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This story originally appeared in the Jackson Free Press. It was added to the Mississippi Free Press website in 2025.
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Ingredients

1 charcoal grill
1 bag of charcoal
1 bag of mesquite chips
Steaks (the cut and size is up to you)
1 bottle of bourbon
Kosher salt
Coarse ground pepper

Place steaks on a cookie sheet or large plate and let sit until they reach room temperature. Meanwhile, go outside and start a charcoal fire. Once steaks have reached room temperature, splash the steaks with bourbon and drain off the excess. Season steaks with salt and pepper on both sides.

Return to your grill and check the charcoal to make sure they are evenly distributed across the bottom of the grill. Once the charcoal has become white hot—the hotter, the better—add a large handful of dry mesquite chips and put the grill top back into place.

Go back inside to get the steaks, but take your time so that the grill surface can get hot and to allow the mesquite to begin burning. This is a good time to pour yourself a glass of bourbon.

Once the grill surface is hot, place the steaks on the grill. The time required to grill each side depends on the cut of meat and your personal preference, so turn as required, but try to cook them as evenly as possible. To test the meat’s “doneness,” slice a knife into the meat and test how soft or firm it is: the softer, the rarer; the firmer, the more done.

After removing the meat from the grill, let the steak sit for about five minutes to “even out” the juices and cool off. Pour another glass of your favorite beverage and enjoy.

MFP Solutions Lab logo

The Mississippi Free Press produced this story through the MFP Solutions Lab, supported by the Solutions Journalism Network. This series digs into Mississippi’s systemic issues and sheds light on responses to them in other communities. Beyond just reporting on problems, these stories interrogate their causes and inspect potential solutions.