John’s Ancho Strip Steaks

From Cooking the Cowboy Way: Recipes Inspired by Campfires, Chuck Wagons, and Ranch Kitchens by Grady Spears and June Naylor

Serves 4

Like every rancher I’ve ever met, John Elick loves to grill a big steak for supper. We had some ancho chiles—those are dried poblano chiles—on hand, so we added them to the steak rub we made up when we were cooking together. It added a great smoky flavor.

4 (10-ounce) New York strips
3 to 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1 dried ancho chile, seeds and stem removed
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
½ cup kosher salt

Wipe the steaks dry with a paper towel, then rub them with the vegetable oil. Place the ancho chile in a food processor and pulse until the chile is shredded as finely as possible. Combine the shredded chile with the brown sugar and kosher salt in a bowl to create a rub. With your hands, coat the steaks with the rub. Prepare a charcoal, gas, or wood-burning grill; over medium-hot, ash-covered coals, grill the steaks to desired doneness, 11 to 13 minutes for medium rare, or an internal temperature of 145°F. Turn the steaks once during cooking.