Grilled Steak – It’s a Great Source of Protein

All of you vegetarians and vegans out there will probably want to skip this post.

After writing the last post and talking about red meat as a source of protein, I decided to do a quick write up on my favorite food. Grilled Steak!

The secret to cooking a great steak is something people have been arguing about for years. Some people like to sear the meat at high temperatures on both sides, then turn down the heat and let it finish cooking. Others say that searing has no real effect. The real secret to a juicy steak is to get it off the grill the second it’s done. Letting a steak sit on a grill too long whether it’s cooked through or not will dry out the meat.

Cuts: The main factor is of course the cut of meat and the quality of that cut. Finding the steak you like best, that fits your pocket book takes knowledge and experience. Read up on the subject and try different cuts.

Grilling: Get your grill good and hot. The ideal temperature is one that will cook the steak to the desired doneness in the shortest amount of time without burning the surface. Start with room temperature steaks. Watch closely to avoid flare-ups and turn when the sides start to turn gray and the bottom side has good grill marks on it. Flip and close the lid again. Continue to watch for flare-ups. When the sides are gray all the way through and the second side has good grill marks check for doneness.

Doneness: Is that even a word? One of the biggest problems people have about steaks is how to know when it’s done. I use what I call the stiffness test. Take the raw steak and place it on a plate. With your spatula or fork press down on the steak and move the spatula back and forth. Get a good feel for how the steak moves between the top and bottom. A completely cooked (well done) steak will have almost none of this motion. A medium rare steak will have a little motion but will feel stiffer. This is a skill that you have to practice with. Remember that you can always put a steak back on the grill if it’s too rare but you can’t uncook a well done steak. Err on the side of under cooked and throw it back on the grill if you need to. If you pay good attention to the way a steak cooks you’ll get better at telling when it’s just perfect.

Resting: Now for the most important part, don’t serve it right away. Let the steak “rest” for about 5 to 10 minutes depending on the thickness. This allows the juices to move back into the meat. Resting should be done in a place that is about room temperature and with only a loose covering over it. If you doubt me, try cutting a steak in half right off the grill. Let a second steak rest for five minutes, and then cut into it. See which one is juicier.