They say that if you use high-quality, well-aged meat and cook it right, a steak doesn’t need to be seasoned with anything more than a sprinkle of salt. I say that sounds great, and I won’t argue, but sometimes you just want a little extra something. Or, as we used to say, a little something something, and here that little something is the same spice blend found in a bowl of chili.
The effect is subtle, but that’s why it works to well, and even though they won’t like admitting it, I think the “only salt” crowd will agree. By the way, those are same folks that get upset if you add beans to your actual chili, since real chili doesn’t contain beans, or so they insist. They probably would’ve been fine with a side of baked beans here, but I didn’t want to take any chances, and went with my favorite grilled steak side dish, potato salad.
There are no tips or tricks to pass along here, other than give your steak a few hours to soak in the seasonings before it hits the grill. You can also certainly spice things up more than I did, but don’t get to carried away. Remember, a good steak really doesn’t need anything more than a little salt. Regardless of how you tweak this approach, I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!
Get the recipe for Chef John’s Grilled Chili Steak with Garlic-Lime Butter.
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