Eff Dale's...Grill Your Steak Like A Man
How to Avoid Tailgating Douchebaggery
It has recently been brought to my attention that many men are still ruining perfectly good steaks with so called "marinades" (we're not in college anymore kids, well...at least I'm not). If you're grilling anything better than than a top sirloin from Wal-Mart, you shant be "marinating" in the typical 18 year old frat boy style. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure there's a time and place for the dishonest "Dale's" types marinades of the world, just not in my home. As for me and my house, we will serve the beef. Straight up. Kinda...
Personally, give me an inch-and-a-half cut ribeye from a reputable butcher or high end grocery store (It's not like you do this every week, so who give a crap if you drop $15-20 on the best steak of your damn life?). I like to get my steaks to room temperate, so leave them covered and out of the fridge for an hour or two before cooking, if possible. First, rub in just enough extra virgin to cover the thing. After 15-20 minutes, I apply a generous layer of sea salt. When I say generous, I damn near coat the sumabitch, then I work it into the meat a little bit by hand. ("They" say you don't get all the sodium intake after grilling, and I want to believe that) My goal with all the salt is to create a crusty, salt infused layer. Then I add a less generous layer of cracked black pepper. Much less pepper than salt, howevermake it pretty obvious. That's about it for the "marinade"
As far as the grilling...I get that charcoal (don't even talk to me about "gas") as hot as it will go (preferably 500+) and sear the shit out of 'em, 1 minute per side. Then the tough part: remove the steaks from the grill and let them sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes. Just try it...it makes the meat oh so tender (especially with lesser cuts). Then, I cook at mediumish heat for 4-8 minutes a side depending on thickness. (note: I like 'em rare as possible within the bounds of safety, of course) Remove the steak from the grill (without puncturing the damn thing) and allow it to sit at room temp for another few minutes before molestation. That's pretty much it. That's my recipe for pure salty, steak respecting goodness. None of this soy flavored shenanigans.
I don't like to use as much salt as you describe, but you're right in that all you really need is salt and pepper if you grill it correctly.
ReplyDeleteand charcoal. better yet, real charcoal, not that briquette stuff. better yet, cook on a real wood fire. there are benefits to living in the country and owning a chainsaw. A good steak is one of them.
ReplyDelete"I'm sure there's a time and place for the dishonest "Dale's" types marinades of the world"
ReplyDeleteit's called mallard.
Oh, Erik. You had me at hello.
ReplyDeleteI guess you were inspired by "Cooking with Kige." Why not just have the folks at Flemings cook it FOR you? Let them do what they do.
ReplyDeleteI hope youre not using a "frat boy" charbroil walmart POS charcoal grill. Big Green Egg at about 700. Talk about seared perfection.
ReplyDeletemaybe someday I'll invest in a $700 charcoal grill, but for now, the weber is getting the job done quite nicely.
ReplyDeleteI used some of that cowboy real wood charcoal last night...it got hot as hell.
I tried the olive oil with the salt layer last night on my BGE and came away very impressed.
ReplyDeleteThe trick, as you mentioned, is letting the meat sit out and get room temp. Should never cook cold meat.
Weber does nicely Im sure, but when the time comes go for the Egg.
Glad you enjoyed it. I'm all about the sea salt.
ReplyDeleteA BGE is my "dream grill." Maybe someday I can sneak it past the wife...but for now, she might just notice that $700+ hole in the checking account.
The sad thing is the douche that buys a 700 dollar egg is the same type of guy that coats everything with Dales. Salt and pepper on a Fresh Market steak, a baked potato, a light salad and a decent red wine is all I ever need.
ReplyDeleteI don't care what you say, Dale's is awesome. And if you don't like it you are doing it wrong. Go to Florence, AL and visit the actual Dale's Restuarant (I am assuming it's still there).
ReplyDeleteJody, I had my rehearsal dinner at "Dale's" in Florence, AL. It's certainly still there. I've eaten there about a dozen times. It's just "ok." You know why we had it there? Cause it's pretty much the only show in town.
ReplyDeleteFor the money, come to Birmingham and eat Fleming's and then, Jody, try to tell me that Dale's is on par.
And not enough can be said for the ribeye with the bone in. That rib bone imparts a hundred times the flavor that any marinade can. Marinades and complex rubs are for the cheaper cuts that need them, which with smoke is the defintion of BBQ.
ReplyDeletekeep it away from my steak, but drown my hamburgers in dale's, kind sir.
ReplyDelete