According To Smoky
A STEAK ON EVERY GRILL
Welcome to According to Smoky. Here you will find the latest and greatest from C. Clark "Smoky" Hale notable 'baster', author, publisher, television star in both the barbecue and 'the real' world.
Smoky will be offering his talents, techniques and secrets discovered over the last 150 years, or so.
He will be to the point, pull no punches and if you suffer through the process, you will become a much better outdoor cook, turning out masterpiece meals for friends and family alike.
He continues our education with one of America's favorite foods - The Steak! . . . . . take notes!
So, with no further adieu, we turn the mike to Smoky. You're on Smoky . . . . .
Thanks PC,
 The old political promise, "A chicken in every pot." is as passe' as belief in politicians' pronouncements. But, one who promised "A steak on every grill" would be certain to get a hearing. Regardless of the shrieks of the dietetic set, steak continues to be one of America's favorite foods. Steak represents more than just good taste and protein. Steak is a prize, a celebration; a just reward for a job well done.
Unfortunately, the symbolism must be as important as the taste, else good meat would not be so readily overwhelmed with premature exhortations of seasonings, burned like a pagan offering then doused the likes of catsup and "steak" sauce in a vain attempt to recapture the taste and tenderness just destroyed. The virtue of a steak is in the steak itself, not as a platform for dubious sauces.
The less you do to a good steak, the better it tastes. Spend your time selecting, trimming and preparing the meat rather than on condiments. Smoky's complete rules for a perfect steak are brief and simple. 1. Get a good piece of meat. 2. Don't mess it up.
Getting the good piece of meat requires a little knowledge of what to look for and experience in where to find it. Beef, in the U.S.A., is graded according the amount of fat interspersed within the muscle tissue. Called "marbling" because it appears like the white spots and streaks in marble, the more of this interlaced fat, the higher the grade. "Prime" is has the most and is the most tender. It is followed, in order, by "choice" and "good," each having noticeably less marbling. We will only concern ourselves with prime and choice cuts.
Choosing the Cut
Even when penned up, grain fed and plumped up, only certain parts of the bovine carcass are suitable for broiling. A 1000 lb. beef will yield only about 75 lbs of meat suitable for broiling. Only those little used, large muscles are tender enough to become suitable candidates for broiling. Although two or three more cuts may be broiled, under the right circumstances, we list only the most desirable. Except for the tenderloin, which lays along side the spine, and the ribeye/rib steak, all these cuts come from the short loin or sirloin sections which are located between the ribs and the rump.
Most tender, and least flavorful, is the tenderloin or filet from which come the Filet mignon and Chateaubriand. It has little natural fat.
The ribeye, trimmed of the rib, or rib steak, with the rib, are tender and more flavorful.
The T-bone has the obvious bone shape for which it was named and has less of the tenderloin, on one side of the bone, and a longer T than the Porterhouse.
When the tenderloin side of a Porterhouse is removed the remainder becomes a Club steak.
When meat remaining on the other side of the T is deboned it become a shell steak, sometimes called a strip steak, i.e. KC Strip, NY strip.
Sirloin steaks are large and have varying sizes and amounts and even different bones but, tender and very tasty in all shapes. One 3" thick steak can serve a crowd.
Sirloin tip steaks are boneless, less tender but very tasty.
All of these cuts are tender and delicious. Outside of specialty meat markets, most common are tenderloin, sirloin, T-bone, ribeye and rib steak. None of these are fit for broiling, however, cut less than 1" thick. Cut 1 1/2 to 3" thick is even better. It is better to broil one large, thick steak and carve it after cooking than to portion it out in thinner pieces before grilling.
Selecting the Steak
Having narrowed down the cuts, we focus on selection of the individual steak or steaks to identify the meat with the best features. The meat should be a consistent bright, light red color. The white marbling should be generously distributed throughout and the flecks and lines should be fine, rather than thick. Thick, heavy marbling will produce a tougher steak with a fatty taste because the marbling will not properly melt out. The finer the marbling, the more tender the steak.
The texture of the meat should be a fine grain and be consistent rather than coarse or variable. Pre-cut steaks should be already be trimmed of all but a 1/4" rim of fat. The fat should be creamy in color, without a gray or yellow cast. The meat should be moist, but not wet. Bones should look fresh and soft with a slight reddish tint.
Get acquainted with the meat market manager, the butcher or whomever is in charge. Let them know that you are a griller/ barbecuer and intend to buy larger than normal quantities of good meat and that you would like for him to have your business. Solicit his help, "Do you have any T-bones with a little finer marbling?" Bring him samples of your finished product, a bottle of wine for the holidays, or other suitable gifts in recognition of his efforts. Get to know those who stock the display cases. Speak to them. Compliment their efforts. Then, when you look thoroughly throughout the case and do not find a suitable piece of meat, feel free to ask if they have any not yet displayed. Don't accept what is available unless it meets your criteria and, should that occasion arise, ask when they receive the next shipment, or politely advise them that you will come back another day. Do not hesitate to have them cut, after your inspection and approval, steaks to your desired thickness.
For adults with normal appetites, allow 10-12 ounces each of store trimmed steaks and 14-16 ounces of steak with bone. For serious eaters, provide 25% more. Bring home the steaks and store in the 'fridge. Remove all catsup, steak sauce, teriyaki sauce, etc from the premises, lest they taint the meat.
Preparation
Beef should be brought to room temperature before placing on the grill. So, a couple of hours before you plan to cook, take the steaks out of the 'fridge and trim all the excess fat. (I render this down for various uses, one of which being fire starter.) Placing the meat on a thick aluminum or copper pan or cookie sheet will speed up the warming process by conducting the cold away more speedily. Cover lightly with plastic wrap but do not make an air tight seal.
I prefer to put no seasonings on steak before it is cooked. For my palate, the pristine flavor of pure steak properly grilled is hard to improve upon. However, for those who would like to baste or add flavors, a recipe is included at the end.
Readying the Grill
Whether broiling (grilling) on a gas grill or over charcoal, the grill must be heated to the proper temperature. There are many theories on the proper grilling of a steak. Mine has been developed over years of experimentation, practice and tasting. My technique calls for very high temperatures 6-700 degrees F. For those who test the temperature by holding their hand close to the grill and counting, at 700°F, you should be able to count to only 1 in Roman numerals, "I!!!"
In order to properly broil a good steak, gas grills must produce at least 30M British Thermal Units (BTUs). Fire up the gas grill on the maximum setting and close the lid. It will take from 10-20 minutes to reach proper temperature. Charcoalers, fire up 20-25 minutes with 5 lbs of good quality, hardwood charcoal. When covered with gray ash or glowing. spread the coals evenly. When the coals are spread, meat grill should be not more than 5" above the coals.
When the grill is right, wipe the steaks dry, and place the steaks carefully and firmly upon the grill. Then leave them alone. Do not touch them, talk to them or worry them in any way. Steaks know when they need to be turned and will show you. When a steak meets the proper grill, they seize each other with the intensity of a pair of newlyweds. At the proper time, they will turn loose. Flip them over with a spatula, not a fork. They will grab again. When they turn loose the second time, the honeymoon is over and it's time to get on with business.
Depending upon the thickness of the steak, its temperature before placing on the grill and the mass and intensity of the coals or, in the case of gas grills, heat collecting plates, the steak is well on its way. You may test for doneness with your finger. Press firmly into the center of a steak. Soft is very rare - 125°, barely discernible resistance is rare - 130°, definite resistance is medium rare -140°, firming up medium -150°. I do not know how to test for well done.
Steaks thicker than 1 1/2" may require another flip or two. A 3 incher will require several turns. Do not let it burn. Move it aside or raise the grill if required. A thick steak will continue to cook after removed from the heat. Do not over cook. You can always put it back on the grill to cook it more. You can never uncook it.
If it was properly trimmed of fat, the steak will not cause flameups. If flames appear, move the steak out of the flames until they subside or close the lid and shut off the incoming air. A properly cooked steak has dark brown stripes where it was in contact with the grill. It will have no part charred or blackened.
Immediately remove to a warm, not hot, plate and allow to sit for 5 minutes. All the other food should be ready and waiting for the steak. Transfer to a cutting board to serve at the table. Slice diagonal across the steak and at a slight angle from vertical and serve. Guests may add salt and freshly ground black pepper as desired.
A classic broiled steak. A plump baked potato with sour cream and chives, steamed broccoli and carrots, a crisp mixed green salad with vinaigrette and a solid home made bread need only a robust wine to become a perfect accompaniment.
For those who wish to add additional flavors to the steak, the following is a simple, elegant sauce. Smoky's Steak Baste
4-6 T. extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil or
(what the heck) butter.
6 T. minced shallots or mild garlic and onion mixed
6 T. Shiitake mushrooms
2 lemons or limes, juiced
1/2 t. ground bay
1/4 t. ground thyme
Saute the shallots in the oil until clear, then add mushrooms and saute until tender. Pour oil into metal bowl suitable for taking to the grill, add lemon/lime juice and mix well. Cover the steaks on all surfaces and set aside, covered, while preparing the fire.
When the grill is fully heated, drain and reserve the oil based baste. Place the steaks on the grill. Baste and turn when the steak tells you. Baste before each turn.
Return oil to veggies and 1/4 cup red wine, add ground bay leaf and thyme. Heat and deglaze. Serve over the steaks.
Good gobbling to all,
Smoky
C. Clark Hale
8168 Hwy 98 E.
McComb, MS 39648
Smoky's 5th basic position for really great barbecue'n.
'According to Smoky' is © by C. Clark Hale
who is solely responsible for its content. Comments
should be addresses to cchale@bellsouth.net
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