Summertime means grilling season here at my house, and we’re always looking for the best ways to grill meat without burning, over- or under-cooking. Chef Dave Zino, Executive Chef of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, offered to write a guest post for us with tips on how to best grill beef this summer. Any questions? Post a comment here!
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For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Chef Dave and I’m the Executive Chef for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. We’re the organization behind the iconic “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” tag line and you may also be familiar with our popular cooking Website, BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com. When I heard that Jodi was happy to have me pen a post, I jumped at the opportunity. I love talking about all things beef!
We’re officially in the heart of summer and I hope that by now, you’ve had a chance to fire up your grill and cook for family and friends. Summer entertaining, whether it’s for a party of ten or a family of four, can be simple, turnkey and an absolute breeze. If you’re already thinking about a Labor Day soirée, it’s never too early to plan! Be sure to reference our handy tips on how to buy in bulk for large crowds and where you can find the best value in beef (e.g. evaluate prices based on cost per serving v. cost per pound).
Choosing lean cuts at your grocer’s meat case shouldn’t be intimidating – it should be affordable, quick and easy. In fact, we recently launched the Interactive Meat Case, a new Web tool designed to educate consumers on the cuts they find in today’s case, so feel free to use it to solve any confusion you may have.
And speaking of mouthwatering cuts, there’s nothing like a juicy lean, T-Bone steak (yes a T-Bone is one of the 29 lean cuts!) accompanied by a melody of seasonal summer veggies. Red and yellow bell peppers are an all-time favorite of mine. I actually worked with our culinary team to develop four official recipes for the summer grilling season:
- T-Bones with Sweet & Savory Steak Sauce
- Three-Way Marinated Flank Steak
- Caribbean Beef Burgers with Mango Salsa
- Beef “California Roll” Salad
Cooking with beef is fun and easy, and with some tips and tricks for grilling, I’ll show you how to get the best out of beef this summer.
Secrets to Successful Grilling with Beef
10. Know your grill – Always cook over medium heat, be it on a gas grill or charcoal, my preferred way to grill.
9. Visit the Interactive Meat Case – a new Web tool designed to educate consumers on the cuts they find at the meat case. Good cuts for the grill are Top Loin, Top Sirloin and Tri-Tip steaks. Also, BeefItsWhatsForDinner.com is a great resource for grilling recipes, tips and info.
8. Understand the difference between a rub and a marinade – Beef from Chuck, Round, Flank and Skirt are excellent candidates for a tenderizing marinade. You’ll need acidic ingredients (lemon or lime juice, vinegar or wine) or a natural tenderizing enzyme (found in fresh ginger, pineapple, papaya and figs) for the best marinade. Rubs are also great for steaks on the grill. They add interesting flavors and enhance the natural goodness of beef. A dry rub is a mixture of dry spices and herbs (normally use these mixtures on steaks) and a paste rub incorporates a liquid into the spice mixture, such as olive oil or mustard.
7. Trim, if necessary – Remove visible fat from steaks before grilling to help prevent flare-ups and excess smoke formation.
6. Keep beef refrigerated – Grilling times are based on beef being taken directly from the refrigerator to the grill – not at room temperature. Shape burgers in advance, cover and refrigerate until the grill is ready.
5. Encourage browning – Pat marinated steaks dry before cooking to prevent steaming and to promote browning.
4. Turn properly – Use long handled tongs to turn steaks and a long handled spatula to flip burgers. Never use a fork to turn steaks or burgers as you will puncture the beef and flavorful juices will escape.
3. Practice food safety – Always swap out the platter the raw beef was brought on and bring the cooked beef to the dinner table on a new one.
2. Internal temp matters – Cook medium rare (145°F) to medium (160°F) for optimal beef flavor, texture and tenderness.
1. Use a thermometer – The best way to determine doneness of burgers and steaks is to use an instant-read or ovenproof meat thermometer.
I really look forward to staying in touch and hope that you connect with me on Twitter @zcooks and become fans of our “Beef. It’s What’s For Dinner.” Facebook page. If you have any questions, I hope that you’ll post a comment and Jodi will connect with me so I can send along a quick answer or provide a helpful link to online info.
Best wishes for a delicious and safe summer grilling season!
