Mos Eisley Dry Rub BBQ Bantha Steaks

Posted May 7, 2015 by Alison's Wonderland Recipes in Book of the Month Recipes / 2 Comments

Nothing says “desert planet” like dry rub bbq, and since banthas are common fare on Tatooine, I figured dry rub bbq bantha steaks would be a fitting entree for our Star Wars menu. This juicy, tender grilled rib eye features a Chicago dry rub blend, guaranteed to take the monotony out of any day of moisture farming.

Like most Tatooine fare, the ingredients here are simple and few. In fact, this is more of a preparation technique than a recipe.We showed you how to prepare a superior pan-seared steak when we made our Harry Potter menu…now try your hand at gourmet grilling!

P.S. The technique used here was developed by Serious Eats and can be found on their website.

Dry Rub BBQ Bantha Steaks

“Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.”
— Star Wars: A New Hope

INGREDIENTS:

a 1 lb rib eye steak
2 1/2 tsp Chicago dry rub seasoning
1 tsp olive oil

Makes 1 large steak

INSTRUCTIONS:

Start with quality ingredients: find a steak that is at least 1 inch thick, with lots of intramuscular marbling. Select a quality dry rub with seasonings you know you’ll like, and break out the fancy olive oil! 🙂

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For a Gas Grill: Set your heat to medium-low when you’re ready to start cooking (for me, this was just below the middle mark on the dial). For a Charcoal Grill: Arrange your coals on one side of the grill and light them well enough in advance that they are hot by the time you’re ready to cook.
Rub 1 tsp of the dry rub on each face of the steak and about 1/2 tsp along the sides. When it comes to the timing, there is no middle ground: either throw it on the grill right away or let sit for at least 40 minutes.
Why We Wait: Immediately after seasoning, the salt is undissolved and will produce a strong sear on the outside. This is good, but not as good as it could be, since the flavors don’t have a chance to soak deeper into the meat. For the next 38 minutes, the salt actually draws moisture out of the steak (if you cook it now, you’ll evaporate that moisture on the grill and won’t get a crispy sear). At the 40 minute mark, the moisture is reabsorbed back into the steak, along with some of the flavor from the seasonings. The end result is a properly hydrated, well-seared steak with stronger flavor. Huzzah!
Brush the steak with just a little olive oil, about 1/2 tsp on each side.
The oil is entirely optional. I like it because it does just a tiny bit to help the steak develop a colorful, flavorful crust when it’s seared. Plus, I like the touch of olive oil flavor.
For a gas grill, place your steak as you normally would. For a charcoal grill, start the meat out on the “cold” side of the grill (the side without the charcoal). To make a medium rare steak, cook with the grill cover on for 6-9 minutes, flipping the steak every 45-50 seconds (replace the cover after every flip). When the steak reaches 125° or is pink in the center when cut with a fork, crank your grill up to high (for gas) or transfer the steak to the “hot” side (for charcoal). Sear each side of the steak for 15-20 seconds, until a strong crust forms.

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Allow the steak to rest for 5 minutes or half its cook time (whichever is longer).
Serve to a smuggler to convince him to transport you secretly to Alderaan (it’s a well known fact that smugglers will do anything for a good bantha steak).