It's a trite, but often repeated saying: The way to a man's heart is through
his stomach. So why, when
Father's Day rolls around, do we buy
endless ties and golf accessories? Is the way to his heart through his clothes?
Not likely. It's the stomach, people, and that means good food. For many men,
good food comes in the form of a great steak.
So what if you're not a steak eater, or you eat it only in restaurants and
the thought of purchasing a raw slab scares you to death? Fear not. It's not
that complicated, really. Even a caveman can handle this job.
It's important to know your
cuts of meat before planning the
menu. You don't want to cook the dad in your life a tasteless, tough piece of
leather. You might not notice the difference, but let's face it - he will. Since
you'll likely be grilling, it's important to know the best cuts of meat for the
grill.
You want to choose the most tender portions of meat for grilling. Experts
generally consider these cuts of beef to be the best for grilling:
- Rib Eye
- T-Bone
- Porterhouse
- Strip steak (like New York steak)
If there is the word "loin" on the package, you're in good shape, though most
grill experts agree the T-bone is the most superior cut of beef for grilling. It
stays tender and juicy, and is thick enough to withstand a fair amount of time
on the grill without overcooking. Stay away from top round or anything with
"round" or "chuck" in the name. These will not cook well on the grill. Flank
steak and London broil can also be tough.
Next, it's important to know how to choose a steak. Don't just grab the first
package that looks good to you. Look for some good marbling in the steak. Yes,
this is another word for fat. But we're not cooking for the dieter in the family
on this special day, we're trying to give dad a good steak, remember? Those
little bits of fat scattered about the steak will essentially melt while the
meat is cooking, giving the meat a rich and more tender flavor.
In that same vein, don't trim the fat from your steak before cooking. It
might be the diet book author in you coming out, but that thick layer of fat
around your steak is what will give the steak a wonderful juicy quality and rich
flavor. You can cook the steak, and then trim the fat, but cook the steak while
it's still dressed in its fat clothes. It's worth it.
Do you need to buy a name brand steak? Experts say it's not necessary, even
though branded meat is a new commodity and becoming more widely available. Nor
is it necessary to choose a steak from a butcher shop or from behind the glass
window in the meat department at your local grocery store. Usually the
pre-packaged steaks are the same you would get from behind the glass, and since
the butcher is a dying breed, you could certainly go that route if you have a
neighborhood butcher, but if not, a good quality grocery store will provide what
you need.
Finally, it's important to
know your grades of steak.
- Prime is the top grade, and it features the most marbling
and is the most tender, but most of us don't have access to this grade in
mainstream grocery stores. This is often what you get in a restaurant.
- Choice is the best grade most of us can get in the grocery
store. But choice does not guarantee high quality as this grade encompasses meat
that can be almost as good as prime, or almost as bad as select, our next
grade.
- Select beef is the most lean and least expensive beef and
is the grade of beef most commonly found in your grocery store meat case. Since
this is Father's Day, try to find choice and splurge a little.
If you are unsure about your ability to pick up a good steak locally,
consider ordering online and having fresh, high-quality steaks delivered to your
door.
At OmahaSteaks.com, you can buy a large variety pack of meat, grill some for
dad, and then send him home with a few spares for another day.
KansasCitySteaks.com offers prime quality steaks for a restaurant-quality dad's
meal.
Mike Sullivan is an author on the topics of
grilling, preparing and cooking steaks, and choosing the right cuts of meat. Read his most recent report on
How To Marinate Steaks to put the most flavor into your next steak meal.
