This is a method I picked up form Oliver Sievier and the number 1 BBQ team in the world last time I was in Germany. The strip loin is subjected to the best of low and slow bark building and direct fast searing. The mayonnaise-based sauce sear creates a crust and flavor profile second to none. Enjoy!
- Chef Gephart
WHAT YOU'LL LOVE
- Scoring a diamond pattern into the fat cap lets seasoning and rendered fat work into the meat as it smokes, rather than the fat cap staying a solid, unseasoned barrier
- Smoking fat-cap-down first, then flipping, builds bark on both sides before the strip loin ever sees direct flame
- Cutting into individual steaks only after the smoke exposes fresh, unseasoned faces, so the sear and sauce coat surfaces bark hasn't already sealed off
- A mayo-based sauce doubles as both a seasoning right before the sear and a dip at the table, so the same flavor carries through the whole dish
Category
Main Course
Cuisine
American
Servings
8
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
1 hour 3 minutes
Calories
584
Savor the tender, juicy flavor of our strip loin, cooked low and slow to bring out its full flavor potential, then finished with a searing mayonnaise-based sauce to create an unbeatable crust.
Ingredients
- 1 Creekstone Farms Strip Loin
-
½ Cup Lane’s BBQ Scorpion Seasoning
-
2 Chunks Hickory Smoking Wood Chunks
- 2 Cups Duke’s Mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon Garlic, Minced
- 3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons Water
-
¼ teaspoon Jacobsen Salt Co. Kosher Sea Salt
- ½ teaspoon Black Pepper, Fresh Ground
AP Sauce:
Directions
- Stabilize your grill at 300° F. Place your hickory chunk in the hottest portion of the coals. Once you reach combustion, install your SloRoller.
- Trim the strip loin so any thick fat cap covering is no thicker than ¼ inch. Using a sharp knife, cut a diamond pattern across the entire top of the strip loin.
- Season the entire loin liberally with Lane’s BBQ Scorpion Seasoning as if you were cooking a prime rib.
- Place the trimmed and seasoned strip loin fat cap side down and close the lid for 45 minutes. Flip the strip loin and smoke for another 30 minutes or until you reach an internal temperature of 115° F.
- Transfer the strip loin to a cutting board and allow to rest for 10 to 15 minutes. While the strip is resting, reset your grill for direct cooking and bank the charcoal pile to one side creating a high heat sear zone. Leave the dome up and draft door fully open to provide max air flow. By the end of the rest, your grill should be at a searing temperature of 550°+.
- Cut the Strip loin into thick steaks, roughly 12-16 ounces.
- Season and sauce the newly revealed sides that have not seen smoke then blast sear each steak until it reaches an internal temp of 125-130F. Feel free to roll the steaks around on the grill surface after the initial sear to ensure on side does not get burnt.
- Transfer the steaks to the cutting board and slice at a slight angle into ¼ inch thick pieces being sure to cut across the grain.
- Serve with the remaining AP Sauce for dipping.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
Why score a diamond pattern into the fat cap before smoking?
Cutting through the fat lets seasoning reach further into the meat and gives rendered fat channels to escape through as it cooks, rather than sitting as a solid, unseasoned barrier on top.
Why smoke the strip loin fat-cap-down first, then flip it?
Starting fat-side down for the first 45 minutes protects the meat from direct heat while the fat begins rendering. Flipping afterward lets the other side pick up equal smoke exposure and bark before the loin comes off to rest.
Why cut the loin into individual steaks only after smoking, rather than portioning it before?
Slicing after the smoke exposes fresh faces that haven't been seasoned or touched by smoke yet. Seasoning and saucing those newly cut surfaces right before the sear means the crust builds on raw meat, not on already-bark-covered exterior.
Why use a mayonnaise-based sauce for the sear instead of a dry seasoning alone?
Coating the cut surfaces in the mayo-based sauce before searing helps build a distinct, rich crust as it hits the hot grate, and the same sauce works as a dip once the steaks are sliced and plated.
Why roll the steaks around on the grill surface during the sear?
Moving them periodically instead of leaving them in one spot prevents any single side from scorching while the rest of the crust develops evenly.
What internal temperature should the strip loin actually reach?
This recipe smokes it to 115°F, then sears the cut steaks to 125-130°F for a medium-rare finish. As a whole-muscle cut of beef, this is safe and standard practice there's no minimum cook temperature requirement the way there is for ground meat.
How indoor-friendly is this recipe?
2 out of 5 a low oven can approximate the initial smoke stage (minus the smoke flavor), but reaching the 550°F+ sear this recipe calls for is difficult to replicate on a home stovetop or in a standard oven.
Recipe Highlights
Diamond-scored fat cap: Opens the surface for better seasoning penetration and fat rendering.
Flip-and-smoke method: Builds bark on both sides before any direct heat is applied.
Post-smoke portioning: Exposes fresh surfaces for the sauce and sear to work on.
Dual-purpose mayo sauce: Used both to season before searing and as a dip at the table.
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Nutrition
Nutrition
- Nutrition Serving Size
- 6.44 oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 584
- Carbs
- 1 grams
- Protein
- 50 grams
- Fat
- 44 grams
- Sodium
- 4536 milligrams
