Perfect Steak Recipe For Your Outdoor Kitchen

Written by Gary Horsman on May 27, 2022. Posted in Blog, Chef's Favorites, Recipes

We noticed how many KBC readers enjoyed our Garlic & Butter Shrimp Scampi recipe. We hope you’ll like this one even more!

This blog is based on a video created by Ethan Chlebowski (24 minutes). Ethan’s philosophy is that once you learn the how AND why behind cooking, you become a much better cook. He does a great job with the video.

Note that key points in the video are presented in this blog, with a timestamp, and the entire video is at the bottom.

Selection of the Steak

Timepoint: 1:23
The two main factors are the fat content and the tenderness of the cut.

In this section, he also covers the USDA quality grading system. There are eight grading levels, but only the top three are used for human consumption. Prime, Choice, and Select are the top three. The difference within these top three grades relates to inter-muscular fat or marbling differences.

Salting the Steak

Timepoint: 5:19
Why salt a steak?

It amplifies flavor
It can affect the texture of the beef depending on when the salt is applied.
You want a steak to be salted but not to taste salty.
A well-salted steak will enable us to experience it as juicier because salt stimulates our saliva flow.
The video also has some interesting and valuable information about the timing of applying the salt.

Cooking

Timepoint: 11:30

For most people, an ideal steak is a juicy interior with a browned and slightly crisp crust.
He does some experiments based on cooking to different internal temperatures.
The rarer the steak, the more the steak will retain moisture.
He recommends using a thermometer to achieve a proper internal temperature.

Carryover Cooking

Timepoint: 15:30
What is carryover cooking? This is when the steak continues to cook even after removing it from the heat.

Why Sear

Timepoint: 16:14

It increases the texture and creates a pleasing color. People like the look. For a steak to brown, three things have to happen in order.

The surface temperature of the steak must rise to 212 degrees Fahrenheit.
The heat at the surface must be allowed to evaporate the surface moisture.
Then the heat at the surface must increase to a minimum of 300 degrees Fahrenheit.

A cooking tip for this part of the cooking process is to use a really hot pan and make sure any extra surface moisture on the steak has been dabbed off.
Thicker cuts will enable you to get an excellent surface sear and still have a nice medium-rare interior.

Letting a Cooked Steak Rest

Timepoint: 20:25
Let the steak rest to improve the texture. The structure loosens, and the meat will hold more moisture. The higher moisture level results in a more succulent steak. Most of the time, you will want to rest your steak. But keep in mind the carryover cooking.

Slicing Your Steak

Timepoint: 22:18
You may have heard always slice across the grain for a steak, and this does matter a lot for certain cuts like tri-tip flank and skirt steak because these are whole muscle cuts.

However, all of the cuts presented in the video have already been cut from a whole muscle and have already been cut across the grain.

Recap

The video is 24 minutes long and filled with excellent information. If you enjoy a good steak and, in fact, often spend good money to buy a good steak, then gaining insight from Ethan by watching this video will be well worth your time.

Bon Apetit From The KBC Kitchen!

Check out Ethan Chlebowski’s YouTube channel. Here is a direct link.

Gary Horsman

Gary is a consultant for KBC. He enjoys working in the kitchen whether it is cooking up a New Orlean's style Gumbo or a spicy curry. Socializing in his home is often centered around the kitchen as this highly social room is between the deck - also used for entertaining - and the dining room.