My Take On Trad Dad's Steak - A Love Song

Dad in Madras- Vietnam 1967

My old man would grill steaks every Sunday night. I remember T Bones in the '60s turning into NY strips in the '70s. My father was and still is fond of marching to a different drummer. While I've followed his tradition of the Sunday steak grill out - I have adhered to his out of the box thinking.

The siren call of the Summer grill grabs something deep in all men. But the outdoor gas or charcoal grill is the last place to cook a big steak. They're great for vegetables, fish and flank steak but not for a 2" bone in rib eye.

I start with turning off my smoke alarm and using a good butcher. If you're idea of a great steak is Outback Steak House - leave right now. Many years ago some smart guy, no doubt a CPA, came up with the idea of shrink wrapping steaks in plastic film and calling it 'wet aged.'

That cretin should be shot. Wet aging seals in moisture to keep steak from rotting in transit and in your grocers refrigerator section. But you want controlled rot. That's dry aged and the process ain't cheap.

For almost a month, dry aged beef is dehydrated in an all wood locker where it loses water. What may have been a four pound rib eye, mostly water, turns into a pound a half rib eye 25 days later. That's why dry aging is expensive.

If you decide to go with dry aged - take another step. Tell your butcher you want a 1 1/2" to 2" thick steak. You're paying top dollar for the dry age. Might as well go all the way and do it right. You must have a thick cut or you're gonna over cook the steak. By the way, if you like your steak well done...please join the Outback lovers headed for the exit.

Your grill is $12 worth of cast iron. Why? Because it'll get Hades hot. Cast iron holds heat and that's the key to getting the hard exterior crust. I bought a thermometer gun a few years ago at an auto parts store (where they're cheap).

Highest reading off my Weber gas grill was 575 degrees. Most outdoor grills can't get north of 700 degrees. You need at least 900 degrees (1,200 is ideal ) to sear a steak and get that crust that a steak house is only too happy to bend you over for.

Season with lots of salt and pepper. The old man was fond of a soy sauce and Wild Turkey marinade and that's fine for a flank steak but not dry aged. Lottsa salt + high heat = crust. If you're on a low or no salt diet - head to the exit with the well done and Outback folks.

This is a good time to decant. It helps to have a glass for yourself to ensure the wine isn't corked. I usually need two to make this difficult determination.

You're doing this at home and so your free from 100, 200 and even (in NYC) 300% wine mark ups. Also, try and stay away from a big California Cabernet. They're just too much in the Summer and remind me of sitting in a hot tub on a 100 degree day.

Hitting the side of the decanter with the wine gives you a 'spank' decant. It helps open the wine up and sounds better too.

The cast iron is hot enough when you see it smoking. We're gonna talk about smoke in a minute but I don't wanna scare you off.

I used to pour olive oil (Claudio's unfiltered from Philadelphia) on the cast iron but no more. Cover the steak in a light coat of oil and you'll cut down on the smoke. Did I say not to do this on an electric stove? DO NOT DO THIS ON AN ELECTRIC STOVE! Not unless you like fire and cast iron sticking to coils.

Slap the steak on the cast iron and you'll get a beautiful sounding sizzle and some smoke. Actually, you'll get a lotta smoke. Is your smoke alarm off? A good time to check is about now.

Trust me. This is worth it.

I like my steak rare to medium rare. That's why you need such a thick cut with this intense heat.

I take 'em off at 120 and...
...tent in foil for five minutes.

If you didn't turn off the smoke alarm, this is a good time to wonder what that beeping noise is. This is usually when neighbors appear at your door asking questions.

Shoo the neighbors away because you don't want this getting cold. Take a bite and savor that taste. Earthy and pure. A sip of Pomerol is a contrast against the steak with an elegant mouth feel that cuts right through the fat. Did I mention fat? If you're on a low fat diet, you need to head to the exit with...