digest
Short Summary
Main recommendation: Cook Grow and Behold steaks with a homemade chili-and-coffee spice rub, seared over very hot charcoal (or on a gas grill or stovetop, then finished in the oven), and finished with a fresh chimichurri. The video presents this as a way to make the most of high-quality pasture-raised beef.
Key Points
- The steaks are pasture-raised, with animals eating a natural diet, which the speaker credits for better flavor.
- The rub combines ancho chiles (for sweetness) and chipotle chiles (for smoke), with coffee, toasted onion and celery salt, and sugar to aid caramelization.
- The hanger steak is highlighted as an excellent, tender cut, with only one per steer.
- The steak is seared, left undisturbed, then moved to the cool side of the grill to finish cooking.
Details Worth Noting
- Concrete instructions:
- Rub: Use whole ancho and chipotle chiles with seeds (about three), remove the stems, and tear into pieces. Blend with two teaspoons of coffee (instant or dark roast), two teaspoons toasted onion, two teaspoons celery salt, and two teaspoons sugar. Sprinkle a generous layer on the steaks. Apply a generous layer to both faces and edges.
- Chimichurri: Finely chop fresh basil, half a red onion, garlic (to taste), one cup of parsley, plus cilantro, oregano, red chili flakes, kosher salt, and black pepper. Pulse, add about 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar, then stream in extra virgin olive oil while blending.
- Charcoal setup: Bank hardwood charcoal on one side so the grill has a hot zone and a cool zone. Open the vents over the hot side to pull heat through.
- Sear: Place steaks over the hot zone and sear about 2 minutes per side on charcoal, though on charcoal it can take about a minute and a half; on the stovetop it takes about two and a half minutes, and on a gas grill it can take three to five minutes depending on the grill. Do not move the meat during searing; it releases easily when ready.
- Finish: Move seared steaks to the cool side, or to a preheated oven if cooking indoors after searing in a cast iron or heavy stainless pan.
- Doneness: Hanger steaks should be cooked to at most medium-rare, not rare. Check with the hand test: pad of thumb to index finger is rare, middle finger medium-rare, ring finger well done.
- Rest: Loosely tent the steaks without steaming them; expect the internal temperature to rise about 10 degrees while resting.
- Serve: Slice thinly against the grain with a sharp knife, or serve whole for guests to slice.
- Hanger steaks are thicker and take longer than other cuts, so they are seared longer before flipping.
- Charcoal burns hot and lights in about 15 to 20 minutes, according to the speaker.
- The speaker presents the rub's bitter, spicy taste as expected and encourages trusting the process.
Bottom Line
Quality pasture-raised beef plus a bold chili-coffee rub, a hot sear, and a cool-side finish produces a rich, tender steak that the chimichurri complements well.
