Bone In Sirloin With Rendered Fat & Ember Crust

Cooking a thick bone in sirloin over charcoal is one of the purest forms of live fire cooking. The combination of intense heat, glowing embers and slowly rendering fat creates deep caramelisation and rich flavour that simply cannot be replicated indoors.

This recipe focuses on simplicity and technique. A well marbled sirloin, quality charcoal and controlled heat are all that is needed to produce a steak with crisp rendered fat, smoky crust and a perfectly juicy centre.

Using a handcrafted steel Blok grill allows the steak to cook directly over concentrated charcoal heat while maintaining excellent heat retention across the cooking surface. As the fat slowly renders over the embers, flare ups and smoke build layers of flavour across the crust.

This is relaxed but serious fire cooking. Slow enough to enjoy the process but powerful enough to create steakhouse quality results outdoors.

Ingredients

Serves 2

• 1 large bone in sirloin steak
• Olive oil
• Sea salt flakes
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Optional fresh rosemary
• Optional garlic cloves

Preparing The Grill

Prepare your Blok grill for medium to high direct heat cooking using quality lumpwood charcoal.

Allow the charcoal to fully ignite and settle until lightly coated with white ash. Create a hotter direct cooking area along with a slightly cooler resting zone for managing flare ups and slower rendering.

Method

Remove the steak from the refrigerator at least 45 minutes before cooking to allow it to come to room temperature.

Lightly coat the steak with olive oil and season generously with sea salt and black pepper.

Begin by standing the steak upright on the fat cap directly over the hottest part of the grill. Hold in position using tongs and slowly render the fat for several minutes until golden, crisp and translucent.

Once the fat has rendered, lay the steak flat over the charcoal and cook until a rich crust develops on the first side.

Turn only occasionally, allowing the heat and embers to build deep caramelisation across the surface.

If using rosemary or garlic, place them near the charcoal during cooking so the smoke lightly perfumes the meat.

Move the steak to the cooler side of the grill if flare ups become too aggressive or if additional cooking time is required.

Rest the steak for at least 10 minutes before slicing.

Fire Notes

Rendering the fat first is one of the best ways to maximise flavour when cooking thick steaks over charcoal. As the fat slowly melts and drips onto the embers, smoke and flame build an intense savoury crust across the meat.

The heavy steel construction of a Blok grill helps maintain stable high temperatures while giving excellent surface caramelisation.

Serving Suggestions

Serve sliced with grilled shallots, roasted potatoes, chimichurri or charred seasonal vegetables.

Recommended Blok Setup

This recipe works particularly well on the Blok Kita and Kita Wide grills where the larger cooking surface allows better heat zoning and slower controlled steak cooking over live fire.