The bone marrow experiment part 2 ... best steak we've had to date (with pics)

Stormbringer

Last weekend we did an experiment with bone marrow and reverse seared rib-eye. It was up there with some of the best steak we'd tasted, yet I thought it could be improved by changing the technique somewhat. This mainly revolved around a picture that @Mickey put up with a cast iron surface over the lit lump and someone else mentioning a butter bath.

After failing to find an off the shelf CI surface for the MMX I acquired a Lodge pancake pan and cut the handle off with an angle grinder. This gave a perfect 10.5" diameter searing surface.



I cooked the ribeye and marrowbone at 125C/250F until the IT of the meat was 120F. Pulled and FTCed, I removed the PS and placed the CI surface onto the SS grid to get to 300C/570F searing temp. Scraped out the marrow from the bone then put this onto the hot CI surface, let it melt and then added on the ribeye. Seared for 30 secs each side in the bone marrow bath to really get the flavour in.

I then removed the CI surface and seared the steak on the SS grid for 15 secs each side. The bone marrow still on the surface dripped onto the coals, igniting and causing some flame sear and charcoal flavours.

Result - the best steak to date. Bone marrow flavours infused into the meat, charcoal notes and perfectly medium rare in the middle. This is now our go to steak.

@SamIAm2 - maybe give this one a try with your new rig.

Pictures are below, unfortunately the memory card failed in the camera after I removed the CI surface, so I subbed in a shot from a previous cook to give the visual effect.

Nice rib-eye ready with some fat trimmed off:


Rubbed with 2 tsp Cow Lick + 1 tsp Crossroads, this seems to work better with the marrow flavour than straight Cow Lick:


The Minimax setup. This is slightly different from last week, I used a foil food container on top and bent back the front so it didn't interfere with the temp gauge. Sweetcorn still on the bottom. The sweetcorn has butter and some Pineapple Head rub inside the foil. @Mickey we did try doing it seared directly during the week, it was good but it lost the Pineapple Head flavour.


Extracting the marrow from the bone using a skewer, and heat proof gloves:


Making sure that the CI surface is at temp with a heat gun:


Searing the first side in the bath of bone marrow:


Flipped and more marrow added, searing the second side:


DISASTER! The memory card failed. So this is a pic of searing over flame from a previous cook, it's the same principle:


Served shots, these were a bit rushed as SWMBO (aka the photographer) had to find another card and we didn't want the food to get cold:

nolaegghead

Intrepid.  I like.  Keep it up!

johnnyp

This is a great post.  Thanks for sharing. 

UncleBilly

Love the process you've outlined here!  Between your cooking and your wife's photography you two should be working for Bon Apetite or similar publication!

Mickey

OUTSTANDING!  I would fly to England for that. 

SamIAm2

As our grandson would say, WOWSER! I'm thinking you could remove the temp gauge before you put the bones in so it wouldn't be in the way. You are already monitoring the meat temp anyway. Just keep posting your great cooks.

Mickey

I did a little different in that I used a MiniMax Woo to drop the CI lower into the fire. 
But you will need the 9" lodge for this. 

http://www.ceramicgrillstore.com/

Tom 

Lodge

http://www.missionrs.com/lodge-manufacturing-70gh2-cast-iron-griddle-9-1-4-inch-round-no-handle.html

Stormbringer

Thanks folks, appreciate it.

@nolaegghead I intend to, with the help of this forum . Maxing out the Minimax has kinda become an obsession.

@UncleBilly the full recipe is available here, with more photos:

https://www.thecooksdigest.co.uk/2017/06/01/bone-marrow-glazed-steak/

Did you see the pics my wife took when we were in the USA in June?

http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1207546/some-pictures-from-our-2017-usa-road-trip-part-1

@Mickey yes, that's the post I was referring to. It gave me the idea that I would get a better flavour by immersing the rib-eye in the bone marrow sauce. And anytime you're in the UK, stop by ... although I'm not in London.

@SamIAm2 funny you should say that, I removed the temp gauge when the meat was at 80F IT to put some mushrooms onto the top shelf, they were wrapped in kitchen foil and had butter and Dizzy Pig Red-Eye Express on them. It's the big mushroom you see on the plated picture. You're right though, once the Egg is stable, the temp gauge isn't really needed.

Hibby

Adventurous . I've never had marrow but this sure sounds interesting.

UncleBilly

@Stormbringer, I had not seen the vacation pictures.  Thank you for sharing the link - the images are truly stunning!  My wife grew up in central Utah and we go back every couple of years.  The scenery driving cross country is always gorgeous, but alas, I lack the artistic eye to capture the vistas on film like your wife has done.  Nice work!  

Eggdicted_Dawgfan

Awesome post and pics. Did you ever post part 2 of your road trip @Stormbringer?

Austin Egghead

Beautiful, just a beautiful cook. 

Stormbringer

Eggdicted_Dawgfan said:

Awesome post and pics. Did you ever post part 2 of your road trip @Stormbringer?

@Eggdicted_Dawgfan not yet, she's going through the second half of Yellowstone and the trip beyond that - Boise, Portland, Olympic Peninsula. I'm hoping to get more up this weekend.