Chef notes

A rib-eye is great for grilling because you don't have to do anything to it to make it taste good. You just need to know how to grill.

Swap option: You can use chuck steak (also known as chuck-eye) instead of rib-eye.

Ingredients

Jack's Old South Hickory Rub

1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons chile powder
2 tablespoons mustard powder
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons coarsely ground pepper

Steak

4 (16-ounce, 1½- to 1¾-inch-thick) rib-eye steaks, cut "cowboy style"
2 tablespoons Jack's Old South Hickory Rub (recipe above)

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Sauce

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup tomato paste

Preparation

For Jack's Old South Hickory Rub:

In a bowl, add all ingredients and mix until well-combined. Set aside.

For the steak:

Preheat all grates of a well-oiled charcoal or gas grill to high heat, about 400 F.

Season the steaks with rub on both sides and work it in with your hands. Using your hands or a brush, evenly — but lightly — coat the steaks with olive oil.

Place the steaks on the grate, decrease the heat to medium, close the lid and do not move the steaks until they are well-marked and have a light char. Flip them, close the lid and continue to cook with the lid down to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for rare, about 6 minutes per side for medium rare, about 7 minutes per side for medium, and 9 to 10 minutes per side for medium-well to well-done.

Transfer the steaks to a platter and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.

For the sauce:

Collect 1/4 cup of the pan drippings from the platter. Combine the juices with all of the sauce ingredients in a small saucepan. Over medium heat, whisk continuously to combine. Let the sauce just come to a boil, then remove the pan from the heat and set it aside.

To serve:

Use a sharp knife to cut the meat across the grain in thick diagonal slices. Pour the sauce over the slices, if you like, or serve it on the side for dipping.