The Great Steak Debate

Who doesn’t love a good steak on a breezy summer day with a cold glass of lemonade, crisp lager, or a full bodied merlot? We go to these great and sometimes not so great steakhouses, and order this charred piece of meat hoping it will satisfy all of our senses. But really what makes a good steak? Is it the cut of beef? Is it the marinade? Or is it how we cook it and what we do after it is cooked, is what makes a great steak. It is of my own personal opinion that it is a combination of all three that makes a great steak. So let us take a look at these cooking tips and take this piece by piece and break it down shall we?

There are various cuts of steak that are taken from the cow. Unless you butcher you own meat, you are like the rest of us and will buy your steaks from the grocery store. Now if you have butcher shop in your area or even an Amish market by all means please take advantage of that. It may be a little bit more expensive, but to have your steaks hand carved to your specifications, I believe would be well worth the extra bucks. Get to know the people who are doing the cutting, ask questions, become a consistent buyer and who knows they may off a special on a particular cut for being a loyal customer. Some of the most popular cuts of beef are porterhouse, t-bone, New York strip, ribeye, flank steak, skirt steak and tri-tip. Though there are other cuts and different grades, the average Joe is familiar with these cuts and will find them in there local markets.

The use of marinades can be a touchy subject for some. The purpose of a marinade is not only to enhance the flavor of the meat but to also break down the fibers of the meat if there is little or no marbling. Now, marbling according to Food Lover’s Companion book is: “flecks or thin steaks of fat that run throughout a piece of meat, enhancing its flavor, tenderness, and juiciness”. A prime example of good marbling would be a ribeye steak and an example of little or no marbling would be flank steak. Most marinades have some sort of acidity which helps break down the fibers. The most common choices are flavored vinegars like balsamic, red wine or champagne or some type of citrus like lemon, lime, or orange. Also added to the marinade are oil, spices, salt and pepper and some sort of sweetener, like sugar or honey to balance out the tartness from the vinegar. The longer the meat marinates the more flavors you will have. Now some purists believe that all you need is some sea salt, fresh cracked black pepper, a little garlic and drizzle of extra virgin olive oil because they believe a marinade will mask the true flavor of the beef

Whether you are cooking your steak in the dead of winter or in dog days of summer, you want to make sure that your grill, grill pan, hibachi, cast iron skillet, non stick pan, stainless steel fry pan, broiler, or whatever you plan on using you want to make sure that it is HOT!! But here is the thing, before you get your pan hot, pull your steak out of the icebox so that they can get room temperature. Reason? You will have even cooking. If you used a marinade wipe off any excess because you don not want any flair up when the meat hits the grill. When you lay the steak down, lay it away from you so that there won’t be anything hot splash on you. Once done don’t touch it!! You may feel the need to poke it and prod it but don’t. Actually, don’t even use a fork or anything that will pierce the meat, use a pair of tongs to turn your steak so that you don’t lose any of the juices. Depending upon the thickness of the steak and how you like to eat your steak, (anyone eating their steak past medium rare…why bother?) will depend upon how long it stays on the flame. I good way to see where you are at with your steak is take your hand make a loose fist. That part between the thumb and the forefinger, press there with your other finger and that is rare. As you tighten your fist you’ll go to med rare, med etc…until your fist is so tight then that is leather, oops I mean well done!! Once your steak has reach its desired doneness, take out of pan on put on a plate or platter and cover loosely with foil and let it rest for about 3-5 minutes. That right let it rest and don’t touch it! If you try to cut into it right off the grill what will happen is all those juices will come running out of the perfectly cooked meat. By letting it rest you allow the juices to redistribute themselves in the meat. The accompaniments can be as simple as some sautéed mushrooms and onions and a side of a baked sweet or Idaho potato.

I hope these cooking tips have given you a little more insight so that you will not be afraid of cooking steak. Here is a nice Grilled Sirloin Steak with Bleu Cheese Butter steak recipe to get you started.

Enjoy!

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