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BARDSLJR

How to cook "Cowboy Steaks"

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Ladies and Gentlemen,

I saw one of those barbecue competition shows the other day, and the pitmasters were challenged to cook brisket point for burnt ends and big huge old Cowboy Steaks- big ribeye Tomahawk type steaks. So, inspired by that, I ordered a couple of prime ribeye Cowboy Steaks, one cut 3" thick, and the other 4". This should be interesting and fun. So, does anyone have any experience cooking these monsters and tips on how to conduct this cook? The smaller one is 2.3 lbs and the bigger one about 4.1. Any tips or recommendations would be welcomed.

Another view -two Cowboy Steaks.jpg

Two Cowboy Steaks.jpg

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3 hours ago, Wingman505 said:

Smoke @ 275 degrees or Sous vide to 130-135 degrees then sear over very high heat 1.5-2 minutes per side.  Probably obvious... You may have been looking for something more inventive.

I did not mean to sound disrespectful.  I hope that it didn’t.  I just don’t think I do anything too innovative.  😊👍

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Bards I’ve cooked a few of these.
Set up for 2 zones.
Spice to your preferred flavour.
Let the steak drift up to just short of your desired temp in the KK with early smoke.
Then reverse sear on grates low down.
Good luck whichever way you choose.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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  The technique using the sear method I have found is to not be afraid of turning or flipping for quick short periods. Letting a steak as large as that to sit there will only allow the middle to remain pink while the outer portion looks fully cooked if it isn't turned often enough . Wingman and Basher are spot on target for a saving grace method for balance however, the continuous short time flip is an alternative. Have you tried Umani or Dried shitake mushroom seasoning, it enhances flavor profile on large steaks as this?  Good eating and good luck.

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Yes, I think I am hearing the same thing everywhere: quick sear, then cooking over moderate heat for 12-15 minutes per side, flipping frequently. The problem is, if I sear on the 32" KK, I will not be able to get the temperature down again- there is no "hot side/cooler side like in a charcoal grill. So I am thinking maybe I use the infrared broiler on my gas grill for the initial sear, and then finish on KK with a nice combo of charcoal and wood, probably mesquite.

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I've only done 1 this big. Started out in the sous vide, then final sear on the grill. 

Use the basket spitter (assuming you have one) and reverse sear. Roast up on main grate on the indirect side until 5 degrees below target, then drop down to the lower grate on the direct side, flip every 30 seconds until you have a crust built up.

Can't wait to see the pictures! 

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Well, as luck would have it, we were in Costco this afternoon (to my Aussie friends: Costco is a huge buying cooperative, run practically like a non-profit, that has a very large national presence in the US, enormous buying power that extracts razor thin discounts in bulk buying and passes them along to their "members"). Passing along the meat counter, I found they had- and this is in my experience unusual - these huge Cowboy/Tomahawk ribeye cuts for sale for $11.99/lb. This is about half of what I would pay a good local restaurant supplier or Snake River. Did I mention, "prime"? So I brought one home, and had my first experience cooking....not bad. I probably could have moved it farther away from direct heat and cooked slower, but overall, it was good experience and I think I have this cut at least partially figure out. PS, Don't hate me, but I still like filet mignon (tenderloin) better.

Found this today at Costco.jpg

Sliced for Serving.jpg

Done version.jpg

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These thick cuts are great candidates for the reverse sear process. I hate to complicate things but the internal temperature at the point you remove it from the low temp phase depends on whether you are throwing it on another high heat source right away or giving it a rest period before you sear (while you bring the kk to scorching hot). If I am going to let it rest to finish on the kk, I will cook to about 122-125 for medium rare. At that point, it will reach medium rare while it rests and start to go back down. The short sear doesn't cook it any further and there is no rest period at the end.

A lot of the time, I will bring my Evo griddle to scorching to be ready to go right on without resting and in those cases, I will only cook to about 110 or so. I can get a really good sear that way and continue to check the internal so I don't overshoot. I will rest at the end of the sear.

Great job on yours!

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