TOM’S LATEST STAB AT DOE’S STEAKS

Doe’s cook their steaks in an open gas fired oven at over 1000 degrees F.   There is no way I am ever going to duplicate this at home, yet I continue to try.  This is my latest experiment and I believe it comes closer to the real thing than any of the hundred other ideas I tried.

Locate a large covered, cast iron Dutch over.  It should be large enough to cook a large porterhouse steak.  Find a stainless steel rack that will fit into the bottom of the Dutch oven and provide at least ½” of clearance between the steak and the oven.

Since you are going to be cooking this steak on a very high heat, be sure and get a thick cut piece of meat, you don’t want to end up with an overcooked well done steak.  I suggest at least 2.5” thick.  Season the steak with a coating of olive oil, Greek seasoning and salt & pepper.  Place the steak in the Dutch oven a wait until the ready to cook.

What is going to happen next can get a little hairy.  I have a steel charcoal grill with a top.  I move it into the yard, away from the deck, the house and anything else that my catch on fire.  I over-fill the grill with self-starting charcoal, I use one of the big bags and it works great. I put the grill in place as if I were going to grill the steaks and light the fire.

I allow enough time to elapse to burn off the self-starting material in the charcoal then I close the grill and allow it to get as hot as possible.  I have a large pair of insulated foundry gloves that reach half way to my elbow and you’ll need something similar.  Place the Dutch oven containing the steak with the cover on in the middle of the grill and close the lid.  There will be a roaring inferno inside the grill and a cheap sheet metal grill with simple fall apart under the stress.  This is why you are in the yard, away from everything flammable.

It is not necessary to turn the steak inside of the Dutch oven.  It will cook evenly and rapidly. I like my steaks medium rare and have found that it takes about 3-4 minutes in the Dutch oven to have them ready to finish on the fire.  Remove the oven from the grill and place on something that won’t immediately flame up.  Remove the partially cooked steak and place it directly on the grill for no more that thirty-seconds per side to give it a charbroiled finish.  Serve immediately.