Like many in the Boomer generation, my dad served in Europe during WWII. When we were growing up he had what we all thought was a really eccentric method of cooking steaks; he'd put them right on top of the charcoal. They were always very thick (~4") and he claimed that this was how the then President, did his. Until recently, I chose not to follow my father down this particular path. Then last summer the New York Times did a short piece about this method and credited a Texas chef, Tim Byres, with its revival. It is simplicity itself; use natural charcoal with a chimney starter (never fluid) and when the coals are ready just add the meat. They use a dry rub, which comes out great, but truth be told, my dad's dry rub recipe was salt & pepper. I happen to prefer lamb to beef, with the pictures below a butterflied leg that had been wrapped overnight in a Moroccan-style rub. Just before it went I on the fire, the meat got a very thin coating of vegetable oil.