Steaks, Steaks, & MORE Steaks!!!!

           Great cuts of prime beef, grilled to perfection, and served with a loaded baked potato.... YES, it's STEAK!!! An amazing steak, whether you enjoy it rare (like me) or well done, requires a lot of love and preparation before you fire up that grill. 

       A great steak begins with the right marbleization. Marbled steaks means the fat content that is distributed throughout the meat. Yes, the less fat, the leaner the steak, but marbled steaks means more flavor. It makes your grill melt the fat into the actual meat and distribute that throughout the steak which causes it to be a juicy and succulent piece of meat.

       

           There are six different zones to cut from that gives us eight different steaks. T-BONE-Which is a combination of a FILET & a STRIP. PORTERHOUSE- Is a larger version of this. FILET- Which is the leanest cut of tenderloin. STRIP- Which yields medium marblelization, can either be called a New York strip (No Bone) or just Strip (With Bone). RIB- Which is where Prime Rib cuts comes from. Also, the Ribeye comes from this part that has the Ribeye Roast. ROUND- Rump Roast, Eye of Round, and Sirloin Tips can be found here. Also, these cuts have the highest marbleization (or fat content) of all steaks. SIRLOIN- Either the Top Sirloin or the Bottom Sirloin comes from the SIRLOIN. FLANK- Hangar, Skirt, and Flank Steaks are part of this family. The most popular cut from this section is the London Broil. Now also, steaks in this section require the most marinating in order to achieve the tenderness that's desired because of the minimal amount of fat contents within.

            You've all been to the grocery stores, butchers or even restaurants and have read the labels with U.S.D.A. Grade SELECT, Grade CHOICE, and Grade PRIME. These grades determine how much marblelization there are in steaks and the quality of beef it is. SELECT- Which is the most common can be found in your local grocers as well as your farmer's markets. Also, it has little or no fat content at all. CHOICE- Can be found in grocery stores as well as some restaurants, a bit on the pricier side, but they have a medium marblelization content and yield a better flavor. PRIME- Which is my all time favorite only produces 2% of the cuts. These steaks are reserved for the BEST of the BEST restaurants, country clubs, etc. Once you've had PRIME, you don't want any other steak in LIFE!! 

            In conclusion whether you're making a great ribeye or an amazing strip, steaks are so versatile and flavorful in ANY dish!! Grill & chill with all of your wonderful Tasty Bites that you create this Summer!!

Chef Tara L. Browning


P.S.- Listed below is a site I found on how to cook the perfect steak!!! ENJOY!!  =)


http://www.heb.com/page/recipes-cooking/cooking-tips/grill-time-temperature-steak