Serious Red Meat: How Do You Grill Steak?
Here's the Beef: Prime steaks age in Master Purveyors' dry-aging room. From Adam Kuban's trip to the meat supplier.
The Serious Eats Steak Grilling Quiz:
Rib-eye, sirloin, or filet?
Bone in or out?
Prime or choice?
Dry- or wet-aged?
Weber Kettle or fancy-pants grill?
Charcoal or gas?
Salt and pepper or spice rub?
Eyeball, finger, or instant-read thermometer for telling when a steak is done?
So many questions to answer about grilled steak, so little time to do so with summer fleeting fast.
Mark Bittman gave his usual minimalist, reductive take on grilling steak in the New York Times, and he did end up answering many of the questions posed above. But since I had grilled a three-inch thick bone-in rib eye on Tuesday night, right before his story appeared, I did not have the benefit of his wisdom or yours when I wrestled with my hunk of red meat.
I bought a choice, wet-aged, bone-in rib-eye Black Angus steak from a terrific new food store, Fiddlehead Farm, that opened a mile from us. I much prefer dry-aged prime meat to wet-aged choice, but there is no dry-aged prime meat to be found in any food store near us. Bone-in rib eyes can be hard to find if you do not have access to that dying breed of food retailers, the local butcher. But they are worth seeking out, as the bone helps keep the meat juicy and moist and imparts a little bit of flavor as well. And, of course, rib eye steaks are rimmed on one side by the spinalis dorsi, the tastiest, most tender ridge of meat you will ever find anywhere. The rib eye is the only cut of steak that has the spinalis dorsi.
I did quite a bit of research on Black Angus beef a few years ago, and I discovered that it is as much marketing ploy as it is a sign of quality. That said, this particular Black Angus steak produced one seriously delicious platter of red meat. If you are willing to splurge on dry-aged prime meat for your occasional steak, I have found Lobel's to be a reliable if costly mail-order source. What's your favorite cut of steak to grill?
I used a chimney starter filled with hardwood charcoal in my Weber Kettle. I get great results using my rickety Weber Kettle for things like steaks and burgers. Are you a gas or charcoal griller?
I took the steak out of its cryovac container, patted it dry, left it out of the fridge to get it to room temperature (steaks grill evenly and faster at room temperature), and ground some salt and pepper and rubbed them all over the steak. Kosher salt is just fine, but up here on Cape Cod, my box of kosher salt becomes a box of salt clumps, so I end up using any old salt grinder I can find. I love the taste of simply salted and peppered steak, so I don't go in for spice rubs. Do you?
I grilled the steak on both sides for six minutes right over the charcoal. I then moved it to the edge of the grill to cook over indirect heat for another two to three minutes a side. Remember, I was cooking a three-inch thick steak. I ended up with meat a little too rare for my wife, so I ended up putting a few slices back on the grill for a minute or so more. To avoid this kind of uncertainty, use an instant-read meat thermometer. According to Bittman, 125 degrees is rare, 130 degrees is medium-rare. I didn't have one handy. These thermometers are particularly helpful when you're grilling a really thick steak. I have seen chefs use their fingers and their impeccable touch to precisely cook steaks, but I have never been able to utilize that method myself. How do you tell when your steaks are done?
We ended up with a perfect summer meal, grilled bone-in rib eye, sliced vine-ripened tomatoes with sea salt, and sweet corn on the cob rolled directly on a stick of unsweetened butter. The steak had a phenomenal charred, just-salty-enough, crust, and the tomatoes and corn were the essence of great summer eating. What do you serve your grilled steak with?
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17 Comments:
I think my father would freak out if I ever tried to serve him steak without potatoes featured in some kind of hot side dish (accompanied, preferably, by either asparagus or caesar salad). Two vegetables and no starch (corn doesn't count for him)?? Blasphemy!
This is the same man who literally drowns his meatloaf in ketchup and insists that beef stroganoff must be accompanied by fruit salad...
ChristineB at 8:38AM on 08/23/07
Ed, I'm glad you got your steak on! And your wife wa participating too! Congrats!
I haven't tried all the fancy cuts yet, but so far my favorite is bone-in ribeye too. There are THREE places in a 10 block span where I can get dry aged prime and choice meats hand cut for me. I live on the Upper West Side, the real food capital of NYC :) Maybe not for all the bestest hippest most glamorous restaurants, but definitely for the highest density of the best food stores. Garden on Eden on 106th, Oppenhimer's on 98th and Gourmet Garage on 96th all have a real butcher with whole chunks of dry aged prime grass fed free range beef. So does Citerella and both Fairways. I think Barzini's may have a butcher counter too. I don't go to Zabar's as often as I'd like to so I don't remember but I'd be shocked if they didn't have a butcher.
Anyway, when I have access to a grill (charcoal) I do basically what you do: very coarse salt and black pepper rub on both sides and allow to sit at room temp for a while, then I sear the steak on direct heat, for a 1 1/2" steak about 6 minutes on the first side, 4 on the second, then on indirect heat for a another 3 - 5 per side. The hotter the better. I use hardwood charcoal if I can find it, but also the mesquite kingsford is good. I have also soaked hickory chips and thrown them on my coals, which is yummy.
When at home, I heat up a cast iron skillet with some more coarse salt and pepper in the pan, and maybe a dab of clarified butter. Plugra sells it by the jar and it keeps forever, its very good to have on hand. Sear the steak on both sides, then I pop it into the broiler. I have one of those Lodge cast iron long griddles with the raised ridges on one side. It gives me the all important grill lines. I preheat it in the broiler while I'm searing on the cast iron skillet and transfer to it using tongs. DON'T use forks or otherwise poke holes through that preciously fragile crust you are trying to build.
For a thicker cut, I increase the time SLIGHTLY. I have a thermometer but I always forget to use it. I cook by zen, chi, or using the force, whichever is flowing stronger that day. It's better to undercook a good piece of meat than over cook it. It will continue to cook after you take it off the heat. The longer you let it sit, the more it will continue to cook as it cools. But if you cut into it too soon, the juices will all pour out. You want to let them redistribute themselves a little too. So, I undercook it it, let it sit so that the juices redistribute and it gets a little more done, and I'm good to go. On a big steak you will have a nice variation of well done crispy outside parts to black and blue almost raw inside parts.
Fillet is good too but I really like the flavor imparted by the bone. Fillet is seasoned the same way but cooked even shorter, and only turned once, no need to let it cook longer on indirect heat on under the broiler.
If you have to time, before you cook you steaks, let some butter soften at room temp in a bowl, but dont let it melt. Chop up some parsley or any other herbs (and/or some truffles) you really enjoy and mix it into the butter with some salt. Pack it tightly into ramekins and cover with plastic wrap and put it back into the fridge. Serve this "beurre maitre d'hotel" with your steak...
seyo at 9:27AM on 08/23/07
(sorry for the typos)
seyo at 9:29AM on 08/23/07
I had the Porterhouse at Gibson's in Chicago a couple of weeks back. Dry-aged and thick, it was a good steak, but if I'd had a second chance, I would've gone with W. R.'s Chicago Cut, a bone-in ribeye or the bone-in filet mignon if my appetite had been smaller.
Salt and pepper, medium rare. Sides? A shrimp cocktail or lobster tail. Key lime pie for dessert.
Where have all the butchers gone?
jayfallon at 9:56AM on 08/23/07
p. s., I'm outraged by Lobel's prices. Absolutely outraged.
jayfallon at 10:11AM on 08/23/07
quick note on tenderloin: something 'bone-in' can't really be called a filet. maybe bone-in tenderloin steak is a better term. also, if you want to really get into the etymology of filet mignon the word 'mignon' is from the french for cute, small, or diminutive. filet mignon is really the tail end of a tenderloin and the larger rounder pieces would be called tornedos or chateau-briand.
on aging: wet aged steaks appeal to a greater amount of people these days as the 'high' flavor of dry-aged may be perceived as off. a sub-primal aged in a cryo-bag for a good period of time (60-80 days or more) will give great results and make for more cost effective beef.
if you can find it i think the beef from brandt farms is so.cal. is one of the best products in the world. great flavor, great marbeling, great family with a real passion for raising top-quality beef. no hormones or antibiotics ever (be careful for 'natural beef' that has only been off the sauce for 180 days before slaughter.) whole foods pulls this trick in new england.
coolname at 10:13AM on 08/23/07
I like having steak with gnocchi. Toss them with a little butter and parmesan, some fresh herbs like marjoram or thyme. They soak up the steak's juices beautifully. Also a nicely acidic salad. Some wilted greens like spinach, chard, tendergreens are great with steak too. You can't go wrong with some shrooms like shitake sautéed with shallots. You can make a pan sauce with butter, wee bit of flour and some armagnac, or stock. Polenta is good for the same reasons gnocchi are. Corn on the cob is nice. Also a crusty loaf of bread, heated up in the oven before serving can't hurt. Wanna get real decadent? Serve it with a stilton cheese tarte. Brussel sprouts or napa cabbage braised with bacon or sliced smoked duck breast works well too... OMG, Ed, what have you done? It's barely 10am and already I think I might have to go get myself a steak!
seyo at 10:16AM on 08/23/07
In France, if you ask a butcher for a "fillet mignon", you will get a pork roast, tied up in string. The term is used improperly here. If you wanted beef, you would have to ask for "tournedos de boeuf" or "fillet de boeuf".
seyo at 10:18AM on 08/23/07
In France, if you ask a butcher for a "fillet mignon", you will get a pork roast, tied up in string. The term is used improperly here. If you wanted beef, you would have to ask for "tournedos de boeuf" or "fillet de boeuf".
There needs to be some standard picture menu (with scratch-n-sniff) that would be interchangeable between Europe and North America. I include Canada because even in Montreal it's called a filet mignon.
jayfallon at 10:38AM on 08/23/07
'There needs to be some standard picture menu (with scratch-n-sniff) that would be interchangeable between Europe and North America. I include Canada because even in Montreal it's called a filet mignon."
The problem is that steers are butchered differently in Europe and the States.
beef aficionado at 11:01AM on 08/23/07
I do believe that wet-aging is an oxymoron. No aging can occur in a vacuum sealed plastic bag. However, we should probably consult Alton Brown on that one.
If you're forced to buy such a travesty, take it of the plastic bag, pat it try, put it on a plate with a paper towel over it and place it in your fridge. After one day, it should be OK.
CVilleBilly at 11:05AM on 08/23/07
Wet aging does accomplish something, it makes the meat tender, but unlike dry aging it does nothing to enhance flavor.
beef aficionado at 12:19PM on 08/23/07
Ed, I pretty much do it the same as you . I agree that the bone in rib eye is the most flavorful cut of beef for grilling but can't justify the cost of aged or prime cuts. Last Saturday evening we also grilled a 3" thick ribeye that was charred over direct heat on each side then moved to other side of the grill. I inserted a temperature probe and set the alarm to go off at 128 degrees as carry over cooking will rise to a little over 130. On to the sides. Our favorites are sauteed broccoli, asparagus or spinach with garlic, sliced tomatoes this time of year and we must have a thick slices of rustic tuscan bread grilled over the direct heat while that ribeye comes up to temp. This is one of ours favorite meals and we enjoy it once a month year round.
Colorado Jim at 2:31PM on 08/23/07
I've discovered a good way to get authentic grille marks on your steak. First, use lump charcoal rather than briquettes. Lump seems to burn hotter with much less ash to clean up. It's also pure; no filler or binders, so no off taste. Get your fire going in the grille. When it's ready, place one of those cheap aluminum foil baking pans upside down over the grill. This will get the grille much hotter than it would normally be. When you're ready to put on the steak, remove the pan and put on the steak. Works great!
1stmakearoux at 3:06PM on 08/23/07
Choice whole rib cryovac, remove from cryovac, cut into whole bone steaks.
Dry age steak in a small fridge with no fan, open air about a week.
Trim off overly dried bits.
Cover with tons of salt.
Slow roast in convection oven at 150F for at least 8 hours.
Finish in propane BBQ heated up to max to char exterior.
Let rest.
Exterior should be crusty, salty, near black, interior dark red (not purple).
peekpoke at 3:07PM on 08/23/07
hey 1st, awesome tip, thanks! I'll try this weekend. Going to Lake George! w00t!
seyo at 4:17PM on 08/23/07
actually, wet-aging does enhance the flavor of beef. as beef ages the glutamates and nuecleotides combine to form longer, more distinct molecules. wet-aging does not provide the microbial effects that dry-aging does, but because it is sterile and there is minimal moisture loss beef can be wet-aged longer than dry-aged creating the longest possible glutamte chains and therefore the most obvious presence of 'umami.'
so, quality beef, wet aged for the longest possible time can truly rival the flavor of dry-aged beef.
coolname at 7:48PM on 08/24/07