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

What, you say!  Blasphemy!  This is the Grilldude’s site, G-R-I-L-L-dude!  Well, Grilldude, when you find something you like, you gotta tell someone, so let me tell what I learned because I wanted to try out searing in a new Scanpan non-stick pan.  First, let me say that I wanted to try it out because experience tells me not to try to sear, or braze, or do much of anything except eggs in a non-stick pan.  But this isn’t “Non-stick-pan-dude,” so I’ll move on.  Assume that you need either a scanpan nonstick pan, or some “stick” pan like a good stainless steel or old fashioned cast iron fryer, DO NOT DO THIS ON CHEAPY TEFLON/PTFE NON-STICK cookware, you’ll ruin it and probably kill your parakeet.   Now, on to the recipe and, more significantly, the technique.  You will need:

A rub:  I used an even mixture of dried basil, thyme, paprika, and twice as much pepper.  Improvise, it will work.  I like sage sometimes, and when i want spicy, i throw in little red pepper flakes.

Some kosher salt: about a tablespoon

A teaspoon or less of regular olive oil or some other good cooking oil

A steak: preferably rib-eye, 1 to 1.5 inches thick

Beer: see other posts, preferably Guinness Draught

Rub the beef with the rub. 

Start by opening the beer and drinking it.  Follow this immediately by opening another. This one, you will nurse through the cooking process.

Now, spread half of your salt evenly in the pan.

Next, heat your pan on a med-high to high heat until you can’t hold your hand 2 inches from the cooking surface for more than a couple of seconds… pretty hot.  Now, rub the oil on the steak, and throw it in your pan, and sear it for about 2 minutes (2 for a thin steak, 3 for a thick steak).  While it’s searing, throw the rest of the salt on the top evenly.  Turn and sear the other side.  Note the appearance of the first side after you flip it.  It should have a nice dark crust.  If it doesn’t, your medium-high heat isn’t.  Do the other side a little longer. 

After turning off the smoke detector, immediately throw your steak(s) on the pre-heated grill, where you’ve been cooking your potatoes, corn, vegetables, or other inconsequential side dishes, and let it continue to cook until the internal temperature is whatever the bacteriologists tell you it should be.  I usually go 6-10 minutes, turning once about 2/3rds through (6 for me, and 10 for my significant other).  Naturally, times vary with method and BTU.  It should not flare much if you crusted it well during the pan searing, but try to keep the flaring down if it does, since you already have it seared.  If you punctured the fat when moving it, it will flare up and lose some of the goodness.

Pair with Guinness, or if you’re into wine, I like a peppery Zin like Zingaro, or any decent Pinot Noir.

This is actually pretty easy, what I like the most is that it let’s me put on a good crust, without having to rely on inconsistent grill flare-ups.  If you’re not looking for a crusty rib-eye, this is not for you.

Gobble, Gobble! 

Great timing for this topic.  Each year, Thanksgiving dinner rotates between family members which means that I don’t cook the turkey very often (and don’t get leftovers).  This has given me the chance to try to perfect my grilled turkey on my household without risking a catastrophe on a larger family event…..AND, I have an entire turkey’s worth of leftovers. Click to continue »