Ultimate Charcoal-Grilled Steaks

Why this recipe works:

For a steak that delivered a perfectly brown crust, even doneness, and a narrow gray band—plus, flavor from the grill—we ditched the actual grill in favor of a superhot charcoal chimney. Skewering the steaks and laying them over the chimney made for a secure, easy-to-manage setup and more even browning across the entire surface of the steaks. After trimming the steaks’ fat caps in order to eliminate flare-ups, we score the steaks for better browning. We bake the steaks, well salted to ensure seasoning throughout, slowly in a low oven to cook them evenly and dehydrate their surfaces before blasting them over the chimney for about 60 seconds per side.

Serves 4

Rib-eye steaks of a similar thickness can be substituted for strip steaks, although they may produce more flare-ups. You will need a charcoal chimney starter with a 7 1/2-inch diameter and four 12-inch metal skewers for this recipe. If your chimney starter has a smaller diameter, skewer each steak individually and cook in four batches. It is important to remove the fat caps on the steaks to limit flare-ups during grilling. During cooking the lit chimney can be placed on the grill grates of your grill or set on top of bricks.

Ingredients

• 2 (1-pound) boneless strip steaks, 1 3/4 inches thick, fat caps removed
• Kosher salt and pepper

Instructions

1. 
   
   1. Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 degrees. Cut each steak in half crosswise to create four 8-ounce steaks. Cut 1/16-inch-deep slits on both sides of steaks, spaced 1/4 inch apart, in crosshatch pattern. Sprinkle both sides of each steak with 1/2 teaspoon salt (2 teaspoons total). Lay steak halves with tapered ends flat on counter and pass two 12-inch metal skewers, spaced 1 1/2 inches apart, horizontally through steaks, making sure to keep 1/4-inch space between steak halves. Repeat skewering with remaining steak halves.
   2. Place skewered steaks on wire rack set in rimmed baking sheet, transfer to oven, and cook until centers of steaks register 120 degrees, flipping steaks over halfway through cooking and removing them as they come to temperature, 1 1/2 hours to 1 hour 50 minutes. Tent skewered steaks (still on rack) with aluminum foil.
   3. Light large chimney starter filled halfway with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are completely covered in ash, uncover steaks (reserving foil) and pat dry with paper towels. Using tongs, place 1 set of steaks directly over chimney so skewers rest on rim of chimney (meat will be suspended over coals). Cook until both sides are well browned and charred, about 1 minute per side. Using tongs, return first set of steaks to wire rack in sheet, season with pepper, and tent with reserved foil. Repeat with second set of skewered steaks. Remove skewers from steaks and serve.
   
   
   

Technique

Chimney Champ

A chimney starter is central to this recipe. Our favorite model from Weber boasts sturdy construction, a generous 6-quart capacity, a heat-resistant handle plus a second handle for pouring control, and plenty of ventilation holes, virtually guaranteeing that the coals ignite quickly.

WEBER RAPIDFIRE CHIMNEY STARTER

Technique

Grilling Steak over a Chimney Starter?

Most of us have used a chimney starter only for lighting coals and getting them good and hot before we pour them into the grill. But the coals are actually at their hottest in the chimney—not in the grill, where airflow is far more restricted. So why not leave the coals in the chimney and cook over that? Sure enough, this setup produced a deeply browned sear in just 1 minute per side. Here’s how it works.

CHIMNEY DESIGN: The cylindrical shape concentrates the heat. The open ends maximize airflow, keeping the fire burning intensely. A 7 1/2-inch diameter is ideal for two steaks.
SKEWERS: We use 12-inch metal skewers to suspend the steak across the chimney.
STEAK: We remove the fat cap and divide a strip steak in half. We crosshatch the surface for maximum browned crust. We salt, as always. We precook in the oven, low and slow.
VENTS: Located on both the sides and bottom of our winning chimney, these allow even more air circulation.
COALS: Three quarts fill the chimney halfway.
KETTLE GRILL: What else would make a safer base for cooking over a burning-hot chimney?