Choosing
a proper steak to BBQ can be a daunting task for some. For me a steak
is a thing of beauty and should be chosen as such. I never choose the
cheapest piece of meat for the sake of saving money. If I am having
steak, it is a reward and something that I want to be more than just a
meal, but an experience. You should always buy your meat from a butcher
when you can. Not only will the butcher be able to direct you to the
best cuts, but they will even cut to desired thickness. For grilling, a
steak should always be at least 1 inch thick. Anything less on the
grill and it risks being overcooked and tough.
Know your meat!
The USDA grades beef on a number of factors. Mostly it comes down to
marbling and fat content and overall quality. USDA Prime is the
highest grade achievable with less thank 3% of all beef in the United
States being graded as Prime. The other grades are as follows:
- U.S. Prime – Highest in quality and intramuscular fat, limited supply. Currently, about 2.9% of carcasses grade as Prime.
- U.S. Choice – High quality, widely available in foodservice industry
and retail markets. Choice carcasses are 53.7% of the fed cattle total.
The difference between Choice and Prime is largely due to the fat
content in the beef. Prime typically has a higher fat content (more and
well distributed intramuscular “marbling”) than Choice.
- U.S. Select (formerly Good) – lowest grade commonly sold at retail, acceptable quality, but is less juicy and tender due to leanness.
- U.S. Standard – Lower quality, yet economical, lacking marbling.
- U.S. Commercial – Low quality, lacking tenderness, produced from older animals.
- U.S. Utility
- U.S. Cutter
- U.S. Canner
USDA Prime -
This is the grade of beef that contains the greatest degree of
marbling. It is generally sold to finer restaurants and to some selected
meat markets. It is significantly higher in price because less than 3%
of the beef graded is Prime. Prime grade beef is the ultimate in
tenderness, juiciness, and flavor.
USDA Choice
Choice grade beef has less marbling than Prime, but is still of very
high quality. This is the most popular grade of beef because it contains
sufficient marbling for taste and tenderness, while costing less than
Prime. Just over half of the beef graded each your earns a grade of
Choice. Choice cuts are still tender and juicy.
USDA Select
This is generally a lower priced grade of beef with less marbling
than Choice. Select cuts of beef may vary in tenderness and juiciness.
Select has the least amount of marbling, making it leaner than and often
not as tender, or juicy and flavorful as the other two top grades.
About a third of beef graded falls into this category.
The rest.. well for grilling should be ignored. Most of your local
supermarkets carry USDA Select, however sometimes you stumble across
Choice. To truly enjoy the best steaks, you will want a prime cut of
beef. You will pay for it, however prime beef is amazing and ranks up
there with Kobe in my opinion. Prime cuts have a big, full, buttery
taste that is simply amazing. Get to know your local Butcher. The
butcher is an invaluable tool for finding not only the best bargains,
but also they can point you to the best choices of meat for your money.
For grilling I like the 1.25 inch thick cuts though I will grill
anything up to 2 inches.
Now, with Steak in hand we are off to grill it.
Steak Heaven:
1.
To Marinade, or Dry Rub? Honestly, I only marinade if I am using a
lower grade of beef. Marinades can sometimes mask the flavor of the
meat. In most cases I prefer the natural flavor of my steaks. Your
steaks should be at room temperature before grilling. The best way to
season the meat is to brush it down with Olive Oil and crush some fresh
garlic onto the tops of each side of the steak. A generous coating of
black pepper and you are good to go. I typically do this as my BBQ is
firing up.
Where is the salt? Well, I never Salt my meat until serving because
Salt draws moisture from the meat. If you salt it now, all the
“goodness” will come to the surface while cooking and leave you with a
dry steak. Nothing is worse than a chewy steak.
2. My BBQ is pegged out on heat. You want a really hot fire,
remember you are BBQ’ing and not baking. A hot fire ensures proper sear
on the meat. If the fire is to low, the juices will come out of the
meat and you will end up steaming the steak.
3. When your fire is hot, pour some oil onto a paper towel and
lightly drag over your grill to oil it. Now add the steaks. You will
want to Sear for 2 minutes a side before turning.
4.
After the 4 minute mark, or when you are done searing the second side,
you will add the secret spice to push the flavor over the top. Use a
couple whole branches of Rosemary and lay them on the grill. Turn the
steaks over and lay them across the Rosemary, sandwiching the rosemary
between the meat and the flame and cook for an additional 3 minutes per
side for a nice warm Medium Steak.
5.
Remove from the grill and let your meat rest. Remember the meat will
still cook while resting so you need to account for that. You should
let your meat rest at least 5 minutes, or you can follow the chef’s rule
of letting meat rest “half” of the cooking time. This allows the
juices to spread even through your steak. Before serving, lightly salt
and enjoy Grilling Perfection!
Cooking Times:
Total cooking times are as follows. Remember to cut in half to get the “per side” measure.
| Thickness |
Rare |
Medium |
Well |
Heat |
| 1″ |
6-8 |
8-10 |
10-14 |
High |
| 1 1/2″ |
8-10 |
10-12 |
12-16 |
High |
| 2″ |
12-16 |
16-20 |
20-24 |
Medium |
Another way to check for steak temperatures takes some practice but is as follows:
Source: http://www.simplyrecipes.com
The Finger Test to Check the Doneness of Meat
Method:
Open the palm of your hand. Relax the hand. Take the index finger of
your other hand and push on the fleshy area between the thumb and the
base of the palm. Make sure your hand is relaxed. This is what raw meat
feels like. (Check this out the next time you have a raw steak to cook.)
Now gently press the tip of your pinky and your thumb together. Again
feel the fleshy area below the thumb. It should feel quite firm. This
is what well done meat feels like when you press on it. (Check this out
the next time you overcook a piece of meat.)
Press the tip of your ring finger and your thumb together. The flesh
beneath the thumb should give a little more. This is what meat cooked to
a medium doneness feels like.
Gently press the tip of your middle finger to the tip of your thumb. This is medium rare.
Press the tip of your index finger to the tip of your thumb. The
fleshy area below the thumb should give quite a bit. This is what meat
cooked to rare feels like. Open up your palm again and compare raw to
rare.
