Are you looking for the ultimate guide to smoked steak?
You’re in the right place!
In this TheGrillingDad.com guide, you’ll learn:
- Ingredients you need
- Best cut of steak for smoking
- Step by step guide to smoking steak
- And much more!
Steak is a delicious dinner any time, but smoking it turns it into a whole new flavor experience.
This recipe uses simple seasonings, nothing fancy, so all you get is the smoky flavor of the steak to enjoy.
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Can You Smoke a Steak?
You can smoke just about anything, including steak. Matter of fact, it is one of the easiest ways to prepare steak.
It’s so simple, you’ll never fix a steak any other way.
You can use the wood for smoking to infuse any flavor you choose, making it your own.
You’ll only be using salt and pepper for this smoked steak. There are no fancy rubs or sauces, just the basics to bring out the best flavor.
Tips For Smoked Steak
Smoke is one of the key ingredients for this steak. Yes, the smoke from your grill!
You’ll indulge in the smoke flavor along with the beef and simple seasoning, which all come together to give your steak the ultimate juicy flavor.
Since smoke is an important factor for this steak, you can mess around with the types of wood you use to smoke it.
Do some trial and error with various woods and cuts of meat to find something you can make unique to your specific taste.
If you want a mild smoke flavor with great color, cherry wood is the way to go here.
If you want simplicity and mild flavor, alder, pecan, and maple are also good options.
If you want some bold flavor added to your steak, mesquite, hickory and oak give off that thick smoke that will leave your steak tasting delicious.
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Best Cut of Steak for Smoking
This method works for pretty much whatever type of steak you choose.
You’ll want a piece of beef that is at least 1 ½ inches thick though.
Rib eyes, strip steaks, and tenderloins are perfect for this and taste great.
Cuts that are too thin will cook too quickly and you won’t get to enjoy that great smoky flavor.
This method is based on temperature instead of time since the size of your steak may vary.
That way, you can be sure your steak is cooked to perfection without being undercooked or overcooked, and dry.
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How Long to Smoke Steaks
For most steaks, it will take about 1 hour to smoke.
This time will vary greatly, of course, based on how thick the steak is and what kind of cut it is.
Cook time is also dependent on your smoker and how well you prefer to cook your steak.
Use a meat thermometer and keep an eye on the temperature of the steak as it cooks so you can pull it off at just the right time.
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Ingredients for Smoked Steak
- 4 1 ½ inch steaks
- Kosher salt (to taste)
- Fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
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How to Smoke Steak
Step 1: Preheat and Prepare
Crank the smoker up to 225 degrees with the wood of your choice.
Using a paper towel, pat the steaks dry on each side and season with salt and cracked black pepper.
Step 2: Smoke the Steaks
Put your steaks on the smoker with the lid closed and smoke until the steak temperature reaches the desired level of doneness.
- 115 for rare
- 125 for medium rare
- 135 for medium
- 145 for medium well
- 155 for well done
Remove the steaks from the grill once they get to the temperature you prefer.
Note >> This will not be the final temp.
Step 3: Sear the Steak
Coat the bottom of a cast-iron pan with a high heat oil and put your steaks in the pan, searing for about 2 minutes per side.
You’ll want to cook them this way until they reached your desired temperature again.
- 125 for rare
- 135 for medium rare
- 145 for medium
- 155 for medium well
- 165 for well done
Once your steaks are done, remove them from the pan and let them rest for 10 minutes. Serve with your favorite steak sides and dig in!
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Easy Smoked Steak
Ingredients
- 4 1 ½ inches steak: Rib eyes, strip steaks, and tenderloins are best
- kosher salt (to taste)
- fresh cracked pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Preheat the smoker to 225 degrees with the wood of your choice.
- Using a paper towel, pat the steaks dry on each side.
- Season with salt and cracked black pepper to taste.
- Put your steaks on the smoker, keep the lid closed, and smoke until the steak temperature reaches the desired level of doneness.
- Use a meat thermometer to determine when to pull the steaks off.
- Coat the bottom of a cast-iron pan with a high heat oil and put your steaks in the pan, searing for about 2 minutes per side.
- Once your steaks are done, remove them from the pan and let them rest for 10 minutes.
- Serve with your favorite steak sides and dig in!
More Steak Guides
- How long does steak last in the fridge?
- How to tell if steak has gone bad?
- Blue rare steak temperature guide
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