Gas Grilled Steaks Served with Leeks

 

* We linked this page at the Hearth and Soul Hop at Hunger and Thirst *

While Dude2 has convinced me that charcoal is the way to go, I don't think I'm willing to let go of my very nice Weber gas grill.  I'll probably end up getting a small charcoal grill in addition, but in the mean time I was determined to perfect grilling steaks with my gas grill.

Have you ever had a $25-40 steak at a nice steak house and wished you could cook a steak like that at home?  Did you ever decide to splurge on a $15/lb (or more) premium steak at the store only to be disappointed with the results?  Well, that was me and I had almost given up grilling my own steaks.  Thankfully, Dude2 showed me the way; even though it was torture for him to cook with gas : )

The secrets to success with a gas grill are:

1. Buy a nice thick steak (1" - 1.5"), grass fed of course
2. Get your grill as hot as possible
3. Thrown in a piece of lumpwood charcoal* for adding a smoky flavor
4. Sear both sides and then remove to indirect heat (instructions below)

* Note, I said a piece.  Don't attempt to do all charcoal in a gas grill unless you properly convert it by removing all the gas line equipment.  It's probably a good idea to remove the charred wood after each time you use too. That's my disclaimer.

Grilling Steaks, Dude2 style

I just returned to Missouri from a quick trip to New Mexico, where I had the opportunity to demonstrate the way I grill grass fed meat for Dude1. I can't really claim credit for the method, as I learned it from The Farmer and The Grill (another good cookbook), but I did have to adapt my style a little for different equipment.

I generally grill exclusively on hardwood lump charcoal, but Dude1 doesn't have such a grill yet. He does have a fancy gas grill though, so we did a little experiment to recreate the smoky, fiery atmosphere that my steaks usually cook in on his gas grill.