Most of us would agree on what a perfect steak should be – A thick slab of meat of crusty well-browned exterior enveloping a perfectly pink, tender juicy inside. There should be a nice contrast between the smoky exterior and the melt-in-your mouth beefy interior. If you don’t know what I’m talking about here, just check out Peter Luger’s ribeye steak.
Now if you want to know how to grill a steak, here are some tips to help you.
The steakhouse kings are cuts that come from Psoas major (filet mignon and tenderloin) and Longissimus dorsi (ribeye). Let’s take a closer look at these cuts:
Strip: Also known as New York strip or top sirloin, the strip cut has a texture with a definite grain making it moderately tender, with good marbling and a strong taste.
Tenderloin: Also called Châteaubriand or filet mignon, the tenderloin is very tender (hence the name) with a buttery texture. It’s low in flavor and fat however.
T-Bone/Porterhouse: This is a 2 for 1 cut—and it has a bit of strip and a bit of tenderloin separated by a T-shaped bone.
There are also other cuts you can use which are less expensive than the ones we mentioned above. These are:
Beef that’s sold in the U.S. is graded by the USDA based on its degree of marbling and tenderness. The highest rating is the Prime, which makes up 2% of beef sold in the US. The prime denotes abundant marbling in a cow under 42 months old. Most Prime level meat goes to restaurants, specialty butchers, and upscale supermarkets. Just below Prime is Choice, and then third would be Select. These 2 grades are what you’ll find in most grocery chains and supermarkets. But the grading system does not stop there. There’s also the Canner, which generally comes from very mature cows with mostly tough meat. In any case, if you are mainly after flavor, look for a cut of meat that has very good marbling. More fat means more flavor.
The thickness of your meat is also an important consideration. You should aim for at least an inch and a half thickness otherwise it would be difficult to get the contrast between the interior and exterior. Moreover, very thin cuts will tend to overcook which will make it rubbery before you can achieve a nice crusty exterior.
As for when to put salt on your meat, this one’s actually up for debate. Some chefs prefer to salt before cooking, others after. Personally, I put salt 45 minutes before I grill my steaks to draw liquid out of the meat and pool up forming a concentrated brine. If you can put salt on your meat a few days before you’ll cook it, then all the better. Use Kosher salt instead of regular salt.
