The Grill: Steak 101
One of the many skills a man must master in order to be considered a competent dad is mastery of the family grill. Regardless of whether you choose the more old fashioned but much loved charcoal grill or the more common and convenient gas model, people expect you as a father and a man to be able to grill a piece of meat and not destroy it in the process. The last thing you want to do is present a overcooked bland piece of meat at the table. The meal is ruined and you feel like the jackass who can’t cook a steak. Multiply that humiliation by a factor of ten if you’re in-laws are present.
We have gathered a list of helpful tips for preparing not just a passable hunk of protein but a really damn good meal that will be sure to please anyone but the random vegetarian at the table. Keep in mind these tips are simple, quick and tasty. There is way too much going on in the day to mess around with spending hours in preparation for a meal that will be over in minutes.
The Cut:
The journey to a decent meal begins at the butcher counter, yes the butcher counter at your local supermarket. The local butcher might be a better choice but really you are probably going to the grocery store anyway and most people don’t make a special trip down to the butcher for a everyday meal.
There are a few cuts of meat in particular that are perfect for the grill and if handled properly will be well worth the cost.
Popular Meat Cuts:
- Striploin (club steak, New York strip or Kansas City strip steak)
- Flank
- Tenderloin (beef medallions or filet mignon)
- Rib-eye
- T-bone
- Porterhouse
The Flank, T-bone and Porterhouse steaks are often a good choice for situations where you are feeding multiple people and do not want to break the bank buying several individual steaks for each diner. The Mellow Dad heartily endorses the Flank and Rib-eye cuts due Flank, while a leaner cut of meat holds a dry rub very well resulting in excellent flavor. The Rib-eye with all of its fat marbling and thick cut makes for a incredibly flavorful and satisfying meal.
The Preparation:
This step is key to any and all grill work. You do not want to simply head outside and throw a raw piece of meat on the grill. Even the most naturally flavorful steak like the Rib-eye can benefit immensely from just a few minutes spent on preparing the meat for the grill. As I mentioned above, while preparation is important you don’t want to spend all day getting ready for something that is going to last only a few minutes. This is not your wedding night.
Dry Rub is the first step of your meat preparation. Apply the dry rub to all exterior surfaces of your steak at the very least 1 hour ahead of grill time. You will have to figure out how much rub to apply to each type of steak cut. Cuts such as the Flank benefit from a decent rub down, providing a flavor boost due the low fat content. Rib-eye on the other hand has a great flavor of its own and you want to be sure not to overpower that with your rub. Every piece of steak you place on the grill should have some form of dry rub applied. You can choose whatever you prefer but two varieties in particular that never fail to impress are
- Snider’s Prime Rib and Roast Seasoning
- Montreal Steak Seasoning
Your steak should now be properly seasoned. Next place the steak in a decent sized zippered plastic storage bag along with some olive oil or any other oil you prefer. Allow this to sit refrigerated for as long as possible. Remember however to remove the steak in time for it to return to room temperature before you slap it on the grill. That’s it; there is no real reason to get more complicated than that with your steak. Go enjoy your kids until it is time for the next step.
The flame:
Your initial step after getting your grill prepared and lit is to bring the heat to the proper level to grill your meat. The tried and true method for this is not the useless piece of metal and glass that sit on the hood of your grill but the far more primitive, potentially painful and useful hand test.
Hold your hand 1-2 inches from the grilling surface, now Count the number of seconds before the heat causes you to pull away. Your goal here is to get the grill as hot as possible so that you can sear the steak beautifully without burning the exterior. Unless you like a bit of char on your meat of course.
1-2 seconds is your target
3-4 is medium high
5-6 medium heat
7+ don’t bother you are out of gas
When your grill is hot enough you are ready for the next step.
The Big Finish:
Place the steaks on the grill and keep your damn hands off them. Do not move them around or prod them, just let them cook. Grill the steak over the high heat for 3 minutes per side. Flip the steaks only once during this portion of the cooking process. Once each side has had 3 minutes direct exposure to the hot grill surface you can begin to check for doneness. This time estimation is based on the average ¾”-1” steak cut you will find at many local groceries. You will have to adjust your time for thicker or thinner cuts of meat.
You can check for doneness two ways. The first of course is a meat thermometer, just be sure you place the thermometer in the thickest portion of the steak and it is not in contact with any bones that may be present. The second is once again the hand touch method.
- Rare: 130-140° F – Meat feels like the soft fleshy part of your hand (at the base of your thumb) when your hand is relaxed.
- Medium rare: 140-145° F – Meat feels like the base of your thumb when the thumb touches your index finger.
- Medium:145-150° F – Meat feels like the base of your thumb when the thumb touches your middle finger.
- Medium Well: 150-160° F – Meat feels like the base of your thumb when the thumb touches your ring finger.
- Well: 160-170° F – Meat feels like the base of your thumb when the thumb touches your pinky finger.
When your steak is at the temperature that is most pleasing to your guests and yourself get it off the grill but do not cut it ! Let the meat rest for at least 5 minutes before you cut into it. You will not be sorry you waited.
Lastly, keep in mind that the internal temperature of meat will rise 5° F during the time it is allowed to rest after removal from the grill. The temperatures given here tell you what your final temperature objective should be, you will have to adjust for rested bonus .
