HOW TO COOK PUMPKIN AND MAKE A DIVINE STEAK

AS YOU ALL KNOW, EVERYTHING TASTES BETTER STRAIGHT OFF THE GRILL. SO, IT SHOULDN’T COME AS A SURPRISE THAT EVEN A PUMPKIN’S A GREAT BBQ FOOD! WELL, YOU MAY BE THINKING, “A PUMPKIN?” DON’T WORRY, I’LL ALSO SHARE MY TIPS AND SECRETS FOR COOKING A DELICIOUS RIB STEAK; I WON’T JUST TALK ABOUT PUMPKIN. 😜

Sure, steak and pumpkin isn’t the most common pairing, but you could, for example, serve pumpkin soup as an appetizer and steak for the main course. Or pair your steak with pumpkin potatoes… I’m just giving you ideas—it’s up to you to figure out how to repurpose them 😉

Actually, the reason I mention pumpkin is because once Halloween is over (or not) and you want to do something with your pumpkin before you throw it out and, you can “save” it and smoke it on the grill.

Pumpkin Soup or Cream of Pumpkin 

To make pumpkin soup or cream of pumpkin, slice your pumpkin in half, empty out the insides, then smoke it on the grill low and slow to allow the smoke to infuse the meat. Then take the pumpkin halves off the grill, cut them into small pieces and puree them in a blender by adding butter, cream, House of BBQ Experts Texas Spice Mix and rub —or any other ingredients you like! (I’ll let you in on a little secret, the Texas dry rub is really, really, really amazing with squash and potatoes, you should add some👌).

Pumpkin Seeds

Don’t throw out the seeds once you’ve scooped them out! You can smoke them (hot or cold) on the grill with a blend of 50% coarse salt and 50% House of BBQ Experts Cake Spice Mix and Rub, and you’ll have your own pumpkin spice seasoning. Seriously, you’ll have a killer result; the Cake seasoning gives a special kick, and it’s insanely good! 💯

Even More Pumpkin

There are several other recipes you can make using your pumpkin: you can make a pumpkin “steak”; you can smoke, then grill your pumpkin pieces… you can even turn it into a BBQ! Yeah, okay, that’s not a recipe, but it’s a wicked good Halloween decoration idea. 😉

On that note, enough about pumpkin, let’s move on to the thing I most love to grill: steak!

Before I give you my recipe, though, I’ll let you in on another secret: the thickness of your steak dictates how you rest it. Basically, if your steak is about 3/4 of an inch thick, you can let it rest on a board right after searing, then enjoy it OR cook it indirectly, whereas if it is thicker than 1 inch, you absolutely have to let it rest directly on the grill, in the indirect cooking zone, until it reaches the right internal temperature.

Now that that’s out of the way, here’s how to cook a divine rib steak:

INGREDIENTS

• 1 rib steak (about 3/4 inch thick, in my case)
•  Butcher BBQ Steak and Brisket Rub

DIRECTIONS

1. Let the rib steak sit on the counter for about 30 minutes. (This will allow you to sear the steak faster, but be careful because the faster it sears, the faster it will caramelize and char, so be sure to keep an eye on it!)
2. Place a cast iron grate on the grill (yes, even if you don’t have an infrared burner)*, then preheat thegrill to 500°F, making sure to open the air vent as much as possible.
3. Coat both sides of the meat with the Steak & Brisket spice mix.
4. When the grill is about 600°F, sear the meat for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until it easily lifts off the grill and the crust “follows” it (it doesn’t stick to the grill). (Note that when the meat is ready to release, it only stays that way for about 30 seconds, so mind your timing to prevent the meat from sticking to the grate again).
5. Once the meat is seared on both sides, place it on a board off the grill and let it rest for about 1/3 of the time it took to cook (e.g. if the meat took a total of 6 minutes to cook, it should rest for 2 minutes) OR transfer it to the indirect cooking zone**. (You should take the steak off the grill when it’s nicely caramelized on both sides, the fat has rendered and the juices are “running” off the meat.)
6. When the internal temperature of the meat has reached 130-140°F (depending on the desired doneness) and the juices have been absorbed, slice the steak, serve and enjoy.

NOTES

* If it has one, you can go ahead and use your grill’s infrared zone instead.

** If the piece of meat is 1 inch thick or more, transfer it directly to the indirect cooking zone, next to the cast iron grate or onto the warming rack (if the grill has one) and let it rest there.

Happy grilling!

By:  JP