Better We, Better Week, August 12, 2024: The Power of Persistence and The Great Smoky Steak

Persistence is there behind most achievements. Leaders, entrepreneurs, scientists, artists, industry captains, and philosophers all achieved success by being persistent in their tasks. It is more important than talent and intelligence. Having this trait allows a person to run a marathon. And life is a marathon, not a sprint. The road is long and requires countless efforts. It is filled with uncertainty, fear, and anxiety. With persistence, these discomforts subside, and the challenge is overcome. We all know this. Recently, I am pleased to say, I discovered that I have this quality in me. Well, at least when it comes to some backyard BBQ.

I have recently procured an off-set smoker. BBQ was always a thing for me during the summertime. The smoker was a thing of beauty and the real reason behind my purchase. It just looked so cool! Owning one implied a sort of mastery over the art of BBQ. I pictured myself sitting in the backyard relaxing while the smoker smoking away in the background. With it, I would venture into more serious cooking of meats like ribs, briskets, and steaks. However, I soon realized that using the smoker was a bit more challenging than I calculated. I found out that I didn’t know much about BBQ since I had been grilling all these years. A BBQ is a more complex craft than just grilling meat over coal. There are matters of temperature, time, placement of coals, smoking, searing, types of coal/wood to use, black smoke, blue smoke, the list of the things I needed to learn was endless. On the other hand, the pressure was mounting from family and friends to produce the good stuff as was promised to them. This was too much for me to handle. I almost gave up on the smoker. It was becoming a symbol of failure. And now, it will be there at the corner of the backyard. All the time! Like the treadmill. This cannot be happening again.

I dove right in and attempted to cook more than any other time in the past. I focused only on one item: steaks. My family started having burnt or undercooked steaks on a regular basis. After much research and many attempts, I found that slow-cooking a steak at a low temperature in indirect heat and then searing it at a high temperature in direct heat would produce the best results. This reverse searing method is used in many famous steakhouses. Finally, I narrowed down the method and the ingredients:

The choice of cut: Ribeye. The marinade: None. Spices: Salt, pepper, chili flakes, and St Elmo’s seasoning (not bad at all).

The result: A dark bark around the ribeye is formed but upon slicing it’s soft, tender, and juicy on the inside. The flavor of the steak is not lost in heavy marinade or sauces.

The verdict (by household members): A steak Well DONE!

For me a TRUE JOY.

Wishing everyone a Better We, Better Week!