NFT: Dwight Eisenhower, grillmaster

started cooking right on the coals as a President. It's called a Dirty Steak. And it's delicious.

I'll cook some steaks directly on lump wood charcoal every once in a while in our fire pit and they are the best steaks I've ever tasted. Absolutely unreal if done right.

If you're going to try this, use lump charchol. No briquettes.

And no lighter fluid!

because you've got to be able to blow off the residuals once the meat reaches rare to medium rare temp. Charcoal sticks to the steak and is a pain to pick out.

Wile smoking a bong full of K2

In comment 13510890 adamg said:

Quote:

Wile smoking a bong full of K2

That's a great option too. No complaints here.

In comment 13510890 adamg said:

Quote:

Wile smoking a bong full of K2

No liter fluid. This is America. Use quart fluid.

In comment 13510893 Jim in Fairfax said:

Quote:

In comment 13510890 adamg said: Quote: Wile smoking a bong full of K2 No liter fluid. This is America. Use quart fluid.

Nothing like sereneding your steak in quart fluid. Delicious.

OK, that sequence of posts made me laugh ...

I've heard of this method before but didn't know about its origin which I think is cool.

Personally I don't have the balls to try it and I use lump charcoal for everything.

Should I experiment with a cheaper cut first?

In comment 13511180 26.2 said:

Quote:

I've heard of this method before but didn't know about its origin which I think is cool. Personally I don't have the balls to try it and I use lump charcoal for everything. Should I experiment with a cheaper cut first?

Is not difficult. Light the coals (use lump wood), make an even bed out of the charcoal, get them white hot and blow off any excess ashes. Plop the steak right on there. Depending on the thickness of the meat, you'll only need four minutes per side. Take the meat off once MR and blow off any residuals from the coals. Tent or with some cool and let it rest for five minutes. It'll change your life.

.

In comment 13511196 BrettNYG10 said:

Quote:

.

Surprised it hasn't been deleted already.

In comment 13510885 B in ALB said:

Quote:

because you've got to be able to blow off the residuals once the meat reaches rare to medium rare temp. Charcoal sticks to the steak and is a pain to pick out.

I have to imagine it cooks incredibly quickly. A minute a side or so?

In comment 13511190 B in ALB said:

Quote:

Depending on the thickness of the meat, you'll only need four minutes per side.

Four minutes per side? That's surprising... I grill my steaks shorter than that when I place the rack directly over my chimney.

In comment 13511312 santacruzom said:

Quote:

In comment 13511190 B in ALB said: Quote: Depending on the thickness of the meat, you'll only need four minutes per side. Four minutes per side? That's surprising... I grill my steaks shorter than that when I place the rack directly over my chimney.

The wood doesn't cook it evenly like a grill or grate. It's a trial and error process until you figure it out.

Once the steak is flipped, the coals lose a ton of heat and the surface isn't seared at all. You have to be really patient.

Thanks for posting.

a similar but cleaner way is to grill it on top of a chimney starter.