragon mixture directly onto your cutting board.
Pull the steaks off the grill and place it on the cutting board on top of the butter mixture.
Loosely tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes.
Cutaway the bone right along where it is connected. Slice steak “across the grain” on cutting board and reassemble (bone and all) onto platters.

Drizzle a little of the cutting board juice over and serve. You will have set the BBQ Bar awfully high!!!

"Butter-Thyme T-Bone"

T-bone and porterhouse steaks are “old-school.” When I was growing up in the Midwest, these were the steaks of choice for a special occasion, special dinner, or a celebration. They were the signature steaks in most of the top-notch restaurants and in backyards everywhere. Old-school or not, they have a deep “on-the-bone” flavor and a marbled richness to them that brings back a lot of memories for me. Filet on one side, bone in the middle, and the strip on the other. These are fantastically pumped up with butter and herbs. I think the thyme goes well with the richness of the steak and the butter. Serve these with a baked potato and a salad with a tart dressing. You’ll want to gnaw on the bones when the meat is gone. I did and still do!!

Ingredients:

4 T-bone steaks cut 1 ½ inch thick. (They will end up being about 1 ½ lb each but remember there is a bone in there).
Garlic salt
Worcestershire sauce

Resting Butter:

Mix the following together and keep warm over very low heat until steaks are done.

1 stick unsalted butter melted
2-3 tbsps of chopped fresh thyme leaves
A squeeze of ½ lemon
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper

Grill Setup:

Set grill up for high direct heat” cooking. Use only natural hardwood charcoal and add 1-2 soaked fruitwood chunks to the coals for some smoke.

Chef’s Directions:

Sprinkle both sides of each steak with the garlic salt.
Rub both sides generously with the Worcestershire sauce.
Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Remove from refrigerator 15- 20 minutes before grilling to take the chill off the steaks.
With a bunched-up rag or paper towel, dip the towel some vegetable oil and lubricate the grates of your grill.
Place the steaks directly on the grill, close the grill, and do not peek for 3 minutes.
Open the grill, quickly remove the steaks to a plate, scrape the grill down with a wire brush or scraper, and re-lubricate.
Place the steaks back on the grill with the other side down, close the grill, and do not peek for another 3 minutes.
After 3 minutes have passed, open the grill, and leave it open now.
Flip the steaks over rotating ¼ turn to give them a nice cross-hatch pattern.
Cook for 4 more minutes per side for medium-rare.

Note: Cooking / Flipping times vary with each grill so keep an eye on things to avoid flare-ups and overcooking or undercooking the meat.

Pour resting butter mixture into a large sheet pan that can fit all 4 steaks.
Remove steaks from the grill and place on the sheet pan and dredge both sides in the butter mixture.
Cover loosely with tin foil and let rest for 5-7 minutes.
Remove to a cutting board. Cut the meat away from the bone and slice against the grain into ½ inch slices.
Reassemble the steaks (bone and all) onto a platter or individual plates.
Sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground cracked black pepper.
Drizzle any remaining pan juices onto the sliced steaks.

Mexican-Flavored Flank Steak / "Carne Asada"

Some of the most delicious meat dishes I have ever had have been in Mexico. Grilled over an open flame, the smoky flavor and char marry so well with Mexican spices and citrus. Every time I would walk away from one of those amazing vendor carts, I thought it must be some secret family recipe that made this all happen. After a good bit of experimentation on my own, I figured out that the amazing flavors came from the simplicity of the ingredients, not the over-spicing that usually takes place on American backyard grills when cooking a Mexican-style meal. This recipe brings the flavors of those cart vendors right to your doorstep. Serve this sliced on a bias wrapped in a warm tortilla with a little cheese and maybe some chopped cabbage and fresh tomatoes and you will see what I mean!!! Delicious!! Artisanal! Mexican!!!

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 resealable 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 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 tbsp dried oregano crushed between your fingers into a finer powder
2 tbsps fresh thyme leaves finely chopped fine
5 cloves of garlic (crushed with the side of your knife)
½ yellow onion finely chopped
¼ cup of fresh-squeezed lime juice
¼ cup of fresh-squeezed orange juice
2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce or Maggi meat flavoring)
Dash of your favorite hot sauce
1 tbsp 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 tbsps dried oregano crushed between your fingers
1 tsp 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!!!