Grilled Chuck Eye Steak

Grilled chuck steak recipes only work if you start with the right chuck steak, and the best one for the grill is the chuck eye. It is cut from the end of the chuck next to the rib, where the same long muscle that makes a ribeye runs forward into the shoulder. Salt it ahead, grill it hot and fast to medium rare or medium, rest it, and slice it across the grain.

Chuck eye has the deep, beefy flavor of the shoulder with enough tenderness to cook like a steak rather than a pot roast. It is a little chewier than a ribeye, so how far you cook it and how you slice it matter more.

At a glance: serves 4. Prep 15 minutes, salt at least 45 minutes ahead, grill about 10 minutes, rest 5 minutes.

Gray Shipley, who runs the farm, is open about which steaks he would rather eat himself:

“I like to sell the filets and the ribeyes and then eat the, eat the more lesser-known secondary cuts myself.”

Gray Shipley

He did not name chuck eye in that line, but it is one of those secondary cuts, and it sits right next to the ribeye on the animal. Grilled with salt, pepper and a bright garlic oil, it makes a good case for the less famous steaks.

Ingredients

• 2 boneless chuck eye steaks, about 1 inch thick (3/4 to 7/8 pound each)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, plus a pinch for the oil
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon neutral oil, such as canola or avocado
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
• 1 small clove garlic, finely grated
• 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

1. At least 45 minutes and up to 24 hours before grilling, season the steaks all over with the 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt. Set them on a rack over a plate and refrigerate them, uncovered.
2. Set up the grill for two zones. On charcoal, bank a full chimney of lit coals on one side. On gas, heat all the burners on high with the lid down for 10 to 15 minutes, then turn one side to low. Clean and oil the grates.
3. Stir the olive oil, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, red pepper flakes and a pinch of salt together in a small bowl.
4. Pat the steaks dry, season them with the pepper and brush them lightly with the neutral oil.
5. Grill over the hot side, turning every minute or two, for 6 to 10 minutes in all, until a thermometer in the center reads 125 to 130 degrees F for medium rare or 135 degrees F for medium. If flare-ups char the outside before the center is ready, move the steaks to the cooler side to finish. USDA FSIS sets 145 degrees F with a 3-minute rest as the safe minimum for beef steaks.
6. Move the steaks to a board and rest them for 5 minutes.
7. Look at the surface to find the grain, which can change direction across a chuck eye, and slice the steaks about 1/4 inch thick across it. Spoon the garlic oil over and serve.

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Which chuck steak to grill

The chuck is the shoulder, a big group of hard-working muscles, and steaks cut from different parts of it cook very differently. Chuck eye comes from the end next to the rib and is tender enough for the grill. Seven-bone steaks, blade steaks and arm steaks come from parts of the shoulder with much more connective tissue running through them. Grilled like a ribeye, they stay tough and chewy. Braised slowly in liquid, they turn tender. If a package is labeled only as chuck steak, ask which part it came from, or plan to braise it.

Grilling a chuck steak: how hot, how long

Grilling a chuck steak calls for high, direct heat. A 1-inch chuck eye needs only 6 to 10 minutes, so the outside browns while the center stays pink. Turning it every minute or two cooks it more evenly than a single flip and helps keep flare-ups from the fat in check. Keep the cooler zone ready, since it is your way out if the outside gets ahead of the inside. How to Grill Steak has more on setting up the fire.

Medium rare or medium?

Chuck eye has more connective tissue and fat than a ribeye. At medium rare, 130 to 135 degrees F after resting, it is juicy with a little chew. At medium, around 140 degrees F, more of the fat has softened, and many cooks think it eats better. Past medium it tightens and dries out quickly. Both are below the FSIS figure, and the choice is yours.

Chuck eye vs ribeye

Chuck eye and ribeye share a muscle, so they look and taste alike, but a chuck eye is smaller, a little looser in texture and less even in shape. Chuck Eye vs Ribeye: Is It Really the Poor Man's Ribeye? goes into the comparison, and Denver Steak vs Chuck Eye: What Is the Difference? covers another grilling steak from the shoulder.

More chuck steak recipes

The same chuck eye works in a cast-iron pan with a butter baste, sliced thin for steak tacos or rice bowls, or grilled and laid over a salad. For the tougher chuck steaks, such as seven-bone or blade, brown them well in a heavy pot, add sliced onions and enough stock to come halfway up, cover, and braise them in a 325-degree oven for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours, until a fork slides in easily.

Food safety

USDA FSIS lists 145 degrees F, followed by a rest of at least 3 minutes, as the safe minimum internal temperature for beef steaks. Check it with an instant-read thermometer pushed into the center from the side. A braised chuck steak passes 145 degrees F long before it is tender, but check it with a thermometer anyway. Refrigerate leftovers promptly. See the FSIS Safe Minimum Internal Temperature Chart.