In my house, Father’s Day has always been about grilling so I thought I’d share a few of my favorite tips for choosing the right cut of meat, adding flavor with a marinade and then grilling it. I hope they help to make Father’s Day at your house special for your Dad!
My favorite cuts for grilling are rib eye, strip steak, flank and skirt steak. What you choose will depend on what you and your family like.
- Look for good marbling. Lots of thin lines of fat running through the meat will help the steaks from getting dry even if you like it medium well.
- Look for packages of beef at your market marked with Choice or Prime. They’ll be a bit more expensive but you’ll end up with better results.
- Meat that is not bright red is typically cut way ahead of time before it’s packaged. Become friends with your butcher at the grocery store or meat market if you have one nearby. They will cut your steaks fresh upon request and it lets you choose the thickness.
Next – it’s time to marinate the meat! There are some good commercially prepared marinades on the market but there is no need to buy them. You can make one quickly with flavors you love! This week on Pazoo.com, I’m sharing a recipe called “Father’s Day Salad”. The dressing I love is also my favorite marinade and will work with chicken, beef and even shrimp.
- The longer you marinate the less you will need to cook. Think of the marinade as a method of cooking the steak without heat. The acid from the marinade (wine, citrus juice or vinegar) begins to break down the tissue allowing it to absorb the flavors and results in a juicier end product.
- Marinating in a zip top bag helps to keep the meat in the marinade and the air out. Once you’ve finished marinating the meat, do not save the leftover marinade for another use. If you want to include it in any sauce you’d like to make, be sure to boil it for a few minutes.
It’s time to grill! I happen to love a charcoal grill but realize that gas grills are gaining in popularity – so much so that I even have one at home.
- Heat the grill on high and cook the steak for one minute. This helps to char the meat and give it nice grill marks. Once you’ve done that, lower the flame to a medium heat, this will keep the meat from burning.
- Once the steak is cooked to your liking, remember to let it rest off the heat for 5 -10 minutes, tented under some tin foil. This resting time allows the meat to redistribute the juice instead of running out of the meat when sliced.
I’ll be working at Morris Tap & Grill on Father’s Day but happily will be joined by my son & daughter. She plans to bake some gluten free cupcakes and my son will join me in the kitchen creating something special just for me – I wonder what it will be?
Fire it up!
Chef Eric