Steak for a Crowd

Maximum Flavor, Minimum Effort

Steak night at home is one of the highest ROI meals if done properly.

Save for a few iconic eateries, steak quality has gone way down at most spots and if not, the price is pretty astronomical now.

The answer is to have steakhouse night at home and invite special people to share in the experience.

There is so much content online about “steak” and below is my favorite way to put up 6-12 steaks without a breaking a sweat at all… with a superior result to what you get when ordering out.

The Steak

Need to get this one right.

You can totally get a great steak that fits in most budgets. Check this substack I wrote on Beating Beef Inflation if you need to get caught up on USDA gradings and how you can game the system on picking out your own steaks.

One step up from a supermarket is if you have a local butcher that you can do custom orders through. This will be more of a premium and you need good rapport to make sure you aren’t getting off-loaded on.

And for special occasions or just to straight up indulge, I go to the best butcher in America.

This is Flannery Beef. A 3rd generation, family run, butcher that has been providing the top restaurants in the US (and globally) with the most exquisite beef. (I’ve written previously about Flannery Beef in Holiday gift guide if you want more info).

Apart from having the best beef in the US, they are genuinely some of the most kind and wonderful people I’ve come to know in the Food & Beverage space.

Bryan selected (6) gorgeous ribeyes and (3) luscious NY Strips from their California Reserve line of beef.

These are holstein cows which are prized for their ability to marble intra-muscularly. Bryan started into holsteins as the males were oftentimes going to veal lots and he found he network of famers taking male holsteins and raising them.

The results speak for themselves. Top tier quality, marbling… and taste!

The Cook

Once you have your steaks instead of messing with 4 large saute pans on your stove to try and sear, cook and baste… the oven is going to do all the lifting for us; hands off.

If possible, take your Steaks out 30-60 mins. Turn your oven to preheat at 200F (or the lowest setting if it goes to 175F).

Take the best quality EVOO you can get your hands on, drizzle and coat your steaks.

Season with a great salt (like a sel gris or fleur de sel), and put on a resting rack over a sheet pan.

Cook the steaks in the oven (you can fit 6-12 steaks in the oven; using 1 or 2 sheet pans) until 115-120F.

This can take 30-60 mins depending on how chilled your steaks are and your oven. Use a probe thermometer to check after about 30 mins.

The Serve

While your steaks are cooking away in the oven, light up your grill outside; charcoal preferably.

Using a chimney starter you coals should be hot and ready in ~30 mins. Spread the coals evenly over half the grill bottom, place your grill grate on, vents open and lid on. Preheat for 10-15 mins and give the grate and good brushing.

Now your steaks should be out of the oven and ready.

Place directly on the grill and cook briefly to get a great sear and coal-infusion on the meat. Be careful to not let flames go crazy; fan or move the steaks as necessary.

Remove to a cutting board and drizzle with more EVOO and fresh cracked pepper.

Pro Tip: While your coals are lighting, blanch some asparagus and whip up a luscious hollandaise. Serve with baked potatoes *you can bake the potatoes before the steaks go in.

You’ve now got a meal worthy of Peter Luger’s… or better!

The best part of this steak set is you aren’t doing more than one-thing at a time.

1. 450F roast potatoes while steaks temper

2. Turn down to 200F, leave door open for a minute, then load EVOO-Salted Steaks in

3. Start Coals

4. Blanch Asparagus

5. Make Hollandaise

6. Sear Steaks

Done and dusted! 🙌

Stay tuned for the next Substack which is all about hollandaise and her cousins.

What’s your favorite steak night menu? Comment below!