Texas Seasoned Rib Eye Steak
If you’ve spent any time in Texas, then you know that knowing how to cook a good steak, or at the very least a good chicken breast, is an essential and almost expected skill. We first had a Weber grill; it was an exciting day when he let us kids start the grill by stacking Kingsford charcoal briquettes in the basin around the electric grill starter and plugging it in. It was an important job, you know.
My dad was an excellent griller, but we must have had some faulty grill tongs because every time he cooked chicken, a piece or two would come into the house with extra seasoning. “It’s just a little dill,” he would say. We knew better. We knew it was grass.
Then, he got one of those big oil-drum (pronounced ERL-drum) grills, and we weren’t allowed to “start the grill” anymore — but we were allowed to collect the seed pods from the Mesquite tree out front and put them on the coals. It was just as fun because they would curl, spit, and pop and smoke like crazy.
How To Avoid Drying Our Your Steak
I am not the grill master that my father is. In fact, I have struggled in the steak cooking department for many years. Of course, I have it down now, but it was not without much trial and error. My first big mistake? Being cheap. Buying thin-cut steaks from the sale section of the meat case because they were on sale. By the time they came off of the grill, they were dry and over-done. Why did I do that? If you love steak and want to enjoy the steak, buy a good ‘ol thick one — like 1 1/2 – 2 inches.
My second mistake was not letting the meat come to room temperature before cooking. The result was dry on the outside but still raw on the inside. Is that even possible, you ask? Believe me, it is.
My third mistake was seasoning only before the meat went onto the grill. The result? The salt pulled the moisture out of the surface of my steak where it sat. The excess humidity made a nice crust impossible (because it steamed), and the surface of the meat was dried out from moisture loss, making it a little more challenging.
How To Prepare The Perfect Texas Seasoned Rib Eye Steak
There are many ways to achieve perfection, but here is what I do.
- Buy a 1 & 1/2 – 2 inch steak from the meat counter – NOT the sale section of the meat case. Trim off any excess fat, so it does not smoke while it cooks. No one enjoys that greasy-black smoke flavor.
- Season the rib eye 1-2 days before cooking — I like two. This ensures that some of the flavors from the seasoning are pulled into the meat instead of just sitting on top.
- Remove the seasoned rib eye from the fridge 1 hour before cooking.
- Season it with salt & pepper again before grilling.
- Oil the steak and oil the grill before placing the steak on the grill.
How To Cook The Perfect Texas Ribeye
- Let the gas grill get HOT, then oil the grate. (Ensure that the stainless steel or Cast Iron grate is cleaned well before you use it.)
- Place the seasoned rib eye on the hot part of the grill and cover with the lid for 1 1/2 – 2 minutes. Adjust the steak by giving it a quarter turn and cook uncovered for 7 minutes.
- Flip the rib eye over onto a hot, new section of the grill and cook covered for 1 minute. Uncover and cook for 7 minutes more. Check with an instant-read thermometer for your desired done-ness. If it’s not done, flip it over and leave it on a little longer. It’s okay to flip it – it will ensure even cooking. rare: 140 degrees, medium: 160 degrees, well: 170 degrees.
- Take the rib eye off of the heat 5 degrees below what you want it to be, as it will continue to cook as it rests.
- Let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes (I go 15) before cutting into it. When hot, the juices are runny and run right out of the steak when cut. As it sits, the proteins in the juice begin to cool and thicken (or congeal) a bit, so they want to stay where they are or, at the very least, are a little slower to escape.
NOW, grab yourself a steak knife and enjoy a Texas Style steak!
Texas Seasoned Rib Eye Steak
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp Granulated Garlic
- 1 Tbsp Salt
- 1 Tbsp Black Pepper
- ½ Tsp White Pepper
- ½ Tsp Thyme
- ¼ Tsp Ground Coriander
- ¼ Tsp Chipotle
- ¼ Tsp Cayenne Pepper
- 1 Tbsp Oil
- Salt And Pepper
Instructions
- Look at the picture again. With a sharp knife, remove about two inches of meat from the bone, forming a little handle. Scrape the bone a bit to get the meat off from both sides. Why? It looks cool and there isn't really any meat worth eating there anyway.
- Combine the seasoning and stir well. Apply a thick layer of seasoning to all surfaces of the rib eye, rubbing it in well. Fork it in. There will be seasoning left over for next time.
- Refrigerate the seasoned rib eye until you are ready to cook it. I like to have mine marinate two days for maximum flavor.
- Remove the rib eye an hour before you plan to cook it. Pre-heat and clean the grill. Rub 1 tablespoon of oil on all surfaces of the steak and season with salt and pepper. Oil the grill grate and wait for the grill to come back up to temperature.
- Put the seasoned rib eye on the grill over direct heat, and cook covered for 1½ – 2 minutes. Uncover, turn the meat 45 degrees and cook uncovered for 7 more minutes. Flip the steak over to a new, hot part of the grill and cook covered for 1½ minutes. Uncover and cook for 7 minutes more. Check the temperature with an instant read thermometer.
- If the temperature has not reached what you want, flip the steak and cook uncovered, 1-2 more minutes per side.
- Remove the rib eye 5 degrees under your desired doneness as it will continue to cook a bit after it has been removed from the grill.Let the steak rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing.
