Dutchman’s Steak & Eggs
I grill a lot. Steak & Eggs is one of my favorite meals and I’ll tell you why and how to make my version. If you do not want to read through my annotated version you can skip to the basic recipe here. And, like all my writings, there is no scientific basis for any of my theories whatsoever.
Eggs..Bah!
I didn’t grow up knowing about steak & eggs. Breakfast for me as a child was cereal or toast. I didn’t even like eggs when I was very young I would occasionally get some under the guise of french toast. As I grew older and actually liked eggs, I remember a few visits to some of my Pennsylvania Dutch farming relatives where breakfast was a huge meal with ham, sausages, eggs, potatoes, gravy etc. I thought that was cool. Of course these people were fueling up for a day of intense work. I was just a vacationing kid who could eat a lot and then play all day, Like I said; cool.
Astronauts Eat Em.
Around sixth grade I was extremely interested in the US space program. Our country was shooting men into space. I couldn’t believe they wanted us to go to school on launch days. This was much more important in my young list of priorities so I always skipped school on launch days and sat in front of the television mapping the astronauts' orbits on my Rand Mc Nally globe with pins and string. When the reporters told of the morning preparation for the launch they described the astronauts' breakfast. It was steak and eggs. Wow! That must be a great breakfast. If the astronauts eat it to prepare for the biggest day of their life it must be the BEST BREAKFAST THERE IS. So in my 12 year old mind steak and eggs became much esteemed as a perfect meal.
Pick a Steak, any Steak
46 years later I’ve sampled steaks in Memphis, New Orleans, San Francisco, Europe and… well you get the picture. There are mail order steaks that are exquisite cuts of meat. Australian free-range, blah blah. In this day and age of individually vacuum packed flash-frozen technology you can stock your freezer with any quality of steak your income and desire dictates. I love to grill and do it a lot, people know that about me so I get a lot of steaks as gifts. These are usually really terrific and my steak & eggs often consists of an Omaha Steaks filet mignon (A totally remarkable steak! I just remarked on it). Or some other thoughtful gift I received. But my favorite basic mainstay for the best steak & eggs is the New York Strip also known as Boneless Strip Sirloin. This steak is tasty with a little strip of fat left on one edge that adds nice flavor and juice to the meat. The New York Strip is perfect for grilling. The best way to have steaks on hand for spur of the moment grilling is to buy them individually vacuum sealed and freeze them .Otherwise buy a family pack fresh and wrap them individually in foil ,(facilitates thawing on the grill), then ziplock bags and put them in the freezer.
Fresh or Frozen
All cookbooks will tell you to use fresh steaks or thaw frozen ones before grilling. If that is possible great. But it is totally possible to take a steak from frozen solid to delicious on a grill. I use a gas grill, if you are a charcoal person then you know how you like to manage your grill. The idea is to quick thaw the frozen steak for a few minutes by slow cooking. If the steak is wrapped in foil you can put it on the top of the grill lid while the grill is heating up. This can also be done with thick vacuum sealed plastic but be very careful that the plastic does not get hot enough to melt to your grill lid. Place a towel on the lid then thaw the steak on the hot towel. Once the grill is hot place the frozen steak on part of the grill that does not have fire under it to slow cook /quick thaw the steak with indirect heat. Once the steak goes from red to tan it is time to place it on the grill.
Note on microwave thawing: If you do this and it is ok with you then go ahead. I notice a difference in the texture of the meat after nuking but that may just be my delusion.
Give It a Rub
I prefer a dry rubbed steak. This means you rub dry spices into the meat before cooking.
If there is fat on the edge of the steak rub that good. The fat will absorb the flavor and distribute it to the meat as it melts. Steak rubs can be purchased in little shaker bottles in the flavor of your choice. If you want to make your own just mix dry spices together any way you like them. Here’s mine:
Dutchman’s Dry Rub Mix
1 part black pepper
1 part garlic powder
2 part paprika
2 part onion salt
5 parts celery seed
That is the basic mix. I put it in an empty spice shaker and add a little of this and that as it gets empty. Red pepper, dried onion and anything else that looks good gets added a little at a time besides the main ingredients. This way the rub evolves over time.
Sssssss…..
Crank up the heat and get that grid hot. When the frozen or partially thawed steak hits that metal it should say SSssssss…. You are going to grill this steak according to the Grilling Guide. If you want to make crossed grill marks on the pretty side just rotate the meat 80° half way through the first side.Heat up the Skillet
In order to fry eggs on a grill I have found that nothing beats seasoned cast iron. I’ve got a single serving sized oval cast iron that comes with a non-attached handle and a serving basket. Porcelain coated steel works fine but the cast iron is stick proof and there’s that whole flavor-seasoned thing. If you aren’t the kind to have special grilling utensils like that just put a frying pan on the grill, or make the eggs on the stove. I start to heat the cast iron before it’s time to flip the steak.
Flip the Steak and Crack the Eggs
When it is time to flip the steak start heating your oil. Put plenty of olive oil on that skillet and get it nice and hot. Try to time the cracking of the eggs so that they finish when the steak does. That hot skillet will cook them fast, experience will help you co-ordinate the cooking. Shake a little of the dry rub across the fried eggs to give them color and flavor. I make sunny side up but you know how you like your eggs so if that involves scrambling or flipping do so accordingly.
Presentation is important
Since my skillet doubles as a serving plate it also keeps the eggs hot. Eggs will get cold in about ten seconds sometimes so the cast iron is the way to go I say. I just put the steak on the skillet with the eggs and I’m ready to eat. If you use my cast iron method just be careful. You are eating out of hot iron that was on the grill with hot oil in it. Allow the food to cool and don’t touch the plate. Add a piece of wheat toast and you’ll go nuts for this dish for breakfast or any time.
Here’s the basic recipe for quick reference:
Dutchman’s Dry Rub Mix
1 part black pepper
1 part garlic powder
2 part paprika
2 part onion salt
5 parts celery seed
Ingredients:
1 Steak frozen or fresh
2 eggs
Olive oil
Dry rub mix
1 Steak frozen or fresh
2 eggs
Olive oil
Dry rub mix
- Rub steak with dry rub mix.
- Grill using Steak Grilling Guide.
- Fry eggs on cast iron skillet.
- Add steak beside eggs on skillet and serve.
