T-Bone Steaks Caveman Style

[leemc]

I did a little experiment a few weeks ago and made a video. I cooked some steaks in the wood fired oven "caveman" style - which means you just throw the steaks right on the coals to cook them. I had very low expectations on how they would turn out but the were out of this world delicious. I suggest anyone who is a steak lover needs to give this method a try in their wood oven. Or even the charcoal grill.

Also I recorded this in 4K if you have that capability to see it in that format.

[UtahBeehiver]

Gulf has also done "caveman" style cooking.............must be the new or old trend.

[Gulf]

Lee, great! video. Now I'm hungry again .

Russell: "Caveman", "dirty steak" or, "Eisenhower steak" (President Eisenhower loved to cook directly on the coals) It's been around a while under one name or another. Since I don't do a whole lot of pizzas, steaks are usually my "go to" when getting the oven ready for a weekend of baking or cooking.

Again Lee, that is great video. It helps show just how versatile these ovens really are. You are right about steaks being cooked this way being "out of this world delicious". It also surprises most people how clean and free of ash these steaks are. Since you also said that you were "experimenting", I'm going to throw a couple of things out there that you may want to try next time. I think that you will like them even better.

I like to spread out a very thick bed of coals and then flatten them down very evenly so that there are no gaps under the steaks. That cast iron skillet would work great for flattening the coals down. Having a flat bed of coals ensures that the coals are touching the steaks evenly and helps prevent flame ups. A thin layer of sear developes instantly the second that the steak touches the hot coals. That thin layer of sear separates the steak from the coals and seals in the seasoned juices. That flash sear also instantly cools a very thin layer of ash preventing the steak from burning. Parts of the steak that are raised slightly above the coals are more prone to char rather than cook. That is why a flat level coal bed is a must for these steaks to be their absolute best.

For me, flipping the steak directly over seems to prevent the "magic" from happening on the other side. That spot where the first side was cooked has cooled and the second side will not get a flash sear. I like to treat both sides of the steak the same. So just before flipping the steaks, I find a fresh spot of red coals and blow the ash off it. The steak come out cleaner and both sides of the steak will be perfect.

Also, I like cooking the steaks in the entry. I've tried it both ways. The coals alone, produce enough heat for a perfect steak, and the steaks will be easier to manage.

[deejayoh]

Why do I not have a bottle opener on the side of my pizza oven? am I dense?

[Gulf]

Why do I not have a bottle opener on the side of my pizza oven? am I dense?

No, DJ.

You are not. Bottle openers are a great accessory! I have one that is not yet installed. It is just that many of us find that buying by the can is cheaper.......................That is,..............after splurging for the oven,...............and then shelling out to buy all the "on sale" meats, flour etc. for the weekend cooks .

[UtahBeehiver]

Here we go again, Colt 45, PBR or Schlilz.............like Gulf, I bought a bottle open to mount on the oven, just one of those finishing touches I never get around to doing.

[RandyJ]

I also have one. Had not figured out where to put it. So I use my Kline professional series bottle opener. US electricians like our beer too. I need to try the cave man style. It does look very tasty. I have just done it on my grill in the entry so far and love that.

Randy

[deejayoh]

I've tried the Peter Reinhart "ribeye in a 900 degree cast-iron skillet" approach. That was terrific. 1 minute per side, perfect sear, medium rare. Burned all the seasoning off my pan! Now I need to try the "caveman style" too. I also wonder if you couldn't just cook it right on the firebrick?

I have an opener on my cooler. But not on the oven. I don't even know that I would use it - but it looks cool

[RandyJ]

I also burned all the seasoning off my pan useing as a steam pan for bread baking.

[leemc]

Gulf - that's a great idea using the cast iron pan to tamp down the coals level. One of my problems when I cooked the steaks, and you can kind of see it in the video, is that they sat on the coals all out of whack which made them hard to flip. I will definitely try that. And I probably am not the first to admit this around here, but I love doing steaks in the oven way, way more than Pizza. Not that the pizza is bad, it's just that they are a crap load more work to make than steaks - plus I like steak more than pizza.

Oh and seriously, if you don't have a bottle opener on your oven - you aren't done building it.

[ivancito]

I also have one. Had not figured out where to put it. So I use my Kline professional series bottle opener. US electricians like our beer too. I need to try the cave man style. It does look very tasty. I have just done it on my grill in the entry so far and love that.

Randy

Wow Randy!!! Your oven looks like its stuffed to the hilt with wood, awesome picture of the inferno.
great job.
Ivan

[R. Barton]

Nice! I need to try this on the coals in my kamodo.

Lee, that's a gorgeous oven my man.

[Origen]

That is outstanding! I would have thought the steaks would be destroyed that way. I'm really surprised they are not charred or covered with ash; I don't have a Tuscan grill yet, but I set up a 19" Weber kettle grill insert on top of fire bricks in the mouth of the oven, and cook steaks on it, but this is going to be the new method! I'm thawing a couple right now to cook them this way later! I have not had my oven operational for that long, but I like it for grilling, roasting, and baking more than for pizza--like Gulf. They are a really versatile appliance.

[pizzaadmin]

I did a little experiment a few weeks ago and made a video. I cooked some steaks in the wood fired oven "caveman" style - which means you just throw the steaks right on the coals to cook them. I had very low expectations on how they would turn out bteut the were out of this world delicious. I suggest anyone who is a steak lover needs to give this method a try in their wood oven. Or even the charcoal grill.

Also I recorded this in 4K if you have that capability to see it in that format.

Admire your work.
Nice Attempt ...!

[Chach]

I also have one. Had not figured out where to put it. So I use my Kline professional series bottle opener. US electricians like our beer too. I need to try the cave man style. It does look very tasty. I have just done it on my grill in the entry so far and love that.

Randy

I know this is an old post but look what the supply house gave yesterday. Looks just like it.