Saturday, June 12, 2010

Tips For Grilling a Steak

Many people have trouble making their steaks come out the way they want them and usually it is because they are not cooked to their liking. I am about to let you in on a few tips that will help you grill your steak to the perfect medium rare, or whatever temperature you desire.

The first tip I will give you is to help you get those sought after grill marks in that famous diamond shaped pattern on the meat. Now you may think these are hard to achieve and for most they will be but not for the reasons that you think. The secret to achieving these perfect grill marks is to LEAVE THE STEAK ALONE. Yes I know it is difficult but you must not touch the steak for a good few minutes to get the first lines. Next you turn the meat 90 degrees or a quarter turn to get the diamond shaped pattern. Then all you have to do is flip and repeat the same process on the other side. Trust me once you suppress the urge to poke and prod at the meat then you will get the grill marks that you desire.

The next tip I am going to share with you is how to tell if your steak is cooked to the temperature you desire. First I want to start by giving you a couple common misconceptions in ways to tell if it is done. Many will tell you to get a digital thermometer and poke your steak but do not do this because puncturing the meat will give an opening for the juices meaning they will not be inside the steak. The next thing people may do is cut into the steak and just take a look. Again do not do this because cutting the meat prior to a good resting period (five minutes or more) will release the juices leaving you with a steak that resembles leather. The best way to tell if a steak is the way you like it is to simply touch it. The firmer the meat the more done it is.

An easy trick to this is to touch your thumb and index finger with one hand and then with your other feel your palm, this is the resistance a rare steak will give you. Your thumb to middle finger is for a medium rare steak. Thumb to ring finger is for a medium well steak. And finally thumb to your pinky finger will give you the feel of a steak that is well done. Now this may seem difficult now but once you try this technique out a couple times when you cook your steaks you will understand that it does in fact work.

So in summary don't play with your steak while it is on the grill, let it do its thing. Don't puncture or cut your steak prior to a good rest because it will dry out your meat. And finally use your sense of touch to determine when to pull your steak off of the grill. Happy Grilling!

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