BEEF - Steak
Steak is one of the back yard grillers favorite things to cook. There is nothing as good as the “perfect” steak. Unfortunately, there is nothing worse than an overcooked or tough steak.
First, get a good piece of meat like a rib steak, rib eye steak, T-bone, Porterhouse or a fillet. Get the best quality you can afford. Choice is ok, prime is better. Here is a great example of a prime steak courtesy of stripsteak on the Big Green Egg Forum.
Next, decide if you are grilling the steak “naked” or prefer it with a rub. If using a rub, select a one that will not overpower the taste of the beef. Many traditional beef rubs have little or no sugar, but let your taste buds be your guide. Using sea salt and cracked pepper is always a good choice too. Apply the seasonings about an hour before grilling. Some folks prefer a little oil on the steaks.
Set up your grill with a direct set-up and a hot fire, 500° or hotter. Place the steak on the grill and let it cook until it will release from the grate then turn it using tongs. Depending on the thickness and your preferred doneness, once the second side has been cooked the steak may be close to done. If the steak is 1-1/2” or thicker it may require a few turns to avoid burning. Rather than using time to judge doneness, use your finger to monitor firmness. Remove from the grill, let it sit for a few minutes and measure the internal temperature. 125°-130° will be rare. 135° will be medium rare. After a couple more minutes of rest it will be ready to serve.
Other methods for cooking steaks are gaining popularity. One is cooking directly on the bed of coals (or on a grate laid on the coals). I've experimented with this, and frankly it's not for me.
The next method is one I learned from The Big Green Egg Forum and is referred to as the T-Rex Method. Click on the blue link to learn more about this method. It involves a really hot sear, then a rest off of the grill, then a second cook to finish. Many folks report wonderful success using this method.
The opposite of the T-Rex method is called the Reverse Sear or the Finney Method. it involves cooking a steak over a medium fire until the internal is 100°, then removing it from the cooker for a few minutes. the steak goes back on the cooker until it reaches your target temp.
The last method was featured in Cooks Illustrated. It involves putting a steak in a zipper or vacuum bag and warming it in a 100°F water bath for 1 hour prior to cooking. The steak will now have an internal temp around 82°F, well above the usual "room temperature" most cooks use. Since most folks grill a steak to around 125°, the steak only has to rise 40°F or so during the cook. The cook times are really fast, sometimes just a sear on thinner steaks. The doneness is very even across the cross section while allowing you to produce undiluted flavors on the exterior of rare or on the low end of medium rare steaks. Nicknamed the "Hot Tub Method" on the Big Green Egg Forum, this method is gaining popularity on steaks, roasts & chops.
If everything turns out well, this is the end result.
