David's Spike Steak

Salt-crusted steak is one of those old-school grilling techniques that sounds absurd until you try it. You press cracked black peppercorns and minced garlic into both sides of a thick sirloin, then pack a wet salt paste over the meat (held in place with a damp cloth or paper towel) and grill it.

The salt forms a hard crust during cooking that does two things at once: it seals the meat so juices stay locked in, and it seasons the steak just enough through the surface without making it taste salty. The cloth chars on the outside (the recipe says it; this doesn’t affect flavor) and gets peeled off with the salt crust before serving, leaving you with peppery, garlicky beef that’s juicier than any open-grilled steak.

It’s the kind of technique that feels like a magic trick the first time you do it.

Pro Tips

• Use coarse salt, not fine table salt. Coarse salt clumps with water into a workable paste; fine salt dissolves and won’t form a crust.
• Crack the peppercorns coarsely with a heavy pan or rolling pin. Pre-ground pepper has nowhere near the flavor of freshly cracked.
• Let the steak sit at room temperature for the full hour before cooking. Cold steak cooks unevenly and the crust forms unevenly.
• Use a wet cloth (not dry) to hold the salt in place. The water keeps the salt from falling off and helps form the rigid crust.
• Pull the steak when an instant-read thermometer hits 130°F (54°C) for rare or 140°F (60°C) for medium-rare. Rest 10 minutes before slicing.

Variations

• Add 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped rosemary or thyme to the salt paste for an herby crust.
• Use a thick ribeye or strip steak in place of sirloin for a richer cut.
• Slice cooked steak thinly across the grain and serve over arugula with shaved parmesan for an Italian tagliata-style presentation.