We here
at Scotch Mountain Meats produce and sell 3 different types of Meats.
They are Beef, Lamb and Pork. To get a better understanding of the various
types, cuts and general cooking guidelines we are doing a monthly segment
on any one of our meats, randomly selected.
This month segment will be about Steaks.
There are a few things you should know so you can have that perfect steak
experience!
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Beef
Beef is broken down into 4 main categories:
Roasts
~ Oven Roasts
~ Pot Roasts
~ Mini Quick Roasts
~ Rotisserie Roasts
Steaks
~ Grilling Steaks & Medallions
~ Marinating Steaks & Medallions
~ Simmering Steaks & Strips
~ Fast-fry Steaks (Minute Steaks)
Ground Beef
~ Extra Lean and Lean Ground Beef
~ Medium and Regular Beef
Stir Fry, Kabobs & Stews
~ Stir-fry Strips
~ Kabobs/Satay
~ Stew Beef
Steaks
“What is the best cut?’ and “What is the difference
between all those cuts?’ are two of the most asked questions we
get quizzed on at the various farmer’s markets where we sell our
product. To answer those questions, the first thing you need to think
about is the cooking method you have in mind before picking
a steak. Steaks are broken down into 4 categories.
- Grilling
Steaks & Medallions
- Marinating
Steaks & Medallions
- Simmering
Steaks & Strips
- Fast-fry Steaks (Minute Steaks)
What is a Medallion?
The term Medallions
refers to smaller diameter steaks, which can be cut thick without
the excessive portion sizes and uncompetitive unit costs vs. other
proteins. Thicker cut steaks can deliver
the eating satisfaction that beef consumers crave. Medallions
can be cut from many sub-primal cuts that appeal to the consumer who
wants to limit portion sizes.
Grilling
Steaks & Medallions
Grilling Steaks: T-Bone ~ Porterhouse ~ Top Sirloin ~ Strip Loin
~ Wing ~ Tenderloin ~ Tri-Tip ~ Rib Eye ~ Rib
Grilling Medallions: Strip Loin ~ Rib Eye ~ Top Sirloin ~ Tri
Tip
Cooking Directions:
- Season steak/medallion
- Grill, broil or pan fry using medium-high
heat, turning only once with tongs.
- Cook to desired doneness
Doneness Timing
(using medium-high heat)
THICKNESS |
MINUTES
PER SIDE |
|
MED-RARE
145°F (63°C) |
MEDIUM
160°F (71°C) |
WELL-DONE
170°F (77°C) |
½ - ¾ inch
(1-2cm) |
3 – 4 |
4 – 5 |
5 - 6 |
1 inch (2.5 cm) |
5 – 6 |
6 – 7 |
7 - 9 |
1 ½ inch
(4 cm) |
9 – 10 |
10 – 14 |
15 - 18 |
2 inches (5 cm) |
11 – 14 |
14 – 18 |
18 - 22 |
Note: For
seasoning Grilling Steaks or Medallions, simpler is better. Just rub meat all over with a sliced garlic glove,
freshly ground coarse pepper and coarse or kosher salt before cooking. When
grilling, lightly oil grill and preheat BBQ to about 400°F (200°C).
Marinating
Steaks & Medallions
Marinating Steaks: Sirloin
Tip ~ Inside Round ~ Eye of Round ~ Outside Round ~ Flank
Marinating Medallions: Inside Round ~ Sirloin Tip
Cooking Directions:
- Pierce meat all over with fork
- Place meat
in a sealable freezer bag with 1 cup (250 ml) marinade; refrigerate
8 – 24 hours. Discard
marinade.
- Grill, broil or pan fry using
medium-high heat, turning only once with tongs. Best cooked
only to medium.
Doneness Timing is
the same as Grilling Steaks & Medallions
Note: For the most effective marinade and minimal cleanup,
use zipper-top freezer bags to marinate, squeezing out as much air
as possible when sealing the bag.
Simmering Steaks and Strips
Simmering Steaks: Blade
~ Top Blade ~ Bottom Blade Boneless ~ Brisket
Brisket Simmering Strips: Cross Rib ~ Cross Rib Boneless
Cooking Directions:
- Season steaks/strips. In hot lightly oiled
skillet, brown all over. Add sliced vegetables such as
onion, sweet green pepper and garlic, if desired.
- Add enough liquid (such as canned soup or tomatoes,
broth or red wine) to just cover beef.
- Simmer, covered
on stove-top or in 325°F (160°C)
oven for at least 1 hour or until tender. Serve with cooked rice,
noodles or mashed potatoes.
Note: Cook simmering
steaks, pot roasts and stews in the oven rather than on the stovetop
for constant simmer with less chance of scorching. Make sure
the heat is low enough that the meat is simmering not boiling.
Fast-fry Steaks (Minute Steaks)
Inside Round ~ Outside Round ~ Eye of Round ~ Strip Loin ~ Rib Eye ~
Sirloin Tip ~ T-Bone ~ Wing ~ Porterhouse ~ Tenderloin
Cooking Directions:
- Season steak/strips.
- Cook beef
in hot lightly oiled nonstick skillet using medium heat for 2 to
4 minutes/side for steak, 1 min/side for strips or until browned,
but pink inside. Beef
is best cooked only to medium.
- Remove beef
from pan. For steak: serve with
steak sauce, if desired. For Stir-fry strips: add
sliced vegetables to skillet and cook 5 min. Add 1 cup
(250ml) sauce and cooked beef strips; heat through. Serve with
rice or noodles.
Flavor & Seasonings:
Few things in life beat the
flavor of a grilled steak. It’s
that smoky beef flavor, tender and juicy and with just a hint of that
sweet fatty taste. But there is so much more you can do with a
steak. Seasonings from rubs, marinades or sauces can
turn a mediocre steak into a great steak. Rubs can be as simple
as fresh ground black pepper or a complex mixture of a dozen spices and
herbs. Marinades can make a tough steak tender and a plain steak
spectacular. Sauces added after the grilling can finish a meal
and fix any flavor.
Rubs
Rubs come in two varieties, wet rubs and dry rubs. A dry rub is
made of herbs and spices and can be either sprinkled over meat or actually
rubbed in. A wet rub contains a liquid ingredient, usually oil
and is coated over the surface of the meat. Beyond this, practically
anything goes. What you want to use for your rub is really a matter
of personal taste. You want a good rub to add flavor and color
but you don’t want it to overpower the flavor of the meats you
are rubbing.
Marinades
Marinades are a mixture of wet and dry ingredients that you soak raw
foods in to flavor and tenderize. Acidic substances like vinegars
and citrus juices make meats tender by permeating the meat and break
down the connective tissues. These provide a flavor of their
own and may be all you need to make a perfect steak. For instance
a great way to make fajitas is to soak a flank steak in lime juice
for a few hours (or overnight), grill and slice into strips.
Of course some steaks don’t need to be tenderized. Good,
tender cuts will only go soft in a marinade. You want to preserve
as much of the original texture of a steak as you can. This doesn’t
mean you can’t marinade a sirloin, but you don’t need it
to tenderize. Marinades based on oils will coat steaks and helping
to keep them moist if they happen to be extra lean or extra thick (requiring
longer cooking times), or if you have a preference for a well done steak. If
you decide to use salt (and I suggest you try it) use a coarse or kosher
salt. The coarser crystals last through the grilling better.
Sauces
There are many ways to divide up the world of barbecue sauces. Sauces
can be sweet or hot. Sauces can be thin or thick. Barbeque
sauces are categorized by what they are based on. Most barbecue
sauces are based on tomatoes, vinegar or mustard. Sauces are used
throughout the barbecue and grilling process, with the exception of tomato
based sauces because of their tendency to burn.
Tomato based sauces are by
far the most commonly used, but the most avoided by the oldest barbeque
traditions. To make a great tomato
barbeque sauce, cook the sauce thoroughly to break down the tomato flavor
and to blend with the other ingredients. In fact, it is better
to make it a day or two before you plan to serve it. This way the
flavors will be well diffused into the sauce making it much better.
The vinegar based sauce is
the creation of traditional North Carolina barbecue. These thin sauces can be used throughout the cooking
process and aid in the tenderization of foods. Also, since vinegar
is acidic it has the power to carry flavors deep into the meat. Try
mixing up a sauce of cider vinegar with red pepper to make a hot, flavorful,
yet simple barbeque sauce.
If you head south of North
Carolina you will find the mustard based sauces. These wonderful
sauces are perfect for pork whether you plan on smoking a whole hog
or grilling up some pork chops.
The great secret of sauces
is finding what you like and what works for you. So all you need
to do is to get tasting and experimenting!
Grilling Perfection:
Grilling the perfect steak
is an art form. It takes practice and
patience to master it. Follow these simple steps and you will have
no trouble grilling a great steak.
- Trim the steak of excess
fat. Any strips of fat should be about ¼" thick.
Also cut through the fat strip about every 1½". When grilling,
fat shrinks faster than the meat and this can cause your steaks to
curl.
- Preheat the grill. As
hot as it will go for a gas grill or a single layer of ashy white
coals for a charcoal grill.
- Oil the grate. An
easy way to do this is to take a piece of trimmed fat, hold it tightly
in a pair of tongs and rub it on the hot grate.
- Grill each steak on the
grill for one minute. Turn with tongue
and grill on the second side for an additional minute. Turn and
rotate 45 degrees and grill for half the remaining cooking time. Turn
again. If you do it right you will get a nice diamond pattern
of grill marks.
- Remove when done. Use the
pressure test to check your steaks – When
you are getting close to having a done steak press it with your index
finger or the flat side of a grilling fork to get a feel for it. A
rare steak will be soft. A medium steak will be firm but yielding. A
well steak will be firm. Once you get the hang of this trick
you will be able to remove steaks from the grill at just the right
second.
- Let steaks rest for 5 minutes
before serving. This
will let the juices flow out from the center so the whole steak is
nice and juicy.
ENJOY!
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