| How to Grill the Perfect Steak |
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MY LATEST GUIDELINES... The Rule of Fours: Start with a fully thawed, dry, room temperature steak. Put on a HOT (and I mean HOT!!!!) grill, 4-minutes per side over direct heat, then move away from direct heat with a covered grill for 4 more minutes. Remove and tent with aluminum foil for an additional 4 minutes. Finishes rare/medium rare. Salt and pepper. Eat. If it's just too pink for you, then put it back on the grill, away from direct heat for 4 minutes. Finishes medium. My caveats: Most Sun Prairie steaks are cut thick to 1 1/4". If you get a cut that appears a bit thin (due the vagaries of the piece it was cut from) then reduce the cooking per side to 3-minutes per side. Nothing wrong with making a surgical incision into the beef to check for redness - but if you really want to be sure, use a digital thermostat (I like 120-130 degrees - rare to medium rare) To watch a real pro, check out Mark Bittman's "The Basics of Grilled Steak" NOW...THE STEAKS Tenderloin Steak – Otherwise known as the fillet mignon, this is a very tender steak with great mouth feel. We don’t get many of these from each animal, so availability is limited. Salt, pepper, grill…don’t try to hard with this one. Light flavorful sauces are divine with this steak. T-Bone Steak – The T-bone is really a bone-in New York strip on one side and a bit of tenderloin on the other. Another wonderful steak with two distinct parts – don’t overcook and tread lightly with the spices – keep it simple. New York Strip – See above. This is a boneless steak that sits well on the grill. This is a tender cut that doesn’t need a lot of additional support. Great with mushrooms. Rib Steak – One of my favorites, this is otherwise known as a bone-in ribeye. The meat is tender with great flavor. Pairs nicely with a robust red wine and grilled broccoli. Top Sirloin Steak – A boneless cut with a full beefy flavor. It can be grilled or stir fried. While it can stand alone on the grill with little preparation, I prefer this steak with a marinade or a rub. Lawry’s salt is good here. Flatiron Steak – aka the top blade steak. This is another of my favorites. This small steak’s only detractor is the unfortunate strip of gristle that runs down the center. Carve around it on your plate for one of the most tender and flavorful pieces of beef. I favor light treatment – rubs are nice. Fajita Steak – This is a catch-all name to describe what truly makes it into these packages: Flank, Skirt, and Sirloin Flap – these cuts can be used interchangeably when demanded in recipes. These cuts are thin, grainy, and incredibly delicious. Classic fajitas are great with either a lime/garlic/salt rub or southwest marinade (see website for Keith’s Fajitas). Top Round Steak – We mechanically tenderize this steak to increase its versatility. Appropriate for the grill after a marinade (store bought varieties are great for this one), this under appreciated cut can be turned into a delicious fajita or stir fry meal. Slice thin across the grain. Keith’s Fajita recipe applies here too! Ranchers Steak – These are relatively small steaks that need a marinade to really sing on the grill. Another good candidate for store bought marinades, this steak should not be overcooked. Also known as the center cut steak. Sirloin Tip Kebobs – This cut is the only one that I recommend cooking to and beyond medium. These pre-cut large cubes are obviously great for kebobs, but also are excellent sliced for a stir fry. They do well in any marinade, light to heavy, to impart whatever flavor you prefer.
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