Wednesday, July 1, 2009

Preparing the Best Meal Possible For Your Friends

By Chuck R Stewart

The New York strip steak is a costly beef cut because of its outstanding tenderness and flavor. It is considered by experts as the standard for beef steaks and cuts. It is the considered by beef enthusiasts as the best for its marbling quality, taste and texture. Other cuts of meat which are also sought after by beef connoisseurs include the top sirloin, T-bone, porterhouse, filet mignon and rib eye. Some select cuts are best served rare with a just a fair amount of seasoning and flavor and herb butter on the side.

You can choose among two delivery options as far as meats are concerned. These are delivered as fresh cuts right after the butchering process to ensure that the good quality and freshness of the meat are retained. You can also decide to have the it pre-grilled straight from the restaurants. This option is ideal for those who maintain a very hectic schedule and don't have the time to prepare and cook their own meat.

Here are some suggestions in order to get a perfectly grilled main course.

TIP #1 " Grill straight from the refrigerator

The best way to grill is by taking it straight out from your refrigerator and to the grill. This is the correct way of grilling. Many think that grilling it after it has reached room temperature is the right way. Experts concur, cold is better.

TIP #2 " Cooking Temperature

The perfect grilled meat is determined by the right grilling temperature. It to important to maintain the appropriate temperature in grilling to ensure that the meat is grilled evenly. Beef connessiours would normally recommend medium . High grilling temperature would normally give you an overcooked and charred piece with the inside temperature not reaching the desired level of doneness.

TIP #3 " Flare-ups ruin the grilling process.

It is essential that you remove excess fat by trimming the beef cuts before grilling to prevent flare-ups.

TIP #4 " Follow the proper turning technique

It is highly suggested that you use a long handled tongs in doing the proper flipping technique for your beef. You can use spatulas for burgers or other meats. Avoid using forks in turning the meat as it will pierce the beef which would lead to the loss of the important beef juices.

TIP #5 " Monitor the temperature

You have to monitor the doneness of the beef steak by taking the temperature. This is done by inserting an instant read type of thermometer at the center of the steak.

TIP #6 " Strictly adhere to the suggested internal temperatures

The temperature of the beef should be at least 145 F for medium rare doneness. The middle of the beef will turn pure pink and the exterior part becomes slightly brown. Burgers must be cooked until at least 160 F for a medium doneness. Continue grilling until the center of the meat is no longer pink and the juices no longer show any pink color on them.

TIP #7 " Monitor the visual doneness of the meat

You can check the level of doneness of the steak visually by making cuts at the center using a pair of scissors to check the color of the inside of the meat.

TIP #8 " Use appropriate pieces of beef and do the right marinating

The tender beef cuts must be marinated for for a maximum of 2 hours and minimum of 15 minutes to ensure that the flavor has properly been absorbed. A lesser quality piece may be marinated for up to six hours. Take note to add a tenderizer to the marinade to achieve the maximum tenderness.

About the Author:

No comments: