Easy to Follow Steak Tips and Ideas
If you want to impress your friends and family or simply take your steak to the next level, look over these easy to follow steak tips. Many people think that grilling a decent steak involves little more than marinating a random piece of beef for a few hours and throwing it on the grill until it looks done. Unfortunately, these people are sullying a potentially delicious meal. Follow these easy steak tips for grilling and get ready for your mouth to water.
Choosing the Right Meat
While it is certainly possible to get a decent tasting grilled steak from a basic cut of meat that is discounted for quick sale, you need to understand that it will be reflected in the finished product. If you’re looking to serve an amazing tasting steak with a texture to die for, you will need to be a bit more selective and spend more at the grocery store.
Choosing a cut of meat with a higher fat content will add an astounding amount of flavor to your dinner. Lean cuts are better left for pan-searing, since butter and flavoring can be added to the pan. Cuts of meat that are good for grilling include ribeyes, strip steaks, porterhouses, and T-bones. Prime cuts are the highest quality, followed by choice and select. Choice cuts are excellent and the most common grade selected and served by restaurants. Pay attention to this when purchasing your beef from a butcher or grocer.
Charcoal Vs Gas
While cooking with gas is common practice now and perfectly suitable for most foods, steaks can absorb the flavor of the gas. With as expensive as a good steak can be, it would be a shame for that money to be wasted on a subpar outcome.
Consider using charcoal instead, as it actually enhances the flavor of the steak. Many people choose to use mesquite coals for the lovely smoky flavor. Just remember to not use lighter fluid to start the fire, as this defeats the purpose of avoiding a gas grill in the first place.
Proper Seasoning
A lot of people like to use marinades and special steak rubs and there’s nothing wrong with that. Keep in mind though, that if you’ve purchased a good quality steak, it shouldn’t need anything more than a bit of salt beforehand, and perhaps a little butter melted on top afterwards.
Salting too early can have dire consequences for your steak (and most other meats), but salting right before going to the grill will result in the salt falling off of your steak and into the fire. Fifteen minutes before placing your steak on the grill, lightly salt it so that the steak will have time to absorb the salt.
Let Your Steak Get to Room Temperature
A common mistake that many people make is leaving the steak in the refrigerator until it’s time to grill. This significantly increases cooking time and can lead to poorly cooked meat. Instead, let your meat reach just about room temperature before grilling it. The steak will be cooked faster and more evenly flavored if you’ve dusted it with salt.
Don’t Poke at It
There’s something wholly satisfying about hovering over a grill with tongs and fork in hand. Unfortunately, constantly poking, flipping, and prodding your steak will ultimately prevent it from reaching its full delicious potential. While it’s tempting to keep checking to see if it’s done, it is wisest to understand steak cooking times and flip it only once during the grilling process.
Many grilling time charts are available online and will show you proper grilling temperature and time for the various cuts of steak and thickness variants. Take these steak tips into consideration and allow yourself to get the most out of your money.