My friend Mark at a big aerospace company turned me on to grilling filets probably almost 15 years ago.  For the longest time, this was my favorite steak to cook on the grill.  Even though I could usually get it to a perfect medium-rare, at times, it would be somewhat bland.  Finally, my friend Ron turned me on to ribeyes and it has been my favorite cut on the grill for the last 8 years or so.  With all the fat on this slab of meat, it produces so much natural flavor! 

I found a rub that is simple to make and remember.  It tastes great on many cuts of meat, including prime rib roast.  Just use equal part of:

• Paprika
• Sugar
• Sea Salt
• Fresh Ground Pepper

Get yourself a nice 3/4 to  1 inch thick ribeye (I like bone in).  For this posting, I actually timed the cook time with a 3/4 inch steak.  I just sprinkle the rub on both sides of the steak and gently press the spices into the steak.

Cook over high heat for about 5-6 minutes on each side.  Ribeyes will likely cause flare-ups, but I think this sears the meat and keeps the juices in.  I always love seeing the juices pool at the top of the steak cuz it makes my mouth water.  

I wonder if guests ever worry about me touching their steak with my bare finger while cooking.  However, this is the best way to tell if your steak is done.  I figure they would rather have me try to get the steak done to their satisfaction by testing with my finger than poking it with a fork and draining out all those precious juices.  So, how do you tell when it is done just by using your finger?  A popular method to compare various levels of doneness is to compare the ”touch” of the meat to the firmness of the space between your thumb and index finger.  See this Men’s Health article. That may work for you, but for me, the best way to tell using your finger is just by practice.  Once you cook enough,  you can just tell how done the meat is by giving it a poke with your finger.

After dubya’s posting, I told myself that I would try his Partly Grilled Steak for my next Ribeye.  Well, I lied, but is on my list to do very soon.

-GrillDude