Charcoal-Grilled Strip Steaks and Potatoes with Blue Cheese Butter
By America's Test KitchenPublished on August 22, 2007
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 pounds medium Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick roundsSalt Ground black pepper 2 tablespoons vegetable oil 4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), softened3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese 1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves 1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about ½ teaspoon)4 strip steaks, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches thick (12 to 16 ounces each), see illustration below
Before You Begin
Watch the potatoes closely as they are blanching; it is important to take them out of the water before they are fully tender. Trying to grill potatoes that are already fully cooked is nearly impossible.
Instructions
- Combine potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 quarts cold water in large pot and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are barely tender, about 6 minutes. Drain potatoes in colander, being careful not to break them. Transfer potatoes to rimmed baking sheet coated with 1 tablespoon of oil. Drizzle remaining tablespoon oil over potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- While potatoes are cooking, light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until all charcoal is covered with layer of fine gray ash. Build two-level fire by stacking most of coals on one side of grill and arranging remaining coals in single layer on other side of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and heat until grate is hot, about 5 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Grill is ready when temperature of stacked coals is medium-hot and that of remaining coals is medium-low.
- Meanwhile, beat butter with large fork in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add cheese, shallot, parsley, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
- Generously sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over hotter part of grill until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn steaks; grill until well browned on second side, 3 minutes. Once browned, move steaks to cooler part of grill. Continue grilling, uncovered, to desired doneness, 7 to 8 minutes more for rare (120 degrees on instant-read thermometer), 9 to 10 minutes for medium-rare on rare side (125 degrees), 11 to 12 minutes for medium-rare on medium side (130 degrees), or 12 to 13 minutes for medium (135 to 140 degrees). Remove steaks from grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Once steaks are moved to cooler part of grill, place potatoes on hotter part. Cook, turning once, until grill marks appear and potato slices are cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
- To serve, place one steak and some of potatoes on each plate. Top each steak with 2 tablespoons butter mixture and serve immediately.
Yield
Serves 4Ingredients
2 pounds medium Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds
Salt
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), softened
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about ½ teaspoon)
4 strip steaks, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches thick (12 to 16 ounces each), see illustration below
Ingredients
2 pounds medium Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds
Salt
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), softened
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about ½ teaspoon)
4 strip steaks, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches thick (12 to 16 ounces each), see illustration below
Ingredients
2 pounds medium Red Bliss potatoes, scrubbed and cut crosswise into ½-inch-thick rounds
Salt
Ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (½ stick), softened
3 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese
1 small shallot, minced (about 2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 small clove garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about ½ teaspoon)
4 strip steaks, 1 ¼ to 1 ½ inches thick (12 to 16 ounces each), see illustration below
Why This Recipe Works
We wanted our grilled steak and potatoes recipe to have a perfect balance of flavors and textures, with the slightly bitter charred crust of the steak balancing the rich, juicy interior, and the sweet, tender potatoes soaking up the meat's juice. We chose beefy, tender strip steaks and found that hot coals were essential for a good crust, but cooler coals were necessary to heat the interior through. As for the potato part of our steak-and-potatoes recipe, we realized that precooking slices in simmering water was the only way to wind up with well-cooked grilled potatoes.
Before You Begin
Watch the potatoes closely as they are blanching; it is important to take them out of the water before they are fully tender. Trying to grill potatoes that are already fully cooked is nearly impossible.
Instructions
- Combine potatoes, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/2 quarts cold water in large pot and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until potatoes are barely tender, about 6 minutes. Drain potatoes in colander, being careful not to break them. Transfer potatoes to rimmed baking sheet coated with 1 tablespoon of oil. Drizzle remaining tablespoon oil over potatoes and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- While potatoes are cooking, light large chimney starter filled with charcoal (6 quarts, about 100 briquettes) and allow to burn until all charcoal is covered with layer of fine gray ash. Build two-level fire by stacking most of coals on one side of grill and arranging remaining coals in single layer on other side of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill, and heat until grate is hot, about 5 minutes. Use grill brush to scrape cooking grate clean. Grill is ready when temperature of stacked coals is medium-hot and that of remaining coals is medium-low.
- Meanwhile, beat butter with large fork in medium bowl until light and fluffy. Add cheese, shallot, parsley, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
- Generously sprinkle both sides of steaks with salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered, over hotter part of grill until well browned on one side, about 3 minutes. Turn steaks; grill until well browned on second side, 3 minutes. Once browned, move steaks to cooler part of grill. Continue grilling, uncovered, to desired doneness, 7 to 8 minutes more for rare (120 degrees on instant-read thermometer), 9 to 10 minutes for medium-rare on rare side (125 degrees), 11 to 12 minutes for medium-rare on medium side (130 degrees), or 12 to 13 minutes for medium (135 to 140 degrees). Remove steaks from grill and let rest for 5 minutes.
- Once steaks are moved to cooler part of grill, place potatoes on hotter part. Cook, turning once, until grill marks appear and potato slices are cooked through, 6 to 8 minutes.
- To serve, place one steak and some of potatoes on each plate. Top each steak with 2 tablespoons butter mixture and serve immediately.
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