Any Man on the Move needs to know how to cook the ultimate man-food. Steak.
Man Food!
I hear Bill Gates pushing for a “meatless” society. Have you seen the guy? He does not look healthy! He’s working an ashen gray look with a very pale face and man boobs. He appears to me to be a man in need of meat protein.
Next I see some chick at Bloomberg telling us that if we make less than $300,000/year we should be eating lentils instead of steak. Lentils? Her name is Teresa Ghilarducci - have you seen her? She appears to be a girl in need of a big piece of meat.
The Steak
I eat steak primarily. That's pretty much what my diet consists of. Sometimes I supplement that with other steaks. - Jocko Willink
With that, let’s get started cooking some meat! These instructions will do you well with Ribeyes, New York Strips, T-Bones, Porterhouses, or Flatirons. Look for a steak that’s at least an inch thick.
The Grill
I know the ceramics (Green Eggs, Komodo, etc) are great, but I have never used one and they are very expensive. My go-to grill is simple, cheap, and easy - less than 150 bones.
Before you cook with a new grill, liberally wipe the grates down with peanut oil and burn them off with a really hot fire before you begin. Repeat this process about once per season as you clean/pressure wash your grill. After each cook, scrape your grates clean with a stiff wire brush to keep the crud off.
Fuel
HANK: You brought charcoal into our house! PEGGY: I didn't know what it was! Luanne asked me to hold it for her! I thought it was drugs! HANK: There's soot under my boy's nails! You don't get that from a clean-burning fuel. BOBBY: You don't get the rich smoky flavor either. HANK: Shut..your..mouth. Now, we're going to sit here and pray.
Though Hank Hill is one of the greatest Texans to ever live, I do not care for propane. I need fire, smoke, and ashes.
I’m somewhat fire agnostic. I will use 100% wood sometimes (oak, mesquite, or hickory), lump charcoal other times (Jealous Devil, Cowboy, or B+B), and sometimes briquettes (Kingsford, Kingsford Competition, or Cowboy). Royal Oak sucks and so do the cheap store-brands. Buy good fuel.
For the love of all that is good and holy, do NOT use lighter fluid. Get a charcoal chimney and start your fire with paper. Once you have flames shooting aggressively from the top of the chimney, transfer the fire to your grill. You want a good hot bed of coals, do not skimp on the fuel. You ghouls be about 20-25% away from “full glow” as it comes out of the chimney.
Throw the grates on your grill so they get hot. You want to run heat at least 10-15 minutes before you start cooking. Air flow is important here. Open the vents and position your grill to catch the wind so you get good air. After about 10-15 minutes the coals in your fire should be at “full glow”. It’s meat time!
Prep & Seasoning
Before grilling, you will want your meat out of the fridge and sitting at room temp for at least an hour. Pat your steaks dry with some paper towels before you season them up.
At the risk of starting a war, let’s talk seasoning. I know everyone has their favorites, their “secret recipes”, or their McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning. Here are some other ideas:
I like, no love, Jess Pryle’s Black. It’s an activated charcoal-based rub that will make for vivid color contrast and it tastes great!
Kinder’s SPG is a great salt, pepper, garlic blend. Very simple & classic. Hint, it’s great on fries too! I will also do my own SPG too - Kosher salt, coarse ground pepper, and a fine ground garlic powder.
The “Cowboy Rub” is equal parts Kosher salt, brown sugar, and ground coffee.
Marinate in olive oil overnight, then season with garlic salt & basil. This makes for a buttery steak! Top with melted garlic butter!
Marinate in Italian dressing. I call this “Steak Valdez” after a little apartment fire incident and subsequent oil spill in Abilene, TX circa 1989 that brought 3 fire trucks to the Treadway Apartments.
Perini Ranch Steak Rub from Buffalo Gap, TX. Legendary steak makers…
My neighbor marinates his steaks in Scotch. YMMV. Be ready for fire!
What ever you choose, let’s get these steaks seasoned up and cooking!
On The Grill
HANK: “These are medium rare…”
BOBBY: “What happens if someone wants their’s well done?” HANK: “We ask them politely, yet firmly, to leave.”
I hate when I order a steak medium-rare and get a steak where the inside is well-done on the top and bottom, the inner 3rd is medium, and there is a very thin center band of medium-rare in the middle. Failure.
Our goal here is a perfect medium-rare from top to bottom, crust to crust. If you are using Jess Pryle’s Black, you will wow your audience with an amazing color contrast - a nice, seared, strikingly black crust that goes straight into a vibrant medium-rare meat that is the same color from edge to edge.
How do we do this? We’re going to just keep flipping. I learned the “JKF” method from Jess as well. This girl (and fellow Texan) knows how to cook meat, let me tell you… Once your meat hits the grates, start flipping your steak every 30-60 seconds until it’s done. Keep the lid closed, opening only to flip, and then close it back down.
Know Your Temps
Don’t be hero and try to cook a steak without a meat thermometer - get a good “instant read” thermometer. For a nice medium-rare, I like to pull my steaks off the fire at 130 degrees. I let them rest for 5 minutes before serving as they come up to their final temp - a nice medium-rare right around 135.
If you’re flipping every 60 seconds, most “store bought” steaks at Publix or Kroger will get to 130 degrees in 12-15 minutes. For thicker cuts from Costco you will probably go 20-22 minutes. For big boy tomahawks you might end up at about 25 minutes. Whatever your cook time, just keep flipping! #JKF
As your steak nears completion, some fats will start rendering out and you might spark off some flames with the drippings. Don’t fear the flames, let them hit the meat and finish off your sear. Maybe start flipping every 10-20 seconds if you have big flames going. Just start monitoring your internal temps closely - you’re getting close!
Serving
I have a hickory cutting board that I made out of a hickory tree that fell in our neighborhood. I love it. I set the steaks on board to rest for 5 minutes before we eat, and serve them right from the board.
If I’m feeling particularly frothy I might top the steaks with some melted butter, browned garlic butter, or some good bleu cheese. For the most part I just go au natural.
Conclusion
It’s nice outside, the evenings are warm, the sunsets are later, and it is a perfect time to hit the grill! Hopefully this sparked some inspirations. Light it up and have some fun!
Cheers, and thanks for reading!
