Beef
A New Favorite! Bourbon Bavette Steak
Do you have a favorite cut of steak? I thought I did. I actually had two favorites: ribeye and filet. Furthermore, I like the juiciness and bold beefy flavor of a grilled ribeye. I enjoy the consistently of a filet and the endless ways to season and prepare a filet.
Before I introduce you to one of my new favorites, I want to recap some of the steak blogs I wrote earlier in the year. The assortment and quality of steaks from Holy Grail Steak I have cooked, eaten, and highlighted here is impressive.
In Three Sensational Recipes for Filet Mignon, I had the opportunity to sample American Wagyu filet and the Santa Carota Prestige Carrot-Finished filet. A Skirt Steak Recipe with a Delicious Asian Twist was one of the best skirt steaks I have ever eaten. Most recently, in Four Awesome Steaks for Father’s Day Grilling, I experimented with steaks from the barbecuebible.com Butcher’s Flight that included tenderloin tips, zabuton, top sirloin, and hibachi steak. Yes, that’s a lot of steak.
Now I have several favorites due to all the sampling of meats from Holy Grail Steak.
I want to introduce you to Holy Grail Steak’s Prime Bavette steak. The Bavette steak, or flap steak, is similar in texture to a skirt steak. It is located close to the flank steak and is cut from the bottom of the sirloin. It is often confused with flank and skirt steak, since it comes from the lower chest and abdominal wall. Bavette is a French term that means “bib.” In Colombia, the bavette steak is called sobrebarriga, which means “over the belly.”
Bavette steak is known for its beefy flavor. It is well-marbled and should be sliced across the grain to maximize tenderness. Bavette steak can be prepared with a marinade or just seasoned and grilled or pan seared in a cast-iron skillet or plancha.
I was unsure how I was going to prepare the bavette steak, but I was inspired by the bourbon barrel woods chips a friend of mine gave me. I decided on a dry brine for the steaks. Likewise, I seasoned the bavette with salt and then sprinkled bourbon over the steak and let it marinade in the refrigerator for one hour. To keep with the bourbon theme, I made a bourbon butter to finish the steaks.
Next, I set up a two-zone fire in a kettle grill. I added bourbon wood chips that had been soaked to create wood smoke.
Once the steak was removed from the refrigerator, I blotted it dry and painted it with olive oil and seasoned it with freshly cracked black pepper and kosher salt.
I cooked the bavette steak for 90 seconds, gave it a quarter turn, and cooked for another 90 seconds. I repeated the process on the opposite side. I used an instant-read meat thermometer to check the temperature of the steak. I was aiming for 135 degrees for medium-rare. Before removing the steak from the grill, I melted the bourbon butter over the steak. The bavette rested, then it was time to slice it up.
The bavette steak had a great crust and looked as if it had been seared in a cast-iron pan. The inside of the steak was super tender and juicy. There was a nice contrast in texture created by the hard sear on the outside and the luscious inside. The bavette had the marbling of a skirt steak and the tenderness of a filet. The steak had a great beefy flavor and a smoky aroma due to cooking it over a charcoal fire with the bourbon wood chips. The bourbon butter added another level of flavor and elevated the smoky flavor of the steak.
I smoke-roasted mini potatoes and rainbow carrots to serve with the bavette steak. My wife suggested we add some of the bourbon butter to the carrots…delicious!
I guess I have a new favorite steak, or at least until it’s time to sample and report back on another mouthwatering steak from Holy Grail Steak. Whether you stick with your favorite steak or experiment with a new cut of steak, Holy Grail Steak has you covered.
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