Playing With Meat

We've all wondered it at some point or another, haven't we? I mean, what are the rules, anyway? Meat-wise, I mean.

Well, for starters, get fresh meat. That's a no-brainer, you'd think, but I can tell you from experience there are some stores that don't follow this logic and some shoppers who don't seem to notice/care. For instance, when your meat smells rancid, chances are, it is. Bloody- yes. 'Meaty'- yes. Should it smell like a rodent, a fish, poop, or gasoline? No. Those are not indigenous smells.

And if it smells ok, what about the color? Do this - go buy a cheap steak from 3 different grocery stores. Take it home, slice each one down the middle and look at the insides. Anything resembling tree rings with various shades of red, purple, brown and black? The longer meat sits, the longer the liquids (blood, water, etc.) penetrate and permeate. And oxygen? Yep, if impacts your meat as well. Granted, you may always see a slight bit of color saturation when you slice through a raw cut of beef, what you don't want to see is red surrounding purple surrounding black/brown. Get it fresh.

Now here's an interesting question I get all the time: what's the best way to cook a steak? Trust me, it's not my lawyer instincts when I tell you, "it depends." The reason why, is because the "best" way to cook a steak depends on your goals, your anticipated meal, your available cookware, etc., etc., etc. For instance, I can cook a steak on a gas grill for 45 minutes or I can cook it in 8 minutes. Same cut, same spices - totally different result. Also totally different styles. Not that you can't match a Chimichurri sauce with either, but knowing a bit about real Argentinian cooking, you'd probably go with the long and low grill (and it wouldn't be gas if you had a choice). But what if you wanted to go with a nice red wine sauce? Well, the grill doesn't lend itself to a pan sauce because there's no pan. So, you'd need to opt for a pan fried steak.

But is the question really about the best way to cook a steak? Or, is it the best manner (i.e., slow, fast, high-heat, low heat, etc.) to cook a steak once you've chosen a certain method (i.e., grill, pan, etc.). I mean, honestly, do you ever ask yourself whether a pan fried steak is better than a outdoor grilled steak? Not that there's not a difference (there is), but it's not really the right question, is it? I can cook an awesome pan steak. I can also cook an awesome grill steak. I can also cook a piece of crap steak in either.

What you need to do is master a method and manner of cooking a piece of meat. That's what I did.

Pick a cut of steak and pick a method (i.e., grill or pan). Start with a basic dry rub (salt, pepper, garlic, paprika is a nice one). Now practice and learn your grill, learn your fire. Where are the hot spots. Can I sear in one area and not in another? Does the meat cook at a different rate if I have multiple pieces on the fire? Should I open or close the lid? Smoke or none? These are all questions you should answer for yourself - after you've tried them all.

And here are a few tips along the way:

1. Never put meat straight out of the fridge and onto a fire. Let your meat come up to room temperature first.

2. Never cut your meat while it's cooking. You lose moisture and your meat gets tough and overcooked.

3. Never cut your meat as soon as it's done cooking. Let it rest at least 5 minutes, but closer to 10 for best results. I don't know the scientific description, but as you wait, the juices flow back into the meat causing a juicier result.

4. Don't sear your meat by burning it to black.

That's 4 rules. 4! Yet, I see many, many, many would-be home cooks break all 4 rules all the time and wonder why their meat tastes like crap. And these rules apply to a good old steak a hamburger...whatever.

Think about it, is it you? Do you take your steak home from the store, rub it with spices, put it in the fridge. Hours later, you light the grill and as soon as it's hot, you pull the steak right out the fridge and onto the grill? Then, about 7 minutes later when smoke billows out, you flip it, only to discover it's charred, burnt and black. Then, 1 minute later, you grab a steak knife, slicing into your meat to determine if it's done? The juices and blood flow out, so you think it's undercooked. You leave it on another 4-5 minutes to be sure, but by that time, you think it needs another flip to seal the hole you cut? So, you flip it for good measure. Now you've cooked your steak about what? 15 minutes? You hoped it would be medium or medium-well, but it's black, dry and way overcooked.

Here's a perfect steak. Take it out of the fridge. Season it with a dry rub and a bit of olive oil. Leave it out on a plate out of the fridge. Heat your grill to medium-high (I use a 5 burner grill and I turn on the right 2 and leave the left 3 off. I put my steak mid way between the front and the back of the grill in between burners 1 and 2). When the steak has been out of the fridge between 30-60 minutes, I grill it for 4 minutes, then flip it and cook another 4-5 minutes, depending on the thickness. I let it rest slightly covered in foil for about 10-15 minutes, then slice against the grain. That's perfection. 8 minutes to cook a steak. If you cook 15, that's WAY too long.

Alright, enough about meat. Go explore.

Brock