Iron Chef's SteakA carnivore's delight. I enjoy watching the popular television cooking show, The Iron Chefs, on The Food Network. I plan my evening so I can enjoy a leisurely dinner while watching the competition. The object of this technique is to develop a flavorful caramelized crust on the surface of the meat, with nice grill marks, while cooking the interior to a very even top to bottom pinkness. Rare to medium rare is where it's at. If you want medium, don't waste your money, go to McDonald's, and eat gray meat! Iron Chef's SteakJames Speed Hensinger 1 14-18oz. 1 1/2 inch thick closely trimmed choice rib eye or New York strip steak
per person. One hour before cooking, partially freeze the steaks in individual plastic bags. Meat should be stiff, but not rigidly frozen. Start preheating the grill with the lid on. I use a gas grill, and go for 700 - 800 degrees Fahrenheit. HOT!! Preheat the oven to 270 degrees Fahrenheit with an ovenproof plate or platter inside. Open the grocery sack in an empty kitchen sink Place the steak(s) flat in the bottom of the sack Spray top side of the meat with cooking oil spray, and immediately gently close the top of the sack to contain the overspray Open the sack after a minute, and sprinkle equal amounts of the spices generously over the top of the meat. Cover it, we're going for a crust here! Hint, start with the basil and oregano, then the cayenne. This way you can judge the evenness of the distribution of the cayenne on the green background of the herbs. Fold the sack over the top of the meat, and apply gentle hand pressure to the sack to pack the seasonings into the surface of the meat. Turn the meat over and repeat the spray and seasonings application. Carry the meat to the grill in the sack. Open the grill top, and using long tongs quickly position the steaks over one of the burners. Reserve the other burner for cooking the other side of the meat. Since the meat has a chilling effect on the grill, this allows you to turn the meat and position it on an unused and still very hot area of the grill. Close the grill lid immediately after placing the raw meat Set a timer for 2 minutes Turn the meat onto the unused side of the grill, and close the grill again Set a timer for 2 minutes. If the hot fat from the steaks causes flare ups, leave it alone. The flaring fat adds to the flavor (and lowers the calorie count). The steaks won't burn if they're only exposed to flame for a minute or two. Remove the meat to a preheated ovenproof serving platter, and cut to test for doneness. The meat should have a caramelized crust with a very even pinkness from top to bottom. (Please, not gray from edge to edge with a little rare spot in the middle!) If the meat needs more cooking, finish in a slow oven (270 degrees) on the platter for a few (no more than 4 or 5) minutes. Enjoy! |