Charred Oak Barrel Seasoned Steak

I recently received a generous gift of vinegar barrel shavings thanks to @r8cheljane and @minus8vinegar. I've been brainstorming ideas on how to use them. Smoking was too obvious...

I love direct contact coal roasting after all is said and done with a grilling/smoking run. Nothing beats tossing root vegetables on, shutting the cover and harvesting deliciousness the next day. However, it sacrifices a significant amount of the product, which gets incinerated. Then I thought why not use the shavings as a sacrificial insulator? I was sure it would provide wood fired flavor to boot.

Oak Barrel Shaving Pressed Sirloin

I pulled a sirloin tip directly out of a marinate and pressed oak shavings as if I was breading. The wet coating was enough to adhere and soak the wood. I placed the steak directly on hardwood coals for 4 minutes, flipping every minute.

 Charred Wood Shaving Steak Tip

The result yielded flavors of a wood fired steak with hints of smoke. It was pretty easy to get the charred shavings off. A traditional wood grilled crust didn't happen and that's okay. This method has serious potential and deserves further investigation.

As always, hope you're inspired to create and keep the ideas bouncing.