President Obama Grilling with Bobby Flay
In this video from The Obama White House channel (President Obama Grilling with Bobby Flay), celebrity chef Bobby Flay joins President Barack Obama at the grill to share tips and techniques for cooking steaks and corn outdoors.
Steak Preparation and Two-Zone Grilling Technique
-
Seasoning & Searing:
-
Flay demonstrates applying a dry spice rub—made of paprika, chili powder, cumin, and black pepper—directly onto the steak prior to grilling [00:15].
-
Using a two-zone grill setup (direct high heat on one side and indirect heat on the other), Flay explains how to sear the meat over high heat to build a flavorful crust before moving it to indirect heat to finish cooking
-
President Obama notes he prefers his steak cooked medium-well, prompting Flay to reassure him that proper resting will keep the meat juicy [00:55].
-
-
Grilling Discipline (“Flip Once, Don’t Peek”):
-
After applying the spice rub and a light coat of vegetable oil to a fresh steak, Obama places it spice-side down onto the high-heat zone by hand [01:17].
-
Flay emphasizes letting the grill do its work—flipping the steak only once and resisting the urge to peek underneath until the edges show a slight char [02:23].
-
Grilled Corn Preparation and Resting the Meat
-
Pre-Blanching Corn:
-
To achieve tender corn with a light exterior char without burning the kernels, Flay peels back the husks, removes the silk, and pre-blanches (parboils) the corn roughly three-quarters of the way before grilling [03:16].
-
Obama brushes the corn with a mixture of butter, fresh garlic, and basil while praising the White House culinary staff [03:51].
-
-
Resting Before Slicing:
-
As the finished steaks come off the grill, Flay and Obama highlight the importance of letting the meat rest before cutting so the internal juices settle rather than running out onto the board [04:29].
-