There is nothing better then a summer meal of grilled steak, corn and arugula salad. Okay, maybe you don’t like corn and arugula but it is highly unlikely that you do not like a grilled steak unless you are a vegan. I am not a vegan and I love steak. My favorite cut of steak is the Rib-Eye. For me, the Rib-Eye has the best flavor and marbling. A Rib-Eye is a beef steak sliced from the rib primal of a beef animal, with rib bone attached. In the United States, the term rib eye steak is used for a rib steak with the bone removed. The Rib-Eye cut is both flavorful and tender, coming from the lightly worked upper rib cage area. Its marbling of fat makes it very good for slow oven roasting and grilling.

Wood

I prefer to grill my steak over real wood coals. Charcoal and Lump Charcoal just don’t impart the same flavor to the meat as real wood does. I use oak, cherry, apple or a combination of all three when I grill my beef steaks. I believe that these woods do not mask the flavor of the meat and instead enhance it by not overpowering it with the flavor of smoke.

Beef

It is important that your meat be of good quality. I recommend that your steak be at least of USDA Choice Grade. I get my meat at Costco. Costco has the highest quality Choice steaks that I have been able to find. The flavor and marbling in their Rib-Eye is excellent. Costco also carries USDA Prime beef and this meat is absolutely delicious and tender. If you can afford the Prime cut, then you are in for a special treat.

Seasoning The Steak

There are as many ways to season a steak as there are seasonings. Seasoning is a very personal choice and everyone thinks theirs is the best. I usually prefer my steak rubbed with olive oil and seasoned with just salt and pepper. Recently, I discovered a seasoning named Spade L Ranch. I just love this seasoning on my steak. In fact, it is my new favorite way to season steaks before I throw them on the grill.

When I use the Spade L Ranch Seasoning, I take the steaks out of the refrigerator and remove them from the packaging. I place the steaks in a tray and then liberally season both sides of the steaks with the Spade L and then let them sit until they reach room temperature. The seasoning also acts as a marinade and penetrates the meat. After about 30-45 minutes the steaks are ready for the grill.

Preparing The Wood Oven And Coals

I usually start the fire in my wood oven about 2 hours before I am ready to cook the steaks. While the Rib-Eyes are marinating and coming up to room temperature, I am tending to the wood oven. The coals are ready when most of the flame has subsided and the wood coals are white hot. Once the coals reach this stage, I push half the coals to the side or rear of the oven and place another small log onto those coals. The log should ignite fairly quickly. I bring the remaining coals to the front of the oven and spread them evenly over the floor. If you need more coals feel free to add some from the pile in the back. Once the coals are evenly dispersed on the front floor of the oven, place the cast iron Tuscan grill over the coals. Allow the grill to heat up. The hotter the grill the better the sear and crust on the steak will be.

It is important to keep the coals hot. If there is a breeze it should keep the coals glowing and hot. If you have no breeze just blow on the coals to keep them white hot. If you do not have a wood oven you can use a charcoal grill like a Weber Kettle Grill. Light the wood in the kettle and when the coals are white hot and the flame has subsided, cook the steaks. Cover the kettle grill for maximum effect and flavor.

Grilling The Steaks

Once the Tuscan grill is hot, slide the grill out of the oven and place the steaks on the grill. Slide the grill back over the coals. The steaks will immediately begin to sear when they touch the grill. Inside the oven the steaks will cook very fast. The temperature of the oven will probably be close to 1000 degrees. It is very important that you do not get distracted during this phase of the grilling. The thickness of the steak and the heat of the oven will determine the time it takes to cook the steaks. I like my steaks medium rare. It usually takes about 6-8 minutes total time. Make sure you test for the proper doneness a couple times while the steaks grill. Once the steaks are done, remove from the oven and cover with foil. Allow the steaks to rest for about 10-15 minutes.

Roasting Corn On The Coals.

While the steaks are resting, take your shucked and cleaned ears of corn and season each ear with butter, salt and pepper or any mixture of seasonings you prefer. Roll each ear of corn individually in a sheet of foil. Make sure the corn is wrapped tight. Add some more coals from the pile to the front of the oven. Now, place each ear of corn directly on the hot coals and allow to cook. Turn the ears over several times. The corn is done once the kernels have a nice char on them. This should take about 4-5 minutes.

Arugula Salad

I love a nice arugula salad with my steak dinner. It adds a nice bit of peppery freshness to the meal. My salad is very simple to make. I just dress it with olive oil and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. That is all you need. If you would like, you can add some salt to taste.

I like to serve the steak and corn on the the Tuscan grill in the center of the table. Be careful the grill will still be hot! I hope you get a chance to try this meal this summer. Enjoy this meal with a nice bottle of Zinfandel Red wine from Sonoma California!