Steaks, Charred Rare

Steaks, Charred Rare

I've been doing a lot of grilling lately. With the hot weather, it is better to cook outside rather than heating up the house. My housemates were raised in Wisconsin and, like most people from that state, they like brats (and the Packers too, but I don't want to talk about that). Needless to say we've been eating brats fairly often. 

Every once in a while however, I'll grill up a batch of steaks for us. I love a big thick steak. Whenever I see thick steaks at a decent price, I have to pick some up.

A good steak is a simple thing. There is really not much to it. It is simply meat, that you season, and then grill. Hard to screw up, right? Well, maybe not-so-right. Far too often over the years, I’ve paid too much at a restaurant for a steak that was mediocre at best. There is more to it than just having a quality piece of beef.

How would you describe the perfect steak? For me, that’s easy. A thick porterhouse or rib steak, charred evenly on the outside and rare to medium rare in the center. To do that, you need a hot fire, hot enough to char the outside before it overcooks the center. The timing depends on the heat of the fire, the distance from the fire and the thickness of the steak. With a little practice, you’ll get a feel for when it is just perfect.

I do recall one Saturday years ago, when I stopped at a little butcher shop on a whim. I looked in their refrigerated display case and instead of steaks and chops, I saw huge chunks of meat. The butcher asked, “What can I do for you?” I asked if he had porterhouse steak. He pulled out a huge chunk of thick meat and asked how thick I wanted it. I held my fingers a good two inches apart and said this thick. He got a gleam in his eye and carried the meat over to a bandsaw and cut a huge two inch (plus) thick porterhouse and asked if that was ok. I said it was perfect. 

He wrapped it up. The steak weighed well over two pounds and cost almost $35. Yes, I know I should be supervised and shouldn’t be allowed to buy things like that on my own. You see, this was well before the Great Lisle Flood of 2013, so the only supervision I received was from my dogs, and they're very lenient.

At home, I fired up my big Brinkmann grill, which can burn wood, charcoal or both. You can raise the fire up, closer to the grate, or down, further from the grate. I got a roaring hot charcoal and wood fire going, and let it burn down to super-hot coals. I set the fire a little farther away from the grate than I normally do for a steak, because of the extra thickness, and then I grilled this monster to perfection. 

Most of the inside was medium rare and the very center was rare. The outside was charred evenly on both sides. I put the sizzling steak on a platter and plopped a tab of butter on it. I had a salad and baked potato with it along with a bottle of Cabernet. It was out of this world and I ate every scrap. As I said, I need to be supervised.

I don’t recommend two inch thick steaks for everyone, but inch thick steaks should be a minimum. If, however, you find a butcher shop with a bandsaw, go ahead and ask for a two inch porterhouse. Everyone should do that at least once.

1” thick Porterhouse or Rib steaks, about a pound each

Equal parts of Cajun Seasoning

Onion powder

White pepper

1 Pat of butter for each steak

Preparation

You want a very hot charcoal grill. I don’t think you can do this on a gas grill, because I don’t think it gets hot enough, but you can try if you want to. I prefer charcoal. If you do use charcoal, go ahead and add a couple chunks of oak or maple for flavor.

Rub both sides of the steak evenly with the seasoning and let them sit while the coals are getting ready. While that is going on, make some sautéed spinach and bake some potatoes. As long as you lit the oven, bake some bread too.

When the coals are ready, let the grate get real hot and place the steak directly over the fire. Close the lid on the grill and let them sizzle for about 3 to 4 minutes per side. The heat of the fire and the distance from the fire will cause the cooking time to vary. Flip the steak only once. Remove the steak to a platter and put a pat of butter on it.

Serving

A medium rare rib steak is ready and waiting!

To serve one of these perfect steaks, place it on a plate next to a big pile of sautéed spinach and a baked potato. I also like a Caesar salad too, along with fresh baked bread. Open a bottle of Petite Sirah or a high quality Cabernet, and the meal will be perfect.