Ancho BBQ cowboy steak—picnic deluxe

There are a few simple steps to this recipe that can be taken care of ahead of time, because after that you want to have a cold beer and enjoy cooking some big beef for your friends. You can always depend on a big ol’ rib steak cooked slowly over a wood fire to give you the true feeling of the comfort of a summer family BBQ. The BBQ rub is really key to this recipe. It will work on many kinds of meat; lamb and pork are also great when rubbed with this. It can also make a great butter for corn or other veggies, by simply getting whipped into soft butter. (3-4 Tbsp per pound)

B.B.Q. Rub

• ½ cup paprika-sweet
• ¼ cup toasted cumin seed ground
• ¼ cup toasted coriander ground
• 1/2-cup brown sugar
• 2 Tbsp ground fennel seed
• 2 Tbsp ground star anise
• 2 Tbsp granulated garlic
• 1 Tbsp freshly ground pepper
• ½ Tbsp mustard powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 3.5 ounces kosher salt

Mix together

The sauce can be any sauce you like, or no sauce at all really, the rub is really enough with fresh grain fed beef.

Ancho BBQ Sauce

• 1-tablespoon canola oil
• ¼ cup fine diced smoked bacon
• 2 cups fine diced yellow onion
• 7 cloves garlic minced
• 1-cup ketchup
• 1-cup ancho chili paste (see recipe)
• ½ cup Worchester sauce
• ¼ cup espresso (liquid)
• ½ cup packed brown sugar
• ¼ cup molasses
• ¼ cup cane vinegar
• ¼ cup limejuice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste (2 tsp kosher to start)

Render bacon until crispy, add oil and the aromatics and sweat them, add the ketchup and ancho paste and sauté on medium for 4 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for about 30 minutes until the pot thickens. Cool and reserve.

Ancho paste

• 5 ancho chilies, seeds and stems removed, bloomed over flame
• 1-chipotle seeds removed
• 1 red pepper raw seeded and diced
• ½ yellow onion rough chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons molasses

Bloom the peppers

Place everything in a stockpot and cover with the stock and boil for about 10-15 minutes and puree

Now with all of this done ahead, all we need to do is pick our meat and the extras we find most pleasing to accompany the steak, rub them down and go at.

• 4 Cowboy Steaks at least 18-20 ounces each
• 4 ears of corn soaked in water with the husks on
• 6 russet potatoes peeled boiled and riced
• ¼ cup butter, ¼ cup of heavy cream, 1-cup sharp white cheddar (grated)
• 2 bunches of asparagus blanched, oiled and seasoned, ready for the grill
• 8 scallions oiled, ½ of the top removed
• 4 cups canola oil for frying
• 2 large onions cut into ½ inch rings
• 3 cups buttermilk
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups graham cracker crumbs
• ½ cup BBQ sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Pinch of cayenne pepper

Method

Rub the steaks down completely with rub and refrigerate over night. Bring the steaks out to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

Grill over a wood fire at a medium heat. You do not want to cook these too fast. 12-15 so minutes per side over a heat that is smoldering is best. If you have to use high heat, just mark them and finish them an oven to your desired temperature. Cook the corn on the grill at the same time as the steaks, if the husks begin to blacken, turn the poor things. About 6 minutes into the second side flip of the meat grill the scallions and the asparagus.

The potatoes should be done cooking by now, drain them and let them dry off for a bit before mashing them. Add the cheese last, after the cream and the butter, season them well.

As the meat is resting get the oil hot (350) cover the onion rings in buttermilk and dredge them in the flour-graham cracker mix. Fry until golden brown.

The meat should have rested 10- 15 minutes by now. So we can plate it up. Put some cheddar mashers in the center of the plate. Pull the husks off the corn; it should have just a tinge of golden brown- medium brown on the kernels. Butter and season it. Place asparagus on the plate (use the potatoes as to keep all of this together in the middle. Slather the steak with a little sauce (not too much you want to taste the beef). And place the seasoned onion rings on the steak with charred scallions across them.