This Was John Wayne's Go-To Cooking Method

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John Wayne lived the cowboy life on-screen, but he also enjoyed certain aspects of the rugged lifestyle off-screen, and cooking was one of them. For the Academy Award winner behind the rugged marshal of "True Grit," grilling was the way to go, and he regularly manned the flames himself.

Ethan Wayne, his youngest son, told Cowboys & Indians Magazine in 2015 that, instead of retreating to superstar surroundings after filming, his father preferred to hang back with the crew. "They would have a cocktail and gather around the grill," he recalled. "They talked, told stories, laughed, and smiled. It was in those moments when my dad really lived life. He loved it." While steaks were his undisputed favorite, the Duke was also happy grilling pork, chicken, and seafood. His daughter Marisa Wayne told the magazine that the family used the grill in their California home every day.

"The Official John Wayne Way to Grill," a book that includes anecdotes, photographs, and recipes from the actor's family, also offers insight into why steaks and grilling were so close to the Duke's heart. In addition to bringing his friends, family, and film crew together, it also signaled how far the Hollywood legend had come from his humble beginnings. "As a boy, he usually had to make do with peanut butter on saltine crackers for his lunch," the book's foreword reads. "So by the time he could afford to eat steak, he never looked back." Of course, saltine crackers still sound more appetizing than dry jerky and salted pork, which is what cowboys in the Old West actually ate. As for Wayne himself, he was more of a steak-and-potatoes kind of guy.

John Wayne frequented Gulliver's in Orange County for prime rib and big steaks, and the restaurant still boasts that it can seat diners at the legend's favorite table. When grilling meat to his preferred medium char, however, Wayne kept things simple — just a hot grill and a few spices, such as garlic powder and thyme. A Wayne family cooking tip shared in Cowboys & Indians Magazine recommends bone-in ribeye, as the bone translates to deeper flavor. Fittingly called a cowboy steak, it requires very little seasoning to bring out the beef's natural richness. The peppered cowboy steak recipe from "The Official John Wayne Way to Grill" suggests resting a seasoned cut for an hour before grilling.

A 2015 Hallmark Channel demonstration by Ethan and Marisa Wayne combines two of their father's favorites — a medium charred steak and whiskey. After searing and cooking a T-bone on the grill, they slather it with mix of whiskey, spices, and softened butter.

Consider using a splash of liquor from the John Wayne-inspired Duke Spirits for the whiskey butter. Sharp, peppery rye notes contrast nicely with the meat's richness. Alternatively, bourbon's sweet and deep caramel flavors complement a well-charred steak. You can also employ tequila from the same label when making the cookbook's grilled tequila chicken recipe. These spirits are inspired by the flavor profile of unmarked bottles the Duke himself left behind.