Season your steaks at least one hour before cooking, and up to 24 hours ahead for best results. Pat both steaks completely dry with paper towels - surface moisture is the enemy of a great crust. Combine the kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and smoked paprika in a small bowl. Season every surface of the steak generously, pressing the seasoning in firmly so it adheres. Place the steaks uncovered on a wire rack in the refrigerator if dry brining overnight, or let them sit at room temperature on the counter for one hour if cooking same day.

Fire up the grill for a two-zone setup. On a charcoal grill, pile your lit coals to one side to create a direct heat zone and leave the other side completely empty for the indirect heat zone. Your target temperature for the indirect zone is 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit with the lid closed. On a gas grill, light only one side of the burners and adjust to low heat until you hit that 225 to 250 degree range on a thermometer placed at grate level on the unlit side.

Once your grill is holding steady at 225 to 250 degrees Fahrenheit, add your wood chunk directly onto the hot coals or into your smoker box. Let it begin to produce thin blue smoke before placing the steaks. Thick white billowing smoke is too harsh - you want that clean thin blue smoke for the best flavor. Place your steaks on the indirect heat side of the grill, not over the direct flames. Close the lid and let the low-and-slow magic begin.

Insert your instant read thermometer into the thickest part of the steak, avoiding bone if using bone-in cuts. Monitor the internal temp every 15 minutes or so. The steaks will rise in temperature slowly, which is exactly what you want. This gradual heating allows the entire steak to cook evenly from edge to edge with no gray band. You should start to see a faint smoke ring developing on the exterior of the meat, which is a beautiful sign that your process is working perfectly.

Pull the steaks off the indirect heat when they reach the following internal temps based on your desired doneness: 115 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-rare, 125 degrees Fahrenheit for medium, 135 degrees Fahrenheit for medium-well. These temperatures are 10 to 15 degrees below your final target because the steaks will gain temperature during the high-heat sear. Place the pulled steaks on a clean wire rack and let them rest uncovered while you prepare your searing zone. Do not tent them - you want the surface to stay dry.

While the steaks rest, load up your charcoal zone with additional lit coals from your chimney starter, or crank your gas grill burners to maximum. You want grate-level temperatures above 600 degrees Fahrenheit for the sear. If using cast iron, place it directly over the hottest coals and let it preheat for 5 minutes until it is ripping hot. In a small pan or directly on the grate, melt your butter and add the smashed garlic cloves and herb sprigs to create your basting mixture.

Place the steaks directly over the screaming hot searing zone. You should hear an immediate and aggressive sizzle - that is the sound of a perfect crust forming. Sear for 60 to 90 seconds without moving the steak. Flip once and sear the other side for another 60 to 90 seconds. Using your long tongs, stand the steak on its edge and sear the fat cap for 30 seconds to render and crisp it beautifully. During the last 30 seconds of searing, spoon the garlic butter over the top of each steak continuously for maximum crust and flavor development.

Pull the steaks off the searing zone and rest the meat on a clean cutting board for 5 to 10 minutes. Because so much of the cooking happened slowly at low heat, carry-over cooking during this rest is minimal compared to traditional methods, which means you have more control over your final doneness. Verify your final internal temp with your instant read thermometer before serving. For medium-rare, you are looking for 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice against the grain, finish with a pinch of flaky sea salt if desired, and serve immediately.