Beef Cuts - Your Guide To A Perfect Steak

Steak, without a doubt, is one of the most favored beef dishes. Unfortunately, cooking the perfect steak proves to be challenging, even for the most experienced of all chefs. There are numerous factors that need to be taken into consideration and carried out as flawlessly as possible in order to get that tender, juicy, mouth-watering steak.

The good news is that there are a few basic reminders that you can keep in mind when grilling your steak that can take you a few steps closer to getting that ideal piece of meat you'll be proud to serve and happy to eat.

The Cut. It will be impossible for you to get the perfect steak if you don't choose the right beef cuts. There are a vast number of choices out there that vary greatly in terms of taste and tenderness. The five main choices, however, are the rib-eye, tenderloin, sirloin, T-bone, and rump.

The rib-eye steak is one of the most popular because it's naturally very tender and more marbled compared to other cuts. It also has a rich beef flavor. The tenderloin is a little more expensive but it has very little fat and is ideal for the health conscious. On the contrary, sirloin and the rump steak are two of the cheaper premier steaks because they have the tendency to be a little tough. If you're looking for full flavored meat, the T-bone is your best option as it is characterized by a strong beef taste.

Aside from the cut, make sure that the meat you purchase is at least an inch to an inch and a half thick, as anything thinner will dry out easily.

Let it Set. When buying meat for steak it is always advised that you purchase ones that are fresh and not frozen. If you have no choice, however, allow your steaks to set to room temperature before grilling them. As much as possible, take them out from the refrigerator and let them thaw for 30-60 minutes. A cold steak will contract when the heat hits it and will cause it to toughen. You don't want to make that mistake.

Seasoning the Meat. Some people like to season their beef cuts with salt right before cooking but because salt brings moisture to the surface of the steak, when you grill it the result may be something similar to a steam where the meat cooks through yet the surface remains brownish. Therefore, it would be a good idea to leave the steaks as they are and instead season them to your liking when they're already done.

Some chefs, however, employ the steak salt curing method where both sides of the cut are covered in kosher or sea salt and left to sit at room temperature for an hour. After, the steaks are patted down with paper towels until they are completely dry. This thoroughly salted them as the meat absorbs the salt completely but does not leave any out on the surface.

Grilling. The secret to grilling the perfect steak is the heat. You want to make sure that you preheat your grill to as hot as it can get. The ideal temperature when you set the meat down is one that will cook the steak to the desired doneness in the shortest amount of time without burning the surface. A sure way not to mess this up is to use a cooking thermometer.

The doneness of the meat is another very tricky step and will possibly take a bit of practice before you master it. Some people use a meat thermometer to test it, as the general rule is that a rare steak will have a temperature reading of 120 degrees F, medium rare 125 degrees F, and medium 130 degrees F. But this can also vary depending on the thickness of your beef cuts. Some other cooks choose to test for doneness by pressing the steak gently between their fingers. Rare will be soft and supple, well done quite firm, and medium in between.

Rest Your Steaks. You should not serve your steaks straight off the grill but instead allow them to rest on a rack covered with foil for up to 10 minutes. Resting lets the juices move back into the meat and helps them achieve full flavor and tenderness.

When you're done with these steps you can then be sure to dig in to that wonderfully flavored, tender, and excellently cooked perfect steak.