Mike cooked three thick Texas T-Bone steaks in three different ways and had the team at Flare Fires judge which method they preferred in a blind taste test.
First, Mike reverse seared one steak in the Maretllo fire, letting it get a good smoke before searing it off. The second one went into the Premier fire, a solid masonry fire, and then he brought it down to sear. The third steak was seared in a pan with garlic and butter, then finished under the pizza hood to simulate an oven.
Those steaks were huge and needed to warm up to room temperature before cooking. Cooking them straight out of the fridge would have taken longer and been inconsistent, so Mike let them sit out for a bit. He seasoned them generously with salt and pepper. While some might use special rubs, the reverse sear and wood smoke added all the flavor needed.
Mike had his meter probes set up to monitor the internal temperature, aiming for 63°C for a medium finish. This kept everyone happy. It is best not to cook with pine wood but cook with dry hardwood like black WD and cherry for the best flavour.
For the reverse sear, Mike let the steaks sit in the chimney, absorbing smoke, then seared them off at the end. The pan-seared steak got a good sear in garlic and butter, then is finished under the pizza hood.
Managing the fire was key. Mike aimed for an ambient temperature around 63°C, adjusting the wood to maintain it. He flipped the steaks midway to ensure they smoked evenly. The pan-seared steak finished quicker than expected, so Mike pulled it early and rested it, adding a bit more salt for flavour. When both steaks in the chimneys reached the target temperature, he seared them quickly, just for colour and texture, not further cooking.
After resting, the team tasted tested the T Bone Steaks. Results were very mixed and each steak came out to be someones favourite, so everyone was happy, which was what mattered.