Ribeye with Grilled Peppers
Night one. Fresh cooler. Cast iron over charcoal. The best steak you'll eat all week.
The night-one showstopper. Thick-cut ribeyes seared in a screaming-hot cast iron over charcoal, with halved bell peppers and onions charring on the grate alongside. This is the meal you cook while the cooler is still cold and the group is still clean. Finish with flaky salt and a squeeze of lime. It takes ten minutes and sets the tone for the whole trip.
Ingredients
- 8 steaks, 12-14 oz each ribeye steaks — patted dry, salted 30 minutes before cooking Bone-in holds up better in the cooler
- 6 large, mixed colors bell peppers — halved and seeded
- 4 large yellow onions — cut into 1/2-inch rounds Skewer the rounds with a toothpick to keep them together on the grate
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- to taste flaky salt Maldon or similar
- to taste black pepper
- 4 limes — halved
- 1 head garlic (optional) — whole cloves, smashed Toss smashed cloves into the skillet with butter in the last minute
- 4 tbsp butter (optional) For basting in the last 60 seconds
Method
- Light charcoal in the fire pan 30 minutes before cooking. Let it ash over to medium-high heat. While it heats, pull steaks from the cooler and salt generously on both sides.
- Set the grill grate over the coals. Toss pepper halves and onion rounds with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Place cut-side down on the grate. They'll need 10-12 minutes total, turning once.
- Heat the cast iron skillet directly on the coals or grate until it's smoking. Add a thin film of oil.
- Sear steaks 3-4 minutes per side for medium-rare, depending on thickness. In the last minute, add butter and smashed garlic to the pan and baste the steaks.
- Rest steaks on cutting board for 5 minutes. Finish peppers and onions — they should be soft and charred at the edges.
- Serve steaks whole or sliced against the grain. Pile peppers and onions alongside. Finish with flaky salt and a squeeze of lime.
Gear
Required
- cast iron skillet
- charcoal
- grill grate
- fire pan
Optional
- tongs
- cutting board
- spray bottle
Field Notes
Salt the steaks before you set up camp — by the time you've rigged the kitchen, they've had their 30 minutes. The cast iron needs to be genuinely smoking before the first steak goes in. If it's windy, position the fire pan so you're shielded and the coals stay hot. In desert heat above 100F, pull steaks from the cooler only 10 minutes ahead — they'll come to temp fast. Keep a spray bottle of water nearby for flare-ups from the dripping fat.
Variations
New York Strip
Swap ribeyes for NY strips — leaner, fewer flare-ups, still great over charcoal.
- NY strip steaks for ribeyes
Chimichurri Finish
Make chimichurri at home (parsley, oregano, garlic, red wine vinegar, olive oil) and bring in a jar. Spoon over sliced steak instead of the lime-and-salt finish.
- chimichurri sauce for lime and flaky salt
Packing
Pack steaks flat on the bottom of the cooler, directly on ice. Double-bag to prevent leaks. Peppers and onions ride on top — they don't need to stay as cold.
Dietary
Dairy-free if you skip the butter baste. For vegetarians, grill thick portobello caps in the same skillet with the same salt-and-lime treatment.