My husband is an avid follower of competition BBQer, Malcolm Reed. In his most recent blog post, he shared a Cast Iron Steak Recipe and said it was the best steak he’d ever eaten, and this was from a guy who has won steak events in competition. Challenge accepted. PaPa went to his Big Green Egg this evening to test this claim and, I have to admit, Mr. Reed did not lie. BEST STEAK I’VE EVER EATEN.

The original recipe and demonstration used Wagyu chuck eye steaks. We used our standard thick cut ribeye steaks, well marbled. We also lacked the fresh thyme and used an appropriate amount of dried thyme in the butter. Otherwise, we followed his instructions to the letter. The result was a steak that had a beautiful sear, a perfect medium rare and was truly unctuous and deeply flavorful.

INGREDIENTS:

2 – thick cut ribeye steaks (or use the favorite cut of your choice)
6 Tablespoons Butter divided into pats
2 Tablespoons Grapeseed Oil (do not substitute another oil – this is necessary for the high heat tolerance of grapeseed oil)
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Coarse Ground Black Pepper
8–10 Cloves Fresh Garlic
6 Fresh Thyme Sprigs (or substitute about 1/2 teaspoon dried ground thyme)

Prepare your Big Green Egg or other grill for direct cooking at 500°F.

Season each steak on all sides with Kosher salt and coarse ground black pepper. Let rest for about 30 minutes while the grill comes up to temperature.

Place a cast iron skillet on the cooking grate and add 1 Tablespoon of grape seed oil.  Allow the pan to heat until the oil starts to slightly smoke.

Place one steak in the skillet and press down for good surface contact.  This helps get that wonderful crust you want to see. Set a timer for 3 minutes.

Flip the steak and add the butter and half the garlic and thyme.  Continue to cook for another 3 minutes basting the steak with the butter mixture several times.  

After 6 minutes the steak should be medium rare, remove it from the skillet and rest on a platter.  Pour the juices from the skillet over the steak.  (if you want it more well done – continue cooking until it reaches your desired doneness)

Wipe out the cast iron skillet with paper towel and repeat the process for the next steak.

A COUPLE OF IMPORTANT COOKING NOTES:

• You’re going to be cooking at an extremely high temperature and safety is important. Make sure you have heavy silicone grilling gloves to use when handling the cast iron skillet during this process.
• Grape Seed Oil isn’t an ingredient most cooks commonly have on hand. But, for this type of cooking process at this heat level it is critical you use it as it has a very high smoke point and won’t burn like other oils will.
• Use a long handled spoon to work with the butter. It keeps your hands further away from the flames and intense heat.
• Gather all of your ingredients and have all materials and ingredients prepped and ready BEFORE you start to cook. This process produces a perfect steak, but it is unforgiving. You can’t leave the grill for any reason once you start cooking.