Cooking perfect steak might mean different things to different people, but by using the same - very simple procedure, everyone can achieve their own personal definition of perfection right on their own BBQ grill. The process begins with choosing and preparing your own beef tenderloin and ends with knowing exactly when that steak has finished cooking to the exact done-ness that you want it to be. And all of this happens without disrupting the steak's beauty with knife gashing and checking that center for "pinkness." Intrigued? Give me 10 minutes and I'll give you my formula for cooking perfect steak on your outdoor grill tonight!
It All Starts BEFORE Cooking Tenderloin!
For most carnivores, the beginning of the process towards steak nirvana is when you actually start cooking tenderloin. Unfortunately, this approach leaves out one of my best secrets for cooking perfect steak: start with the whole tenderloin. There are so many advantages to buying a whole tenderloin and breaking it down yourself. You can definitely save some money learning how to do this, and it is a lot easier than you think. When you buy the whole tenderloin, the first thing you have to do before cooking tenderloin is to remove the "chain". The chain is the side muscle; it contains a lot of the fat and is great for use later in stews, chilis or even my favorite treat: Tenderloin Philly Cheesesteak. But that's a whole other way for cooking tenderloin and beyond the scope of this article! Once you've removed the chain, you must remove the thick top end of the tenderloin - "the head". This, too can be set aside and used later. What you are left with is a long tenderloin from which to cut your steaks. The most important thing to remember is to try to cut the steaks of consistent size by weight. Consistent size equals consistent cooking, which equals reliable cooking! Use a scale and aim for a consistent size somewhere between 3 and 5 oz per steak, depending on who you're cooking for.
Do you Really Know How to Grill Beef?
As much as I love outdoor grilling season, as a chef it always makes me cringe a little. Most people think they are expert at grilling and most people make the same mistakes in grilling - so you do the math. Knowing correctly how to grill beef (or anything else) is essential to outdoor cooking success. If cooking is like driving a car, grilling is like flying a rocket ship! Everything happens quickly and intensely with grilling and that includes mistakes. Grilling is basic cooking method that utilizes direct source conductive heat. So, we start by getting the grill as hot as possible, keeping the lid down as we heat everything up. However, as soon as the cooking starts, the lid stays open for the duration. This is the first most common grilling mistake. Closing the lid basically turns your grill into an oven - using indirect convective heat (along with direct conductive heat) to cook. Before placing my steak on the grill, I like to brush it with olive oil and add salt and pepper. You might like a marinade or a rub. Go right ahead and do your steak however you'd like. Place the steak "show side" down on the grill (if there is a show side) and let it cook. When you learn how to cook beef correctly, you will know the signs to look for to determine when it is time to flip the steak. This is done when the steak is cooked 50-75% on the first side. The second most common grilling mistake is to flip to early, losing all of the ways you have for watching the steak cook to that 50-75% on one side. Finally, always allow a steak to rest 5-10 minutes before serving so the juices run out before it hits the final plate.
How Long Should the Meat Cook? Until It's Done!
So, here we are. We always arrive at the same question. In travel, it's: are we there yet? - and in cooking, it's: how long should the meat cook? Well, I have one answer to all of the "how long" questions: until it's done. Yes, it really is that simple. Let the meat cook until it's done. And now we get into the more interesting question: how do I know when it's done? I often say that cooking is a journey - so you are a tourist, an observer on that journey. As you observe what happens to the steak during the cooking process, you will notice some predictable things happen. First, at 165 degrees, proteins coagulate. What you will see when this happens is that the steak will stiffen and shrink. You will see the sides of the tenderloin start to get brownish gray. At 320 degrees, the sugars caramelize. If you lift a side of the steak up slightly and look underneath, you will see the formation of grill marks to indicate this is happening. You will also begin to smell that nice, sweet, smell - telling you that you are cooking perfect steak and all is happening as it should. When the steak is 50-75% cooked on one side, it reaches what is termed in French culinary as "a point". You will observe the juices start to bubble up to the red top. This indicates it is time to flip the steak, allowing it to finish its cooking on the other side. The last observation you will make to determine done-ness is the most quantitative because you will use a thermometer. Don't cut open your steak to peer into the middle! Don't stab at it with a fork! Both of these activities will release all of the juiciness you just worked so hard to achieve! 125-135 degrees is rare; 145-150 is medium and 160-165 is well done. So pick your temperature and remove the steak from the grill. But before serving it, let it rest for 5-10 minutes so that the juices can redistribute and run off onto the non-serving plate.
While cooking perfect steak is different for everyone, learning how to prepare your little piece of outdoor grilling perfection is as simple as understanding the process - and cooking with the end result in mind. What will you think of next?
No comments:
Post a Comment