Steaks – When nothing else will do!

We all love them. We all try to perfect them.  Most of the time we disappoint ourselves.  Some people fry them, some grill them in their ovens.  Some people grill them in there George Foreman Grill.   Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.  Our canine teeth are designed to tear into that delicious chunk of meat. Our Molars are designed to mash up what we ripped off the whole.   We long for the Prime well aged cuts and often times settle for select cuts we find in the grocery stores.  Sometime we head off to one of a thousand Steak Houses and order what we crave.   We crave steaks so much we have Pork Steaks, Salmon Steaks, Tuna Steaks, and I have even seen Tofu Steaks..    What I want is a thick juicy steak made from Beef and I know how to get them that way every time.

To me there is only three ways to prepare the perfect steak.  All require a nice hot charcoal fire to start with.  The first is called a T-Rex. This method was named after a well know Big Green Egg user whose handle is Trex.   First step is to find a steak at least 1.5 inches thick.  Thicker is better, thinner is not.  Get you charcoal grill up to 700 degs. at the grill surface.  Season your steak up with salt and pepper or a good steak rub.  I personally recommend Raising the Steaks from Dizzy Pig BBQ .  Lay that steak on the grill for no more than 45 seconds. Rotate the steak 90 degs and grill for another 45 secs.  Flip the steak and repeat the 45 sec steps.

Now take that steak off and set it aside for a bit.  Set your grill up for indirect and get the grill surface at close to 400 degs. as possible.   Once you are setup and at the right temp put your steak(s) back on the grill and cover.   Let them roast for 15-20 minutes or till they reach 135 internal for a near perfect medium rare.  Remove the steak(s) and go feast.

The second way is called a reverse TRex.  Simply roast the steaks at 400 first and then grill at the higher heat for some nice grill marks.

The third method is called the hot-tub method.   Personally this is my favorite way.  I love my steak so rare a skilled veterinarian could still revive it.  This method gives me what I want and takes the chill off the steak.   Rub up your steak with your favorite rub or just salt and pepper.  Place the steak in a sealed Ziploc bag.  Make sure it is sealed.  Fill up a container with tepid water (105-115 degs)  and lay the Ziploc in the water.  In the mean time go get your cooker up to 700 degs.  By the time your smoke clears (30 mins) your steak is ready.   Put that steak on the grill and put the grill marks on.  Total of three minutes for rare,  5 minutes for medium rare.   What I suggest you do is experiment with this to get the steak the way you want.  The center will have warmed up because of the hot water bath and fat will have started to render.

Try all three methods to get your desired result.  Once thing for sure; you’ll be looking at that restaurant menu differently because you won’t like their steaks anymore.  Well unless you are in one of those 5 Star Steak Houses.

categories Reflections | Celtic Wolf March 29, 2010 | comments Comments (0)

What does BBQ mean?

I have been thinking to myself that I need to update this blog everyday.  Not real sure how many people actually read my rantings, but if I help even one person I am OK with that.

What a better way to actually start posting again than to describe, in my humble opinion,  what BBQ means.

Most places seem to use BBQ as a noun.  Here in North Carolina the noun refers to Pork.  In Texas the noun is Beef Brisket.  In Arkansas it’s Chicken, KC and Memphis it’s ribs and in California it means Tri-Tip.   However, BBQ , in my opinion, is a verb.  It is a process used to cook food.  BBQ by it’s nature refers to food cooked over wood, charcoal, or both, in a manner that renders the fat and collagen out of whatever you are cooking.   I will leave the debate about gas and electric as a source of heat for another time.  Regardless BBQ is not done in an Oven or a Crock Pot.  BBQ requires smoke. While you can get smoke in an oven, you can’t in a crock pot.

Having said that, BBQ is considered to be the process of cooking meat at a low temp over a longer period of time. Are low and slow temps the same for all meats?  Again, in my humble opinion NO.  While beef brisket, ribs, pork butts, shoulders and even whole hog benefit from temps between 220-250, slow roasting a Beef Rib Roast or a whole Turkey works best at 325.  As I said, the idea is to render the fat and collagen out of the of the meat.  Some cuts of meat just don’t have enough fat or connective tissue to benefit from “Lo ‘N’ Slo” least not the 220 degrees. type of Lo ‘N’ Slo.

Any meat can be cooked hot and fast.  This method of cooking is usually referred to as Grilling.   Lower the temp a bunch than even a Hot Dog can be BBQ’d.   Again in my opinion, Hot Dogs are rather tasty BBQ’d.  So,  find a lower temp that allows what ever you are cooking to taste better.  Just remember it’s not always 220 degs.

Now what will I talk about tomorrow.

categories Reflections | Celtic Wolf March 14, 2010 | comments Comments (0)