Menorcan Ribeye on the Grate
One thick steak, coarse salt, and a fat cap scored so it renders instead of curling.
- calories
- 720
- weight
- 9 oz
- cal / oz
- 80
- protein
- 58 g
- serves
- 2, scales
- prep
- 20 min
- cook
- 25 min
- total time
- 45 min
- water
- none
- cost
- $$$
Calorie and protein figures are my own estimates, good enough for planning a food bag and not meant as precise nutrition data.
- Dinner
- Grill grate
- Campfire coals
- Car camping
- Basecamp
- Gluten free
- Dairy free
- Nut free
- Real dishes
- Grab and go
- Needs a cooler
- Basic
Ingredients
| Bone-in or thick-cut ribeye | 1 steak, about 1 lb | pick one with a wide fat cap; Menorcan Vermella is the original, any grass-fed cut works |
|---|---|---|
| Coarse sea salt | 1 tbsp | |
| Black pepper | to taste | grind it after cooking, not before |
| Extra virgin olive oil | 1 tsp |
Method
- Score the fat cap in a diamond pattern, cutting through the fat only. Stop at the meat.
- Rub salt over the whole steak and let it sit out of the cooler for 20 minutes while the fire settles.
- Burn charcoal or hardwood down to a solid bed of coals and let the grate heat over it until a drop of water skitters off.
- Stand the steak on its fat edge first, propped against a rock or held with tongs. Render it 4 to 5 minutes until the scored fat is brown and crisp.
- Lay it flat and sear both sides hard, 3 to 4 minutes each, moving it off any flare-ups.
- Slide it to the cool side of the grate and finish to about 130 F internal for medium-rare, roughly 8 to 12 minutes depending on thickness.
- Rest it on a board for 10 minutes. Then pepper it, brush on the oil, and slice against the grain.
The fat cap is the whole recipe. Scoring it lets the fat render out and crisp instead of shrinking into a rubber band that curls the steak off the grate. Standing the steak on that edge first buys the fat the extra minutes it needs, since it takes longer to break down than the meat takes to cook.
Salt goes on early so it has time to draw moisture and come back in. Pepper goes on late because it scorches over live coals and turns bitter. This is a day-one, cooler-dependent meal: it belongs at a car camp or a basecamp with ice, not in a pack.
Packing
The steak rides vacuum-sealed in the bottom of the cooler on ice and gets cooked the first night. Salt, pepper, and a small bottle of oil live in the spice kit.
Variations
- No grate: sear it in a preheated cast iron skillet set directly on the coals.
- A halved lemon charred cut-side down on the grate and squeezed over the slices cuts the fat.
- Leftover slices go cold into tortillas the next morning.
https://petromax.de/blogs/its-all-about-food-1/menorquinisches-entrecote-mit-knusprigem-fettrand-vom-petromax-atago