In the summer, there’s nothing better than enjoying a superb cut of beef grilled on the barbecue. Here are some tips to get great results every time.
When you’ve spent a decent amount of money on a nice cut of beef, you want to make sure you cook it right. Besides, you want your family or guests to enjoy something delicious. Here are some things to remember when firing up the barbecue and getting your beef ready to cook.
Start with a great cut of beef
Buy the best steak you can afford. Ideally it should be at least one inch thick and have even marbling (the veins of fat that run through the meat). Popular steaks for grilling include rib-eye, top sirloin, strip loin, T-bone and porterhouse. If you have a cut such as flank steak or eye of round, you’ll definitely want to marinate the meat first, as these cuts tend to be tougher, and marinating helps to make them more tender.
Bring your steak to room temperature before putting it on the grill
Take your steak out of the fridge, and let it warm up to room temperature (70 degrees F) before placing it on the hot grill. This will take about 20 to 40 minutes. The reason? Bringing steak to room temperature will help it cook more evenly. Season the steak on both sides with salt and pepper.
Let the grill heat up to high before grilling the steak
You want the barbecue to be hot when you place the steak on it, as the high temperature will sear the outside of the meat and help seal in the delicious juices and flavour. It’ll also help give the outside of the beef a nice colour. To get those attractive cross-hatch grill lines, place the steak on the grill at a 45-degree angle. Let the meat cook for one to three minutes, then move it another 45 degrees. Repeat this on the other side so both sides of the meat have the pattern. When grilling, close the top of the barbecue, as you want it to maintain a high and consistent heat.
Remove the steak, and let it rest
Even though you’ll be tempted to dig right into your steak, don’t serve it straight from the grill. Instead, place it on a cooling rack so air can circulate beneath the cut of meat as well, loosely tent it with foil and let it sit for five minutes. If you slice into the steak right away, you will allow all the delicious juice to come out of it.
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