Okay – there’s a secret in grilling the perfect steak, and it explains why you can’t do this as well as the best steak houses. The secret is so simple it may surprise you.
First and foremost, it’s important you start with good steak. That is 90% of the battle. The best cuts are filets, New York, T-bones, porterhouse and rib-eyes. Why are these special? They have the right amount of marbling to go a good job for you. So – here’s a pearl. Ignore lean meat like round-steaks. They’ll come out like floor mats or beef jerky. Yes, you can grill them for use in other recipes, but what you want when your cooking steak is something so tender and delicious that it will stand out on its own, so you can shock and awe your guests.
After all, life’s too short for bad steaks!
Now here’s another secret. The big difference between the steaks you get at a steak house and the steaks you buy from the grocery store is the curing process. Idiots these days speak of ‘wet aging’ a steak and it’s a sham. To properly caramelize and get the proper smoky flavor from the grill, steaks need two things – a dry surface and a high temperature. THIS IS WHY YOU SHOULD NEVER, EVER, MARINADE A GRILLING STEAK!
The only reason marinades exist is to tenderize cheap cuts of steak. For example, when I was poor and didn’t have two cents to rub together, we would buy chuck steak for $0.98 per pound. It needed to be marinated or you couldn’t cut through it, let alone chew it.
Now, let’s talk water. Water, unless it’s the expensive bottled variety, is cheaper than beef, so those selling steak by the ounce love the wet aging process. And they’ll also lie about other things, too. Basically wet-aged beef has been vacuum sealed to stay moist and is aged in just a few days, compared to dry-aged beef that ages for up to 20 days, but lose moisture.
Top steak houses dry age their steaks and here’s how you can do it at home:
- Unwrap your steaks a day or two ahead of time
- Sprinkle both sides generously with sea , or Kosher (non-iodized) salt.
- Place the steak on a rack that sits on a plate or tray, to catch the drips, and set in a fridge – UNCOVERED!!!
- Flip steaks every 12 hours or so
Okay, hold on - I hear some of you moaning. “You’re not supposed to salt uncooked meat because it’ll get tough,” you say. My answer to that is one word – HOGWASH!
That’s an urban legend, a myth propagated by those who know nothing. Salting pulls the excess moisture from the meat on the surface, but keeps it juicy below. How do I know? At Christmas, we always brine our turkeys for hours before cooking. It makes the absolutely best, most delicate bird.
Now some of you are still whining, “What about food poisoning?” Now that’s a good question. Food poisoning occurs because of bacterial overgrowth. Most good meats have low bacterial counts, and keeping meats separate from vegetables is essential. The last outbreak was from vegetables grown in Mexico and/or California (Mexico north). (A Mexican friend tells me that the Mexicans lost the battle at the Alamo, not the war.)
Now, get the grill as hot as it can go – the hotter the better. That’s why true aficionados like charcoal – it’s hotter. And add a small handful of smoke pellets – hickory, mesquite or the like – if you like. But remember – you can make it TOO smoky, so be careful.
Sprinkle a little seasoning on the steak – Montreal steak spice, Hy’s, or Lawry’s – and whack steaks on the grill about 4 minutes per side for a nice medium rare. Keep the lid closed to minimize flare-ups. When the juices start showing on top, it’s time to flip them over. Turn once and don’t fiddle with them.
If you insist on BBQ sauce use a quality one. I suggest KC, Diane’s, The Keg or the like. But only put this on at the end, so it doesn’t burn. BBQ sauce has lots of sugar, so it will burn easily if you’re not careful.
When you think the steaks need a final minute or two – pull them off! Place the steaks on a clean rack for 4-5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute. Then feed them to your guests with a good bottle of wine. (Life is also too short for cheap wine).
And finally, wallow in the praise of your grateful guests.
