Pardon my loose title, I want to send a message to all ranchers out there – Thank You – Thank You – Thank You! Just keep doing what you do and the rest of America will eventually catch up to your knowledge of all things cow and ranching? The meat industry can never be underestimated in these United States as they feed billions of people all over the world. It turns out that two brothers from Switzerland introduced America to the cut now known as the Delmonico Steak.

This is a cut of steak I want to give homage to today – “The Delmonico”. It was first introduced by brothers John and Peter Delmonico in the 18th century in New York City. It’s a little like sirloin and a little like ribeye, but all wrapped up inside the same steak. Grilling steak cuts has always been a challenge for me because I like to infuse smoke flavor into meats and that can take awhile. So I rarely would attempt to smoke/grill a steak, it has to be thick and act a certain way otherwise most steak cuts on my grill will turn out dry and overdone. If you find a thick sirloin, around 1 inch or better that’s a good candidate for the grill. Sirloins have the grain that allows them to absorb the smoke flavor whereas a NY strip? Forget it! Rib-eyes when they’re thick enough are good candidates for the grill and wood chips but still they can dry out pretty quick so if you’re not a fan of rare or medium-rare steaks don’t even try it.

Introducing the Delmonico cut, now this is a steak cut that is more flavorful than a filet. [I personally am not a fan of the taste of filet mignon. I never order filet mignon when I have a choice between that and NY strip or ribeye]. Filets just don’t do it flavor-wise for me. I know I’m in the minority here but it is what it is. So I took a flier on a Delmonico cut a couple years back and I have never been disappointed. It’s a perfect cross between the firmness and graininess of a thick sirloin combined with the marbling and tenderness of a ribeye. Plus, Delmonico cuts take a marinade very well should you decide to cook them in your oven or pan sear them on the stove. You will not be disappointed. They also absorb wood smoke flavors very well on a grill.

Any of you steak aficionados know to use Mesquite, Live Oak, and maybe Cherry wood [or a combination of these] to infuse flavor into steaks on a grill. I used to keep small-to-medium sized live oak branch trimmings from a tree in my front yard, for years I did this. Works great for steaks, brisket, or even hamburgers on the grill. Be sure and dry any live oak branches out for at least two seasons before you use them to smoke meat though.

When grilling/smoking good cuts of meat like steaks, the key is to infuse flavor while, at the same time, not overcook them. So if you’re new to this you’ll need to experiment on your particular grill setup. For example, when I’m grilling a thick cut of steak I don’t use a marinade [that’s for the oven], if I’m interested in infusing smoke flavor on the grill start out with some pepper, a little olive oil [or butter], and garlic? That’s all you need, the smoking of the meat is the flavor you’re looking for. Once your smoke has been going good for a 35-40 minutes then you can place the meat directly over the flame for “the finish”. Wha-la! Now it’s ready to bring inside. It’s more important to keep the meat offset from the flame so the smoke is allowed to pass through and flavor the steak without cooking it quickly, that’s how you capture the flavor. With the proper cuts of steak, an offset flame, and the right wood smoke it won’t take you long to achieve a good pink center and that perfect taste! So when you see Delmonico steaks offered in your local store, don’t be shy, give it a try…