You have just purchased the outdoor barbeque you have always wanted and are ready to break it in. Your mouth is watering for a juicy steak, and you are anxious to impress your guests with your new barbeque and grilling skills. But do you know what the best grilling steaks are to use? You may have the perfect marinade in mind, as well as your own special blend of seasonings. Choosing the right type of meat is just as crucial as the flavoring you use.
While so much of steak grilling is subject to individual taste palates, some steaks lend themselves well to barbequing endeavors. There are several factors to remember when choosing cuts of beef for grilling. For example, one aspect to consider is the amount of marbling on the steak (i.e., how much fat the meat has running through it). While many people insist on avoiding the fat, it is this fat that contributes significantly to the flavor of the meat when it's cooked. Some people instinctively choose top sirloin, because it is leaner and tends to be less expensive. However, because of their low-fat content, sirloin steaks tend to dry out faster, are less juicy, and are more challenging. On the other hand, porterhouse, T-bone, rib eye, and rib steaks will have a healthy amount of fat, which will make the steak incredibly delicious when grilled. In addition, the marbling on a steak helps to insulate the meat and keep it from overcooking.
Generally, the most tender steaks available are tenderloin and strip (also called New York). But porterhouse and rib-eye steaks can also be quite tender and flavorful, so you can have great-tasting grilled steaks for your guests without breaking the bank. Remember that porterhouse steaks are incredibly delicious because of the fat level and because they also have a section of tenderloin on one side of the bone and a section of strip steak on the other.
Another factor to keep in mind is the type of grade of the beef you are buying. The U.S. Department of Agriculture assigns specific grades to meat according to the beef's quality level. Prime grades are considered the best, but restaurants widely use these and tend to be harder to find in the average grocery store. However, many supermarkets have begun carrying some cuts of prime beef in small amounts, and you may also be able to secure prime cuts from a local butcher. These cuts are a bit more expensive. They tend to have the most marbling, making them incredibly juicy. Alternatively, Choice-grade steaks will work wonderfully for barbequing, as they still have a generous amount of marbling. Select-grade beef will tend to be the most petite and tender; they can dry out quickly, mainly if you are relatively inexperienced with your grill.
The thickness of the steak you choose will also determine the kind of results you will get when using the steak on a grill. A relatively thick steak will help to keep the meat from drying out too quickly or overcooking. As a guideline, you should always choose steaks at least ¾ of an inch thick. Ideally, it would help if you shot for steaks about one inch to an inch and a half. Finally, you should know how long the steaks have been aged. Beef cuts that have undergone some degree of aging are likely to have more tenderized characteristics and mellowed in flavor. Ask your butcher about the age of the steaks you intend to purchase whenever possible.
Overall, it pays to know your cuts of beef and the quality of the beef. The more information you have about the steaks you intend to grill, the more practical choices you can make...
