Grilling steak at home is a great way to cook beef and also save money. Grilling also releases the smoky flavor inside the meat, giving it an interesting taste compared to cooking it in the oven or on the stove. If you don’t know how to grill steak, here below are some helpful tips to get you started quickly. And if you need some more advice, there are many food blogs and great sites like Meatnmarrow.com, for example, that can help you evaluate the best grills for your needs.
Grilling Tips For Your Steak at Home:
How do you grill your steak at home? You probably have tried a delectable steak recipe in a high-end restaurant and want to grill your steak at home like a pro. Below are the best grilling tips to attain this goal.
1. Choose Quality Beef
When it comes to grilling steak at home, it’s essential to choose quality beef. You’ll find different grades of steak in the supermarket: Select, Choice, and Prime. Select is the basic grade of meat, and it’s the cheapest one you can find. Of course, because of its price, you can expect that the taste won’t match that of Choice or Prime grades.
It’s also better to choose grass-fed beef. ‘Grass-fed beef’ is a relatively new term to a number of people, but it refers to cattle that have been fed primarily grass instead of traditional feed such as grain or feed mixes. Farmers who raise cattle for grass-fed beef use no antibiotics or synthetic substances on the animals, unlike cattle for grain-fed beef. You can find grass-fed beef in many organic meat shops and suppliers like Silver Fern Farms.
A lot of people are beginning to recognize the benefits of grass-fed beef. Some even acknowledge that grass-fed meat contains higher amounts of certain nutrients. Grass-fed meat is said to have more omega-3 fatty acids and taste better than average beef.
2. Learn About Different Cuts
It’s good to learn about different steak cuts since there are specific ones that are ideal for grilling. When grilling, it’s recommended to use skirt steak. Ribeye is also popular, but if it’s too costly for you, you can choose to grill the shoulder parts of the beef instead. They’re tender like a filet mignon, but you won’t spend too much on those cuts.
Strip steaks are also good cuts for grilling. New York strips or strip loins have the same quality and taste as the ribeye. They pack a more intense flavor, although you can’t expect them to be as tender.
You can also find lesser-known cuts of beef that are less pricey yet with an equally satisfying taste. A good example is hanger or butcher’s steak, a juicy and tender cut of beef with an abundant, full-flavored taste. Hanger is easy to cook for weeknight grilled meals.
Another example of a lesser-known beef cut is flank steak, taken from the cow’s flank or underbelly. This cut is called skirt steak too, known for its tough texture but incredibly tasty with proper preparation. Avoid over-marinating a flank steak with a marinade at a high acidic level.
Flat iron steak is a great cut alternative that comes from cow’s shoulder meat having the shape of a traditional metal flat iron. This tender, lean steak option is versatile, so you can sear, smoke, marinate, or grill it. You can enjoy this cut as a standalone or slice it up for your clubhouse and sandwiches.
There are many other steak-cut alternatives available. You can also ask experts such as The Grilling Master if you have other steak cut and grilling questions.
3. Do Not Cook The Steaks Straight From The Refrigerator
Some people make the mistake of cooking their meat straight from the refrigerator. It’s essential to take out the meat about an hour before you grill it and set it on a roasting rack. While the temperature of the meat starts to go up to room temperature, this is the best time to season it with salt and pepper.
Aside from letting your meat sit until it’s room temperature, you should pat it with a paper towel to try removing any surface moisture. In doing so, you’ll be able to get a nice crust on your steak when you grill it.
4. Do Not Use Marinades
Many people think they should make a marinade to give their steaks more flavor. However, many chefs attest that the most delicious steaks only use oil, salt, and pepper. Before you season your steak, you should use a blend of canola and olive oil. The oil will allow the surface of the meat to sear quickly and ensure that the juices are trapped inside the meat.
When seasoning your meat, you should use coarse ground black pepper and kosher salt. It’s essential to use a lot of salt on the meat as some of the steak’s seasoning will be lost when you start to grill. You want to make sure that you put enough seasoning before grilling.
5. Make Sure Your Grill Is Hot But Not Too Hot
When you cook the meat at high temperatures, you get a juicier steak and a delicious char on the surface. If you’re cooking with charcoal, you need to wait until the charcoal turns white and spread it out properly to have an even distribution of heat.
When grilling steak, you shouldn’t rush the process and wait until your grill is hot enough and there’s no open flame. An open flame will only burn the meat and give it a bad flavor. Having too much flame or letting the grill get too hot will also ruin your steak.
6. Do Not Forget To Let The Steak Rest
After grilling your steak at home, don’t forget to let it rest as this is the most essential part of cooking it. Cook your meat to 10 degrees below your desired temperature, and allow it to rest so the collagen in the beef will thicken as it cools down. Remember that letting your steak rest will make it juicier.
It’s recommended to allow the steak to rest for half the time you cooked it. For example, if you cooked the steak for 10 minutes, you need to let it rest for five minutes.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of easy steak recipes you can try at home, and many of them involve grilling the meat. If you’re grilling meat for the first time, it’s helpful to remember the tips above to have a tender, juicy, and flavorful steak. Always choose quality beef, and use a cut that suits your taste.
When cooking your steak, ensure that you let the meat’s temperature go up to room temperature and season it with coarse salt and pepper. Lastly, don’t forget to rest your steak if you want it to be as juicy as possible.
