Here are the basics: 1) Buy only well marbled Choice or Prime beef and 2) Trim excess fat from the perimeter prior to grilling and 3) Use only a very hot charcoal grill, not a gas grill and 4) Have all other meal items prepared before grilling the steaks, including beverages. That’s it.
Ingredients:
Ribeye or Delmonico or Porterhouse or T-bone steaks, or beef filet ... cut 1 1/2 inches thick.
You might also use a good thick top sirloin to save money. It will not be as tender after grilling as the other cuts of beef as it is lean/not marbled with fat. Avoid New York Strip Steak as it tends to be too comparatively tough, as in not tender, to justify the always high price.
1 tbsp. peanut oil per steak
Kosher salt
Freshly crushed black peppercorns
Directions:
Trim all excess exterior fat from the meat, leaving a thin (1/16" to 1/8" thick) coating of fat where there is fat. Any large areas of fat in the interior of the meat should also be removed/cut out. Put the meat on a plate and have it at room temperature. Note that you can wrap a filet with bacon (using small steel skewers) that has been partially cooked in a skillet (about half of the fat rendered but still flexible) as filets have no appreciable fat.
You can crush whole peppercorns in a Ziploc® freezer bag with the flat side of a wooden kitchen mallet, or better, use a Magic Bullet® mixer.
Put a fine coating of peanut oil on the top and bottom surfaces of each steak.
Sprinkle both sides of the meat with Kosher salt and crushed black peppercorns and rub them into the meat. I have to thank my son, Ray, Jr. for this seasoning treatment of the meat before grilling. While visiting Brazil, he learned that the Brazilians use this seasoning/searing technique with great results.
Prepare and light a charcoal grill with the charcoal briquettes at least three briquettes deep and a grill large enough to easily accommodate the number of steaks to be grilled. Allow the briquettes to all turn completely gray. This will allow time for all of the charcoal lighter to have burned off or evaporated, and, you want completely even very high heat across the grill so all pieces of meat grill evenly and quickly. One sure way to destroy a good steak is to grill it slowly, for then it becomes dry and tough. Ugh! Have the grilling surface two to three inches above the briquettes.
Preheat a meat platter in a 200º F oven.
Put the steaks on the grill with at least an inch of clearance on all sides. Have a very good quality long handled wide steel spatula ready to turn the steaks when needed. Grill the steaks for five minutes on each side. This will typically produce a medium rare steak. Think four minutes per side for rare and six to seven minutes per side for medium. If excessive flaming occurs during grilling then move the affected steaks on top of other steaks until the fat burns off. Adjust the grilling time for those steaks accordingly. When the steaks are done they will be fairly crisp on the outside and very juicy and pink and tender on the inside.
Remove the steaks to the platter that was pre-heated in the 200º F oven.
Serve the steaks immediately with whatever else you chose for your meal. The steaks should not be held for any extra time as they are at their peak immediately after grilling. Eat them immediately. The typical recommendation to rest meat for five to ten minutes after grilling or roasting is not valid as you will waste at least five minutes getting your guests seated and ready to eat, with drinks served. Note that the steaks should not require seasoning, but it is smart to have salt and pepper mills available.
Drink ice cold beer or a fine red (but not sweet) wine, like Pinot Noir.
Love life.