Steaks on the Grill

[HamOnMyBones]

What are some good steaks to throw onto the grill? Something with a good meaty flavor that would be enhanced by grilling them. Or does it even matter all that much?

[Diane in Bexley]

Everyone so far has suggested specific cuts of meat. But an important tip is to have whatever meat you are going to grill be on the thick side, at least 1.5 in thick. If the protein is too thin, it will char and dry out. I like to use a 2 stage fire, one side blazing hot, the second side much less hot. Sear the meat on the hot side on both sides then finish to 10 degrees LESS than your preferred temp (I remove at 115-120 for med rare) and let sit for 5-10 min before serving or carving, to let juices re-distribute.

My personal faves in decreasing order: bone in rib, porterhouse, sirloin, flank, skirt

[ipsedixit]

Generally agree re: thickness, but this is not true for skirt steaks.

[hannaone]

Thickness depends on cuisine, for instance you could do Korean grilled steak which is very thin strips of steak cooked quickly over very high heat.

Soegogi-sogeumgui Korean Grilled Steak
쇠고기소금구이
Servings: 4

Ingredients
1 1/4 pound high quality beef sirloin, flank steak, or your favorite cut
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
6 cloves garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Suggested Accompaniments:

6 cloves raw garlic
5 to 8 hot green peppers
2 each medium heads red or green top loose leaf lettuce

Seasoned Sesame Oil:
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Ssamjang (Red Pepper Paste)
1 tablespoon soybean paste (Korean-doenjang/Japanese-Miso)
3 tablespoons gochujang (Korean chili paste)
1 each fresh red chili pepper
1 each fresh green chili pepper
4 cloves garlic
1 each green or spring onion
1 teaspoon sesame seeds
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon rice wine

Substitutes/Additions for Ssamjang
Asian chives for green onions
Shallots for green onions
Green or young garlic (similar in appearance to green onions)
coarse ground black pepper

Mustard Sauce:
2 teaspoons prepared mustard*
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon vinegar
4 teaspoons water
2 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, lime juice, white grape juice, or grapefruit juice
*Mustard
1 teaspoon Asian or Chinese style mustard powder
1 teaspoon water

Procedure

Seasoned sesame oil:
Mix all ingredients and set aside.

Ssamjang:
Fine chop (mince) the pepper, garlic, and onions.
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.
Add more water if needed to reach desired constancy.
Let stand fifteen minutes to half an hour to let flavors develop.

Mustard Sauce:
Mix mustard powder and water, then let stand ten to fifteen minutes to develop.
Place all ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix well.
Let stand fifteen to twenty minutes for flavors to develop.

Accompaniments:
Cut garlic cloves into thirds from top to bottom.
Slice the peppers on a diagonal.
Separate the lettuce leaves and rinse well in cold water, then drain.

Beef:
Wrap the beef in plastic or freezer wrap and place in freezer for about 30 minutes or until firm.
Slice the beef cross grain in thin slices, about 1/8 inch thick.
Very lightly salt and pepper the meat, then let stand fifteen minutes.
Just prior to cooking place meat in a mixing bowl, add sesame oil, and mix well.
Peel and thin slice the garlic from top to bottom.

Cooking

Very lightly oil a frying pan, heat over high heat, and quickly saute (about thirty seconds) the sliced garlic.
Remove from pan and set aside.

Grill (tabletop, stove top, or outdoor):
Place beef on hot grill and cook for about fifteen to twenty seconds per side.

Stir Fry:

Place beef in the same pan used for the garlic and stir fry over high heat for thirty to forty seconds.

Serve

Serve the cooked beef with sauces, toasted garlic, accompaniments, steamed white rice, and assorted ban chan.

Eat

Place a slice of meat dipped in any of the sauces with a slice each of pepper and raw garlic onto a lettuce leaf with a small amount of rice, wrap and eat.

[tommy]

If the steak is too thin it will char and dry out? I've found that thinner steaks cook more quickly, so they have less time to char and dry out.

[Passadumkeg]

You never specify beef, so I'll add lamb steaks, fatty, but I love the intense lamb flavor.

[c oliver]

I'm not sure I've had a lamb "steak." More details please, hb.

[carswell]

Leg of lamb steaks (tranches de gigot) aren't very fatty and they're great on the grill.

[silverhawk]

it is, like mant food choices, an on the spot decision. good rib eye might be the best, but bad rib eye--rib eye that is too much fat compared to muscle--isn't the best. strip is usually quite good and takes a high temp sear very well. rib eye needs a more gentle hand because it has more collegan--cook it hot, just not nutso hot. ribeye, in my view, should go to medium rare, while a strip is dandy at bright red rare with a char.

[duck833]

Whatever Costco has, in order of perference:

1. Rib-eye
2. Fillet
3. T-bone
4. tri tip
5. flank
6. Top sirloin

[bagelman01]

My first choice is a Porterhouse
second a Rib Steak> don't know why some persist in calling this a 'bone in rib eye' rib eye is a cut removed from the rib steak and boneless. There is NO bone that is inside the cut known as rib eye.
A marinated skirt steak is great on the grill, but try to gat an inside NOT outside skirt for more flavor
Lastly a sevn bone chuck or 'california' steak. Inexpensive and when mainated in bottled Italian dressing is great on the grill. It really has several cuts, including the flat iron steak and bone less chuck between the 2 long bones. The bones are great for gnawing and the meat very sweet. This week they were $1.69 lb her, and my dogs and I had them on the grill several times. I cut away the flat iron steaks and made them for the wife and kids. Saved about $4 lb on those.

[steakman55]

You might check with Lobel in NY, which is one of the top purveyors of quality prime dry aged beef in the US. They sell a "bone in rib" steak......So does Niman Ranch, another top purveyor..... so does Stockyards....so does Allen Brothers.......so does Harris Ranch....

[steakman55]

Yep; bone in ribeye. Ribeye has the most flavor because it has the most fat. Bone in makes it even more flavorful and juicy. I usually open up the ribeye and cut out the huge threads of fat and the big quarter-sized blob, and put them back together with skewers, season with kosher salt and coarse pepper, and grill. They have enough fat/marbling without those big veins of fat, and it keeps flareups down. Best of all, they are almost impossible to mess up. If you overcook a little, they are still great; not like a strip or God forbid, a filet. People eat filet for the tenderness, not the flavor, for they have none.

[Uncle Bob]

Agree with the above....Another one....Top Sirloin!

[ipsedixit]

T-Bone (or Porterhouse) and skirt.

[carswell]

If meaty flavour's what you're after, avoid fillet.

Rib eyes are classic. T-bones and strip steaks can be great. Flank and hanger are among the meatiest.

[paprkutr]

Bone in ribeye

[LaLa]

second the bone in ribeye

[HamOnMyBones]

ribeye worked great. thanks for all the helpful advice