RIB EYE STEAKS: CHIPOTLE RUBBED AND MESQUITE GRILLED A LA THE RANCH

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Serves 4

Grilled steak is the classic American interpretation of dining al fresco. Everyone and their Daddy should know how to grill a good steak because a great cut of grilled beef is a meal most people appreciate. It is also an easy skill to master.

All you need is the right cut of beef, some seasoning, and a hot fire. For the beef, rib eyes and New York strip steaks are best for grilling. Sirloins tend to be a bit too grainy and cuts like tri tip and flank steak need marinating. You can season your beef according to your mood. This time around, I used a spicy chipotle rub. (goes mighty fine with frozen Margaritas). A wedge of lime balanced the heat nicely. Besides the cut of beef, it is crucial to get your fire right. You don’t want flames. Be patient and wait for the coals to glow and be covered with ash. Properly grilled steak should be slightly charred on the outside; pink and juicy on the inside. Flames will burn the outside to a crisp and leave the inside raw; or worse, an overdone grey. The cut; the seasoning; and the fire are your only concerns. Now that you know, the rest is easy.

Deciding what to serve with your big juicy steak is a welcome dilemma especially in the summer. On hot nights, I prefer grilled or raw vegetables and some nice bread. This time, I sliced some homegrown tomatoes and salted them. I served a chopped romaine salad with feta cheese and a baguette as well and called it a day. It made an outstanding meal which we shared with friends. After dinner, we ate lemon pound cake with raspberry gelato and played Apples to Apples with the children.

For the chipotle spice rub: adapted from Mexican Everyday by Rick Bayless

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped

1/2 cup smoked Spanish paprika, mild or picante

1 1/2 Tbsp chipotle chile powder (finely ground chipotle pepper)

1 Tbsp sugar

2 tsps freshly ground black pepper

Kosher salt

For the steaks:

4 rib eyes or New York strip steaks, 1-2 inches thick

2 Tbsp olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

mesquite or hickory charcoal or wood chips for the grill

1. MAKE THE RUB: In a small bowl, whisk garlic, paprika, chipotle chile powder, sugar and black pepper together. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to one month.

2. PREP THE STEAKS AND THE GRILL: 20-30 minutes before grilling, remove steaks from refrigerator and let sit, covered, at room temperature. Meanwhile, heat your grill to MEDIUM HIGH or prepare a hot fire with mesquite or hickory charcoal or wood chips. The fire is ready when the coals are glowing and covered with ash. While waiting on the fire, prep both sides of the steaks by rubbing first with olive oil and seasoning generously with salt and pepper. Next, rub both sides of steaks with about 1 Tbsp of the chipotle rub.

3. GRILL: When grill is ready, place steaks on the grate. Steaks tastes best when cooked rare or medium rare, but your cooking time will depend on the thickness of your steak. Begin by grilling until one side is slightly charred on one side, 3-4 minutes for a 1-inch think steaks; 4-5 for 1 1/2 – 2 inch steaks. Flip the steaks and grill to medium rare, 3-4 minutes more for a 1-inch thick steak. For thicker steaks, move them to a cooler part of the grill now. Check doneness after 2 minutes.

Tip: Slightly undercook the meat on the grill. As it rests, it will continue to cook.

Note: Besides getting the fire right, timing the cooking is not an exact science. Steak tastes best rare to medium rare. Using an instant read thermometer is the easiest way to tell when a steak is done (125 for rare; 130-140 for medium rare). No thermometer? Use a sharp knife to peak inside.