Bobby Flay's Preferred Way To Grill Steak Doesn't Use Charcoal Or Gas

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With a career spanning more than 30 years across high-end dining and home-style cooking, chef Bobby Flay has had plenty of time to figure out exactly how he likes things done. And when it comes to something as important as cooking a steak, there's certainly no exception.

In a TikTok video for the Food Network, Bobby Flay says that he likes to cook steak over wood. And if you don't have it? "Charcoal, obviously, is the second best," he adds. Flay has also previously mentioned that he prefers charcoal grills to gas, so now we have a pretty clear ranking of Bobby Flay's preferred grilling methods.

In the video, Flay puts this method to work on a ribeye steak. After covering the steak in a dry spice rub, he adds it to a "very very hot grill" until it develops a nice crust, at which point he slathers the steak with gochujang butter.

While Flay doesn't take a deep dive into why he prefers wood grilling, he's previously talked about the flavor it adds to food. In his book, Boy Meets Grill, he also described working at Bud's Restaurant, where mesquite wood was exclusively used for cooking, despite the challenges of maintaining the grill in a professional kitchen.

If you want to grill steak the Flay way, there are a few things to know when grilling over dry wood for the first time.Wood produces a more intense heat than charcoal or gas, which makes it ideal for quickly cooking cuts like steak. Maintaining a consistent temperature is harder than with charcoal, though, so it's not as suitable for low and slow cooking.

And when grilling, the type of wood you choose is just as important. Each kind of wood will burn at a different rate, and create different flavors. Apple and cherry provide a mild sweetness, or you can reach for mesquite or hickory for a smokier taste.

If cooking over wood ends up being more trouble than it's worth, you can still add a flavor boost to your backyard barbecue. One option is to use lump charcoal, which is made from wood rather than the compressed sawdust and other materials found in charcoal briquettes. 

For even more of a smoky flavor, Flay suggests adding just a few wood chips to a grill using charcoal. He also recommends soaking the wood chips for at least two hours to keep them from catching fire too quickly while adding smoky flavor to the meat.