This week’s is one of my all-time favorites. It requires as much showmanship as cooking skills – the perfect show-off dish for your Labor Day barbeque. I learned this one from my maternal grandfather, hence the name.

Bill Macon’s Salt Steak

You’ll need:

One very large piece of red meat. My favorite is to use half of a tenderloin, but anything at least two inches thick should work.
Dijon Mustard
Worcestershire
Six cloves of pressed garlic
Whatever fresh herbs look good
A newspaper
Some string
A box of coarse kosher salt
A charcoal grill (gas will not work)
A rusty bucket full of water

I’m not kidding. The older and uglier and rustier the bucket is, the better this will look to your confused guests.

First, start a huge fire, with a big mountain of charcoal. When it burns down to all red, you’re good to go.

Take the half tenderloin and cover it in Worcestershire, garlic, mustard, and herbs. You’re going to do this outside, in full view of your guests, and you’re going to make a mess of the steak, yourself, and your work area.

Next, cover the tenderloin with the kosher salt. Completely. I mean, until it looks like a meat cocoon. Now, take the newspaper and string and wrap up the steak like a parcel, good and tight.

Take the parcel and drop it in the bucket of water. If it's a big bucket, throw it in there. Slam dunk. Something special. Put on a show.

Let it soak there a minute. While it’s doing that, spread out the red coals nice and even in the pit.

Now take out the parcel and put it directly on the coals. That’s right – put it right on the red hot charcoal. There will be a lot of steam, and then the newspaper will slowly start to burn away. When it’s all gone, remove the steak, put the grill back on the pit, and then grill the steak as you normally would.

When medium rare, knock off any remaining salt with your fork or tongs. Slice thin and serve with your usual Labor Day goodies.

You think I’m kidding. You think I’m trying to get you to ruin 25 bucks worth of fine beef. Nope. Here’s what happened. When you dropped that parcel in the water, the salt formed a nice solid shell around the meat. By placing it right on the coals, a lot of the water flashed into steam. Now, most of that steam escaped outward. But some of it, trapped by the salt, was driven right into the tenderloin – carrying all your yummy ingredients with it.

High pressure marinade.

Do not explain to your guests what you’re doing, or why. Let them wonder. Then let them try Bill Macon’s Salt Steak.