Truth be told, finding the “best’ steak to buy is a matter of personal preference. Perhaps your favorite steak is one with a good bit of fat content throughout, or maybe you prefer a leaner cut of meat. Either way, there’s a perfect steak out there for you, just waiting to be tossed on the grill. Finding out exactly what that is might take some trial and error — oh no, the tragedy of having to eat steak! Our friends at BBQGuys lend a hand in your juicy journey by showing you what to look for when picking the best steak cuts.
Know the USDA Grades
The easiest way to assess steak at a glance is through the USDA’s beef grades, which reflect a cut’s overall quality in terms of flavor, tenderness, and juiciness in conjunction with a cattle carcass’ yield. Among other factors, a steak’s grade is based largely on marbling, or the amount of intramuscular fat throughout the beef. We aren’t talking about the thick chunks of fat running along the edge of a steak, the fat content that matters is dispersed in the flesh and looks like white flecks or clumps. Marbling is crucial for flavor and juiciness because the fat not only melts down into deliciousness when cooked, but also helps distribute juices when finished.
Steaks found in markets and retail scores come from the top three USDA beef grades: Prime, Choice, and Select. Prime sits atop the others with moderately abundant or slightly abundant marbling; Choice marbling can be moderate, modest, or small; and Select beef features only slight marbling. The five lesser grades are incredibly lean, which is why such beef is typically used for ground meat or advertised as store-brand steak. With this in mind, determine your ideal marbling ratio and use beef grades to point you toward the appropriate steaks.
Consider the Cut
We don’t expect you to memorize the anatomy of cattle — trust us, it’s not easy — but you’ll be a smarter shopper and more satisfied feaster if you’re familiar with the different cuts of beef. That way, you can identify whether a ribeye or a skirt steak better fits your preferences, and which types of steak should marinate overnight before hitting the grill grates. There are nine primal cuts from every cattle, so don’t assume that every piece of steak brings the same tenderness and flavor.
Look for Aged Steaks
Scientifically speaking, an aged steak is a more tender and delicious steak. Aging beef allows the natural enzymes to break down muscle tissues within the meat, a process that tenderizes steaks to their fullest potential. Whether a steak is dry-aged or wet-aged has a negligible impact on its quality; the aging process is almost entirely about time. Best results come from steaks that age at least 21 days, though they can pick up additional flavor and tenderness if aged for longer.
Unfortunately, most retail stores don’t advertise how long their steaks are aged; even so, it’s generally for a week or less because of limited storage and inventory turnover. Your local butcher or market will probably be more forthcoming about their aging practices, which should be closer to the optimal 21-day threshold anyway.
Now that you know more about the best steak to buy, how does Greek-Seasoned T-Bones, Steak Skewers with Scallion Dipping Sauce or Fire Roasted Ribeye Steaks sound? It’s time to fire up the grill and give one of these recipes a spin! Time to impress your friends and family at the next backyard barbecue gathering!
Greek-Seasoned T-Bone Steaks
beef T-bone or porterhouse steaks, cut 1-inch thick (about 1 pound each)
1 medium lemon
1 tablespoon Greek seasoning
1 medium cucumber, cut lengthwise in half and then crosswise into thin slices (about 2 cups)
2 cups halved grape tomatoes
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
Salt and pepper
Grate peel and squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from lemon. Combine Greek seasoning and lemon peel. Reserve 2 teaspoons mixture for salad. Press remaining mixture evenly onto beefsteaks.
Place the steaks on grid over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, covered, 11 to 16 minutes (over medium heat on preheated gas grill, 15 to 19 minutes) for medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) doneness, turning occasionally.
Meanwhile, combine reserved 2 teaspoons seasoning mixture, lemon juice, cucumber, tomatoes and cheese in medium bowl, stirring to combine. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.
Remove bones and carve the steaks into slices. Season with salt, as desired. Serve beef with the cucumber and tomato salad.
Steak Skewers with Scallion Dipping Sauce
Meat and marinade:
1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup fish sauce (such as nuoc nam or nam pla)
2 tablespoons palm sugar or (packed) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
6 garlic cloves
4 red or green Thai chiles, stemmed
2 lemongrass stalks, bottom third only, tough outer layers removed
1 1 1/2″ piece ginger, peeled
2 pounds tri-tip, top sirloin cap steak, or rib eye, fat cap left on
Scallion dipping sauce:
15 scallions, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup fish sauce (such as nuoc nam or nam pla)
3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
2 tablespoons chinkiang (black) vinegar
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
Basting sauce:
1/2 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
3 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nuoc nam or nam pla)
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 garlic cloves, crushed
.
Special Equipment: Eight 8″ metal or bamboo skewers (soak bamboo skewers for 1 hour before using)
Ingredient Note: Chinkiang vinegar, also called black vinegar, an aged vinegar made from glutinous rice and malt, is available at Asian markets.
For meat and marinade: Purée all ingredients except steak in a blender or a food processor until smooth. Trim strip of fat (sometimes called a fat cap) from meat. Cut fat into 1/4″-1/2″ cubes; cut meat into approximately 1″ cubes. Place fat and meat in a large bowl. Add marinade and toss to coat, cover and chill overnight.
Remove fat and meat from marinade, brushing off excess. Thread onto skewers, alternating meat with fat, so that pieces are touching but not pressed tightly together (which would slow down cooking). Leave at least 1″ of space at the ends of skewers for easy turning. Discard marinade; save excess fat for basting liquid.
For scallion dipping sauce: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl just before you begin grilling; stir occasionally.
For basting sauce: Mince any reserved leftover fat. Transfer to a small saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until fat is heated through, about 3 minutes (fat will not melt completely). Add all ingredients and cook until just heated through; keep warm.
Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Grill skewers, brushing with basting sauce and turning every 2 minutes, for 10 minutes. Stop basting and cook, turning every 2 minutes, until browned around edges and cooked through, about 6 minutes more. Serve with scallion dipping sauce on the side.
Fire Roasted Ribeye Steak with Bacon & Texas Pete Butter
For the steak butter:
6 slices of thick cut slab bacon
1/2 cup molasses, divided
1/4 cup Texas Pete® Chipotle
Hot Sauce, divided
Salt and pepper to taste
8 tablespoons sweet butter, softened
For the steak:
4 1/2-inch thick ribeye steaks
Extra virgin olive oil
Cracked black pepper
IN A 400°F preheated oven, on a baking sheet, cook bacon that has been brushed with 1/4 cup molasses and 1/8 cup Texas Pete® Chipotle Sauce. Bake until cooked through, not crispy – about 12 to 16 minutes. Chop bacon, and transfer to mixing bowl, add remaining molasses, Texas Pete® Chipotle Sauce and softened butter. Mix, and refrigerate.
REMOVE STEAK from refrigerator, and allow to rest at room temperature for 15 minutes. Season with extra virgin olive oil and cracked black pepper.
PREHEAT GRILL to 400°F. Place steak on grill for 3 to 4 minutes, rotate 45 degrees, and cook for an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the steak and repeat the process.
REMOVE from grill and slather with Texas Pete® Butter.