Delmonico steak with Garlic Marinade
On April 22, 2024 (Updated September 24, 2024)
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My Delmonico Steak is a New York steakhouse classic, marinated with flavorful herbs and spices, which highlight the beefy joy in every bite.
Delmonico Steak
Imagine biting into a thick slice of perfectly grilled steak bursting with garlicky, herby, totally unique beefy flavor. Now stop imagining (and drooling) and listen up. My Delmonico Steaks with Garlic Thyme Marinade are exactly that. I’ve figured out the mystery behind this elusive cut of beef so you can grill old time New York steakhouse-style steak, right in your own backyard.
I’ve got a marinade with garlic and thyme to give an herby depth of flavor to your savory Delmonico steaks before you grill them to perfection and then kiss them with a high-heat sear. If you’re ready to ruin yourself for other steaks, fire up your grill and let’s get started.
What cut is a Delmonico steak?
Though there is some confusion online as to what cut the Delmonico is, I can assure you I’ve got the truth for you. I believed the Delmonico was a chuck eye steak. After receiving what appeared to be a Denver steak labeled as a Delmonico from the grocery store, we decided to dig in. A few internet searches turned up even more confusion, we decided to go right to the source and called the world-famous Delmonico’s Steakhouse, and to our surprise they confirmed it is indeed a chuck eye steak.
What that means is the Delmonico steak is a tender, well-marbled cut of beef that comes from the chuck eye roll. This is the opposite end of the same primal cut where you get prime rib. This cut is known for its unmistakably rich, juicy flavor and tender texture. Whether you call it a chuck eye steak or a Delmonico, you’re in for the type of steak most people only dream about.
Steak Marinade
A flavorful marinade is key to taking your Delmonico steak from delicious to incredible. My simple combination of herbs, spices, and more infuse your steaks with mouthwatering flavor all the way through. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 cloves minced garlic
Combine your ingredients in a gallon zip-top bag, and then place your steaks inside and seal. Make sure to massage the marinade into your steaks so they can absorb as much of the herby, garlicky goodness as possible. When you’re done, place your steaks in the refrigerator for 4 hours. If you’ve got an extra thick cut, then you can go 6-8 hours.
How Long to Grill Steak
When it comes to grilling steak, I love using the Two-Zone Grilling method. By setting your grill up for high heat on one side and indirect heat on the other, you’ve got the perfect way to cook steaks. You’ll want an overall temperature of around 450 degrees F. First, you’ll give your steaks 3-4 minutes per side on the direct heat side of your grill with the lid open to develop a nice, crispy sear.
Then, you’ll move your tender Delmonico steaks to the indirect heat side of your grill and give them 20 minutes before flipping for 20 more minutes. Keep in mind times are estimates as temperatures vary a lot between different grills and cuts of meat. Always use a reliable meat thermometer, like my Thermapen ONE, and follow the doneness guideline below.
- Rare: 125 degrees F
- Medium Rare: 135 degrees F
- Medium: 145 degrees F
- Medium Well: 155 degrees F
- Well Done: 160 degrees F
How to Make Delmonico Steak
Grilling perfect Delmonico steaks is all about technique. You’ve infused your steaks with all kinds of savory herbs and spices, and now it’s time to use two-zone grilling to cook them to perfection:
- Make marinade. Grab a gallon zip-top bag and then add in all your olive oil, red wine vinegar, honey, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, fresh thyme, and minced garlic. Then, place your steaks in the marinade, and massage or toss the steak to ensure an even coating on all sides.
- Marinate steaks. Place your marinade bag in the refrigerator and allow the steak to marinate for 4-8 hours. You can give thicker cuts 6-8 hours to marinate if you like, but 4 hours is plenty of time for most steaks.
- Sear steaks. Preheat your grill for two-zone grilling with an overall temperature of around 450 degrees F. Remove your steaks from the bag and carefully shake off any excess marinade or large pieces of herbs. Place the steaks on the high-heat side of the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side with the lid open. This is how you get that nice sear on the outside of your steaks.
- Finish grilling. Once both sides have a nice sear, move your steaks to the indirect heat side of your grill and close the lid. You want to give your steaks around 3-4 minutes per side. You can remove when your steaks reach your desired level of doneness reading on a reliable instant-read thermometer. A medium rare steak should reach temperature in about 6-8 minutes.
- Rest and serve. Remove your steaks to a cutting board or serving platter, and then allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes. Once all that tender, juicy goodness has settled, you can slice your steaks and serve with your favorite sides.
What to Serve with Delmonico Steak
These Delmonico steaks are so full of uniquely rich, beefy flavor, you can honestly serve them alone and blow your guests away. But, where’s the fun in that? You can go with traditional steak sides like mashed potatoes and you’re in for a killer meal. However, if you want to go all out, here are my versions of some classic Delmonico’s appetizers and sides:
More Classic Steak Recipes
While the Delmonico steak is bursting with one-of-a-kind beefy flavor, there’s more than one way to grill a steak. I’ve got dozens more savory steak recipes for every cut you can imagine, all in the Hey Grill Hey app. Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy steak for you to try out next:
Delmonico Steak Recipe
Savory every last bite of my uniquely glorious Delmonico Steaks, and then give it a 5 star rating if you loved making this recipe. We love hearing about your experience, so tell us how you enjoyed this recipe in the comments.
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Delmonico Steak with Garlic Marinade
Ingredients
- 4 Delmonico steaks also labeled chuck eye steak
Marinade
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 5 sprigs fresh thyme
- 5 cloves garlic minced
Instructions
- Make marinade. Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a zip-top bag or a non-reactive glass bowl.1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, 1/4 cup red wine vinegar, 1/4 cup honey, 2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce, 1 1/2 teaspoons black pepper, 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt, 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 5 sprigs fresh thyme, 5 cloves garlic
- Marinate steaks. Place the steak in the marinade, and massage or toss the steak to ensure it is evenly coated on all sides. Place the bag or container of marinating steak in the refrigerator and allow the steak to marinate for 4-8 hours. Smaller steaks can marinate for 4 hours, thicker cuts can marinate for 6-8 hours.4 Delmonico steaks
- Sear steaks. Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 450 degrees F) for two-zone cooking (one high heat side, one side with little to no heat). Remove your steaks from the bag and carefully shake off any excess marinade or large pieces of herbs. Place the steaks on the high-heat side of the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, leaving the lid open.
- Finish grilling. Once both sides have a nice sear, move the steaks to the low-heat side of the grill, close the lid, and cook to your desired doneness. The time on this step varies by your desired doneness, but a medium rare steak should reach temperature in about 6-8 minutes.
- Rest and serve. Remove the steaks to a cutting board and allow them to rest for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This marinade is so good. I ordered Delmonico steak and was given chuck roast but I had already mixed the marinade in preparation so I cut the chuck roast horizontally to reduce the thickness and stuck it in the marinade I grilled it and oh my gosh it was delicious
as a foodie and a meat lover, I can truly say that this is one of the best tasting steak marinades ever!!
HOW do I do the below step on a Traeger Smoker? Meaning, where do I put the steaks for the direct heat separate from the indirect heat?
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat (around 450 degrees F) for two-zone cooking (one high heat side, one side with little to no heat).
Most pellet grill smokers don’t have an option for direct heat unless it has a feature for it. You can still get a decent sear on the meat if you crank up the heat for that part, or you can finish them on a charcoal/gas grill or on a cast iron pan on your stovetop.