This is a super sweet fully loaded New York Steak that is really easy to grill.
As usual, start up that grill at least 30 minutes in advance to get those coals ashing over. For this dish I used alder chips that were soaking in water for 10 minutes. This prevents the chips from burning up too quickly and allows them to smoke for a longer period. I don’t add those wood chips until I am ready to throw those New York steaks on the grill.
Getting the grill ready ahead of time allows coals to ash over.
Meanwhile, I oiled, spiced, and let those steaks reach room temperature before hitting the grill. Having the steaks reach room temperature will speed the cooking process and will allow the steaks to cook more thoroughly. The oil gives the steak a little flavor as well and prevents them from sticking to the grill. I use about a tablespoon of light olive oil and sprinkled some of McCormick’s Grill Mates spice. The chosen one for today was Smokehouse Maple which I pressed onto the steaks with the sides of a kitchen knife. I only trimmed one steak though for a picky person.
Lightly oiled, spiced, and trimmed New York Steak.
After the coals had ashed over and I added the soaked alder wood chips I threw the steaks on the grill for 7 minutes turning only once after the 4 minute mark. As a side, I had split lengthwise, oiled, and seasoned some zucchini with some salt and pepper.
This New York steak recipe is sure to be a real treat to any beef lover's taste buds!
Ingredients
New York Steak 12 oz
McCormick's Grill Mates Smokehouse Maple
1 tablespoon light olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 zucchini
Instructions
Bring steak to room temperature, lightly oil,and sprinkle seasoning pressing them onto the steak with the side of kitchen knife or back of spoon.
Cut zucchini lengthwise and lightly oil and season with salt and pepper.
After coals ash over, throw in water soaked wood chips on grill and place steaks and zucchini on grill allowing room in between them.
Cover grill and cook for 7 minutes; 4 on 1 side and turn over for the remaining last 3 minutes. This is for medium well, so adjust your timing to your desired tastes. Enjoy!
“Barbacoa…Juicy beef tongue and cheeks taco with cilantro.”
Barbacoa…Juicy beef and cheeks taco with cilantro.
Memoirs
Eating barbacoa always reminds me of my father (Reyes), who would dig a huge hole and light up a mesquite fire. He would let the mesquite flames die out, let the mesquite turn to red hot coals, and would lower a metal canister with a cows head wrapped in aluminum foil. He would cover the hole with metal sheets and throw dirt over them to keep in the heat. Let that sit overnight for some tasty barbacoa in the morning.
Days like those I considered a special occasion day. Kind of like Thanksgiving Day which as we all know only comes once a year…at least to my knowledge anyway. With me, I make barbacoa once every 3 months; unless my little Princess asks for some earlier.
Prepping
To the meal preparation we go. I like to rinse the beef tongue and cheeks in cool running water until clean, while the coals in my smoker are ashing over. I add a little coarse salt, freshly ground pepper, and for this dish I added a sprinkle of dry parsley. That’s it. It goes directly in the top sections of my smoke box, which I had started 30 minutes in advance with charcoal.
Beef-tongue-and-cheeks.
Smoking
I added hickory logs for that smoky flavor afterwards and smoked the beef for 5 hours. This is how it looks after that time. Note that some smokers normally put a bowl of water underneath to keep in moisture, but I don’t because these types of beef holds a lot of water in them, even after 7-9 hours of smoking.
“Damn I’m getting hungry!”
Slow
After the smoking, I cooked the beef for 7 hours in the slow cooker. In the slow cooker I added water to cover, set the dial to low, and by breakfast time it was ready.
After 7 hours in the slow cooker.
I strained the beef tongue and cheeks to remove as much water from them, removed the tongue’s skin or outer layer with a fork and tongs and discarded.
Skin or outer layer of tongue.
Check out that color.
I then used two knifes to shred both tongue and cheeks. “If only Edward was here!” “From Edward Scissor Hands.” lol
Barbacoa time!
I add some more coarse salt to taste and chopped some cilantro to add to the tacos. You can eat this with either corn or flour tortillas; even by itself it taste so good. Call up the family, its dinner time! “I mean…its breakfast time!”
Barbacoa…Juicy beef tongue and cheeks taco with cilantro.
Rating: 51
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 12 hours
Total Time: 12 hours, 30 minutes
Yield: about 40 fully loaded tacos
Serving Size: 1 tortilla fully loaded with barbacoa and cilantro
Calories per serving: 250 calories
Fat per serving: 12 grams
These is a super easy and totally delicious dish to create that will impress any food picky person. The rich flavor from the smoke of hickory leaves a slight bacon flavor and an unforgettable taste that will have people coming back for more.
Ingredients
coarse Kosher salt
parsley flakes
black pepper
1 package of beef cheeks
1 beef tongue
enough chopped cilantro to fill a small bowl
tortillas; corn or flour your choice
Instructions
light up smoker with charcoal or hickory logs
Wash beef tongue and cheeks under cool water until clean.
Season beef with salt, fresh ground pepper, and parsley flakes.
Put on top section of smoker when charcoal ashes over for 5 hours and add hickory logs or chips to your coals.
After 5 hours put beef in slow cooker, cover with water, and cook for 7 hours.
Remove tongue skin and combine both tongue and cheeks in bowl and shred.
Add salt to taste.
Warm up tortillas and add barbacoa and cilantro; enjoy!
“He that controls the spice controls the universe,” maybe in the movie Dune, but here in the real world, the Chef that controls any or all of these five things smoke, fire, heat, spices, and /or herbs, controls the total outcome any prepared meal.
Having received the book Dune while in the desert was a very unusual thing for me. The book had no cover and was addressed to “any service member” and had a small note that read “…it is very ironic to send you this book considering you are in fact in the desert.” I could not help but to laugh at that and pick that book to read in those moments in which I had the chance. I really did get to like the novel and after the war ended and I arrived home in the States I looked up the movie and is one of my old time favorites.
Moving on then…here are the “5 things you must control at all times!” There are smoke, fire, heat, spices, and herbs. I will talk about the first three now, but the last two will have there own sections in this blog because the information about them is totally overwhelming for just one or even a few posts. There are so many different spices and herbs that can add different and delicate flavors to any dish, not to mention there medicinal benefits.
SMOKE…Throughout time it has had many uses. The Indians have used it to send signals to its tribesmen also the Chinese where known to do so as well. The Roman Church uses smoke signals to tell the people of a new Pope and the American Boys Scout still uses them to signal others as well. “WOW!” Not to mention that smoke has been used to cure foods to make them last longer and also to give flavor.
That use of smoke for flavor and cooking…like smoking large portions of beef or getting that bacon maple flavor to hams is what I am more interested in. Smoking can be for as little as half an hour, to 7-8 hours for smoked rings on briskets; whole hams can be smoked to as much as a whole day. The recommended internal temperature for any pork is between 145-150 degrees Fahrenheit at minimum since pork may contain worms that can cause the disease trichinosis. I normally smoke my beef and pork for 7-8 hours at a temperature of 170-300 degrees Fahrenheit adding fresh moist wood chunks or chips when the smoke starts to turn dark instead of white.
You don’t really need a smoker to achieve the simple recipes, but I would suggest investing in a decent smoker for briskets, hams, or large portions of meat. They will do a better, easier job for you and you will not forget the final results. As for the simpler cuts, you can cut open a beer can or any aluminum can for that matter and put in some soaked chips. You can even use aluminum foil with small holes made on the top to vent out the smoke. As the water in the chips evaporates, you will get smoke to add more flavor to your dishes. An even better alternative is a small cast iron smoke box that fits inside your grill or you can even add liquid smoke which works excellent as well.
The overall result of flavor always depends on the type of wood that you use and for how long you smoke your cuts. Whether you are smoking or grilling, here are some of the woods you can use for that exquisite flavor.
Here’s Woody!
Hickory; is an excellent choice of wood for grilling or smoking things like pork, wild game, chicken, and beef. I even have heard that it works great on some cheeses, “though I have never tried it before…there is always a first time for everything.” Hickory gives food a bacon-like type of flavor. “Who doesn’t like bacon?”
Mesquite; here where I am from the chosen wood is mesquite; a local tree that is abundant to our parts of the South. Its hard wood gives food a big bold delicate flavor which is excellent for beef, lamb, and many vegetable dishes. Because mesquite burns really hot I suggest you leave an area below the grill with very few burning ambers to shift your food over just in case it gets too hot on the other side.
Apple; gives off a sweet and fruity flavor which goes good with game birds to include chicken and turkey. Apple is also good for beef and pork especially cuts of ham. I suppose you can even save apple cores and air dry them to throw on top of the coals too.
Cherry; also gives off the same characteristics as apple, but apple tends to be more dense then cherry. Also, good for the same food groups as apple.
Alder; has a delicate flavor good for many different types of fish, chicken, and pork.
Lemon and lime wood; I like to add when grilling or smoking many types of fish. I even use the peels of lemons or lime to give fish that little extra kick.
Whatever woods you use or if you just use charcoal; make sure to let the fires die down a bit unless you like charred food. If you don’t you can shift the fire over to a side and cook on the opposite side. Best of luck!
Hot Juicy Rib-eye Steak grilled over a mesquite fire with mash potatoes and Red Lobster biscuits.
“Hot and juicy coming off the grill and grilled over mesquite coals after the fire died down a bit. ” This is 14 ounce of pure joy ; a rib-eye steak cooked medium to medium well or until the juices run a slight pink. Served with mashed potatoes and Red Lobster biscuits with a biscuit recipe that my little girl picked from an unknown source.
I like to add butter and a little bit of buttermilk to my mashed potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste. At times I might even add a sharp cheddar cheese, but not this time. While this is not a side dish blog, I might add the recipes for the sides if people request for them.
McCormick Grill-Mates;Smoke House Maple seasoning.
About those steaks…I always get my beef to room temperature; it speeds cooking times. For this four steaks I coated them with extra virgin olive oil (about a tablespoon for each), I sprinkled and pressed Grill Mates Smoke House Maple seasonings by McCormick’s and sea salt on them with the backside of a spoon so the seasonings won’t fall off as easily when they hit the grill. I really enjoy using McCormick’s Grill Mates because I don’t have to mix and create my own, though I do at times. It depends on the mood I am in and if I’m not in a hurry.
MY STOK GRILL
Meanwhile, I have arranged charcoal in my STOK grill in a pyramid shape and added lighter fluid. Let the fluid soak at least 5 minutes before lighting the coals up. When the coals ashes over (normally 30 minutes)it is ready for the next step. Spread coals evenly and add mesquite chucks for that extra flavor. You can use soaked mesquite chips as well. Needless to say, even using charcoal can add great flavor and you can buy it with mesquite or hickory in them already. Most of the times I use straight charcoal because mesquite is readily available where I am from and using chucks of your chosen wood really adds a more concentrated smoky flavor. Close the lid and let the grill heat up to 400-500 degrees Fahrenheit.
I can’t wait to be eaten rib-eye steaks!
You are now ready to grill those steaks to perfection. Bring them to your grilling station along with everything you might need like a plate, fork, knife, something to grasp those steaks to flip them over, and a couple of beers to drink while you wait for the steaks to get done. “Okay-okay, it doesn’t have to be beers.” You can take soda or H2O (water) instead. Point is it won’t take those steaks a long time to cook and you do not want to leave them alone in case of flare ups. Mine took about 11 minutes (give or take 30 seconds); 6 minutes on one side and 5 on the other is all it takes.
Hot juicy rib-eye steaks in the making!
The time always depends on factors; like how well you like those steaks to be done, the temperature of your grill, and whether you use a lid or not on your grill. I almost always do because it prevents flare ups and really speeds up the cooking time. Keep in mind that the steaks will continue to cook even after you take them out of the grill so be careful not to over cook them. You can not add moisture back into cooked food, but you can coat them with sauces so they won’t be too dry. What I recommend is investing in a meat thermometer or checking your steak in the last few minutes of the cooking time so that you can pull it off the grill when you decide when it is done to your satisfaction.
Hot & Juicy Rib-eye Steaks Grilled over a Mesquite Fire.
Rating: 51
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 11 minutes
Total Time: 21 minutes
Yield: 1
Serving Size: 1
Calories per serving: 847
Fat per serving: 28 grams
A rib-eye steak cooked over the coals of mesquite has a very rich flavorful taste that you, your family or friends won't easily forget.
Ingredients
1 14 ounce rib-eye steak
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of McCormick's Grill Mates Smoke House Maple Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon sea salt
Instructions
Bring rib-eye steak to room temperature and coat both sides with the 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil.
Mix sea salt and seasoning together and press onto both sides of rib-eye steak with the back side of a spoon.
When the charcoal has ashed over in the barbecue pit, arrange steaks on grill so that they are not touching each other and close the lid on the grill.
Cook for 11-12 minutes for medium to medium well and for 13-15 minutes for well or until your desired result is achieved.
Serve with your favorite side dish or enjoy by itself!
Notes
The cooking time varies due to grill size and the temperature of your grill. You can check your steak by making a slight slit in the steak and checking for the right color int your steak. Also, you can use a meat thermometer, most have a gauge that tells you to what degree a steak is done.
Well I hope you enjoy your rib-eye steak like I enjoyed mine. I’ll try to get better pictures in the future. At the moment I think they are alright considering I took them with my camera in my phone. If you would like to leave a comment or your favorite way to prepare and grill a rib-eye steak; be our guest and do so.
“All that really belongs to us is time; even he who has nothing else has that.”
Abraham Lincoln.
“Time and timing is everything. Some things happen in a spur of a moment; like love at first sight or…grilling! Others take planning like a wedding or…planning for that next big barbecue during the Super Bowl!”
Kings Reyes C. JR.
I am not sure where I have heard that or who ever said something like that, but I think it must have been ME or someone like me.
Time and timing goes together with grilling…you can barbecue anytime and anywhere.
Let me tell a short story of the time I was located in the Middle East during Operation Desert Shield in preparation for Desert Storm back in 1990. We were given a free pass to see the Capital of Saudi Arabia (Riyadh) and I took the opportunity to stop at a place to buy a small bag of goodies in which I bought four small tenderloin steaks frozen solid. Later that evening I set up my small little grill, which I normally use to warm up water for coffee or tea in my foxhole (fighting position) and I grilled all four steaks. I had added only salt and pepper from my MRE’s (meals ready to eat) and they tasted like a piece of heaven. Of course I shared them with my military buddy. I still have that little grill stored in my man cave or shed “for those that do know what that means”.
So… at a moments notice you can light up that grill and enjoy your favorite treat or you can plan it all out and create a feast to amaze your friends. So stop what you are doing, print or write down your chosen recipe, and light them up. The grills that is; lets us barbecue and feast like no other day! “To barbecue!”
Just go ahead…and leave a comment or two about the subject.
When I was ten years old my three brothers and I gathered around an open mesquite fire where our oldest brother (Tristan) was roasting a freshly killed rabbit. The place was the Rio Grande Valley in Texas and we were in our backyard. In a sense, we were blessed that we lived out in the country outside the city limits because we could make open fires to BBQ and what not. Our parents had bought an acre of land in the middle of nowhere. By that I mean that the property was surrounded by orchards and fields on two sides. Growing up been part of a big family (total of nine) was really a fun and exciting time.
Needless to say, with just salt and pepper as seasoning, that smoky roasted rabbit tasted like a piece of heaven. Those moments are my earliest recollections of a BBQ. Since then as a boy, I have barbecued baloney, wieners, and even cooked eggs on a cast iron pan over an open mesquite fire. Those were fun days and having Mom laugh at me was an enjoyable experience for me as well, she still laughs at those recollections when we talk about them.
Since then, I have barbecued in many different areas and climates. From the deserts of Arabia, the snowy mountains of Germany, to the beaches of South Padre Island by the Gulf of Mexico, and many different countries as well. I have been to nine different ones while in the service. I love to cook and mostly to BBQ and have picked recipes from all over the world and even created my own. After all, when you’re the Chef of the house or the cook of the house, you too can create your own food exactly how you like it and that is something definitely worth fighting for. The freedom to BARBECUE when you want to and how you want to; among many other things are what made our country a great place to live in. “GOD BLESS AMERICA!”
I Just had an reoccurring dream of BBQ…
Kings Reyes Chapa Jr.
Have your own story to share…be my guest, I would love to hear what your thoughts are on barbecue or about yourself.
While you can grill indoors using approved appliances, most grilling are best done outdoors …especially when dealing with smoke. All grills using charcoal, wood, or propane are meant for outdoor or well ventilated areas. By that I mean having an approved chimney or powered ventilator to exhume the carbon monoxide smoke that is produced as a byproduct of charcoal or propane use. Of course, there are many stoves with grill inserts that use propane and are very safe to use and I have seen indoor fireplaces outfitted with cooking grills etc… Just be sure they are in good working conditions and I would definitely install carbon monoxide detectors to be on the safe side.
This past December I gave away my big I door propane heater to my mom. I stayed with two small electric heaters and bought a third. It was a small propane heater meant for indoor use … or so the box stated. After having used it for an hour I started to feel a slight headache and I decided to turn it off and open some windows. I carefully took the time to read the full small instructions it came with and sure enough there it was in small fine print; safe to use indoors with a ventilated window, “Who the hell would want to turn on a heater when you need to open windows!?” Needless to say, my smoke/carbon monoxide detectors needed new batteries, luckily everything turned out fine and I didn’t ignore the awkward headache. We only live once in this lifetime, play it safe. Know the symptoms, have operating detectors and test them often.
Where there’s smoke…there exists an opportunity for fire.
South Padre Island BBQ
A bomb fire at South Padre Island two years ago where we had set up a different area for barbecue. It was an awesome evening where my brother Joe and sister (Josie) and their families had gathered for a relaxing time.
In this other picture I started a fire in my Stok barbecue grill for some well deserved Rib eye steaks during a Saturday. What I love about this grill is that of the many inserts it has, it has one for arranging charcoal in a neat manner that makes starting fires a breeze. You do not even need lighter fluid, you can use newspapers underneath the insert where ashes normally gather and light it up. I used lighter fluid on this one though and you can tell by how high the flames are in the picture.
And there was fire…
As a wise word of caution, do not leave a fire unattended because it will only take a few moments to get out of control. If you look closely enough to the upper part of the picture you will see I have a solar screen to keep the hot sun out of my work out area. That can easily go up in flames in a matter of seconds. Since this last barbecue I ended up moving the grill I use away from this area to prevent mishaps and later move it back to its place after the grills cool of enough. I also keep a water hose handy just in case. One last thing; do not put anymore lighter fluid to a burning fire, remember that some clothes catch on fire quicker than others or might even start to melt (wind breakers), and do dress appropriately.
As far as food preparation goes; wash your hands often before and after handling raw food with warm soapy water. Follow the recommended cooking times set forth by the USDA or seller of food product. Life is simple; let’s keep that way.
Kings R. C.
Please feel free to share any photos or stories you might have or to leave your comments. Thanks.
This site is about creating flavorful-mouthwatering dishes with smoke, fire, and spice that anyone can create to impress that special someone in your life…or just for yourself!
