Steak and potato are probably the most popular comfort food for meat-eating Americans, but getting the most tender steak possible is key.
My husband and I have steak at least once a week, usually on Fridays after a long work week.
Steak and baked potatoes are an easy meal, cooked on the grill, with very little clean up required.
Perfect for a Friday evening at home.
Also, cooking steak at home is much, much more economical than dining out for steak.
Lastly, you control your steak, therefore, with practice, you can cook your steak exactly as you want it.
As I promised to my subscribers, earlier this week; here are my top 5 criteria (no particular order) for GRILLING the most TENDER, juicy steak you will ever have.
1. Most tender steak cuts
Relative to the size of a cow, good steak cuts are proportionally small. The top choices are the following:
Tenderloin or Filet Mignon
- Boneless, most expensive cut off the cow
- Located in the short loin or sirloin, under the ribs
- A whole tenderloin starts out wide, then tapers at the tail, the filet is from the more narrow end
- Very lean, fine-grained
- Best if 6-8 ounces for one portion
Strip
- Short loin behind ribs
- Very little fat content
- 10 ounce a good size for one portion
T-Bone or Porterhouse
- Expensive because it usually includes part filet and part strip
- Cross-section of the un-filleted short loin
- Can be 16-20 ounces to feed 2 people
Rib-eye
- Upper rib cage area
- Full of marbling
- Has the best flavor but not known for being tender
2. Let your steak acclimate
Removing your steak from the refrigerator, placing it on a plate, then allowing it to sit out for 30 minutes prior to cooking will help the meat retain moisture and tenderness during the cooking process.
Having a dry surface on the meat ensures juices will be retained.
Therefore, never put a COLD steak on the grill, always acclimate your steak.
3. Apply Salt To Your Steak
Prior to grilling, apply salt and gently press into the cut of beef.
Salt has a high affinity for water and your steak is full of moisture, especially on the surface.
The salt will coat the meat, pulling the moisture to the surface, but the liquid will be reabsorbed during the grilling process.
Some may advise you to gently pat dry the surface of your steak, I NEVER do this.
I believe this removes some of the juiciness of the meat.
If you choose to apply a dry rub to the meat, now is the time; however, if you buy high-quality beef, such as PRIME or GRASS-FED, why in the world would you apply a rub to mask the awesome flavor of the beef itself.
I am a proponent of just salt and light pepper only, on a good steak.
4. Do NOT Overcook Your Steak
USE AN INSTANT READ THERMOMETER TO DETERMINE STEAK DONENESS
Absolutely the most important tool in my kitchen is my instant-read thermometer by Thermapen. It is an expensive investment. I have tried many, many thermometers and Thermapen is worth every penny.
Rare = 120ºF – 125ºF
Medium Rare =130ºF – 135ºF
Medium = 140ºF – 145ºF
5. Let Your tender steak rest
After you have grilled your steak to 130º (my ideal temp), remove from the grill, place on a platter, and tent with foil.
Some may say “loosely” tent with foil, but I always curl the foil under the plate and secure it, to keep all the heat trapped.
The meat will continue cooking. Letting the meat rest for 10 minutes will result in a tender, juicy steak.
