_grilling Guide Beef Recipes

_STEAK ON THE GRILL: SIZZLING SENSATIONS

Steps:

• Buy The Best. No, we don't mean filet mignon every night. Just follow your appetite (sirloin tonight?), then scrutinize the cuts before you. You can't go wrong with prime, but chances are you're going to be choosing between Choice and Select at the average grocery store. Go for Choice. (If the steak grades aren't on the packages, ask the folks behind the counter.) Look for bright red meat and hunt down the ones with the finest flecks/streaks of fat. But don't assume that cheaper or leaner cuts can't deliver on flavor. Flank and skirt steaks, once considered culinary stepchildren, are now very popular--just take that extra tenderizing step and you've got a fine meal.Tidy Up And Dress Up. Trimming steaks is easy because the fat is usually around the outer edge. Leave about 1/4 inch of fat for flavor--more will just invite flare-ups. If you're not using a recipe, a light coating of the best extra-virgin olive oil you can afford and a generous sprinkle of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper is all the seasoning you need for a tasty beef experience.Get Hot, Not Bothered. Get that cooking grate searing hot! Charcoal grillers, be sure to place the cooking grate on the grill and close the lid for several minutes before you place the steaks on it. You want those steaks to sizzle when they hit the metal. Sear steaks over Direct High heat for a few minutes on each side to get great grill marks (for tips on how to make perfect grill marks, see the sidebar on page 107). Depending on your preferred doneness, you can finish your steak over Direct High or Medium heat (Medium is better for marinade-coated steaks). Know When To Turn Them. If you're used to the old "cut and peek" method of checking doneness (we can't think of a surer way to mar a lovely steak), here's a great trick. When meat heats up on the grill, the juices inside rise to the surface. You can tell a steak's doneness by the color of the juices on top of it. For rare steaks, turn while the juices are red. For medium steaks, turn when they're pink. And for well done, wait until they are clear. Note the time they've been cooking. After you turn them, wait the same number of minutes to pull them off the grill. Voilà. You are a steak-grilling genius! If you're grilling steaks to different doneness levels, keep the finished ones warm under foil on individual plates. Be sure to drizzle any escaped juices back over the respective steaks when you serve them.And Finally, A Word About Steak Sauce. We used to be against this stuff. Somehow, pouring bottled anything onto your grilled masterpiece just seemed wrong. So we started experimenting in the kitchen and guess what? Making your own just adds to the pleasure, not to mention the flavor! While virgin grilled beef will always be near and dear to us, we have experienced some breathless moments with the artful drizzle. Check out our recipes--crafted to match the marinades and rubs we've developed--and see if they don't heighten the flavor.From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

_A GRILLER'S STEAK GLOSSARY

Steps:

• Porterhouse: This hulky cut, taken from the large end of the short loin, can weigh up to 2 1?2 pounds. Be prepared to shell out some bucks for this one. Fortunately, you can feed more than one person with it--if you can convince folks to share. T-Bone: A smaller version of the porterhouse, cut from the narrow end of the short loin. Prized for its tastiness, which many believe comes in part from the bone. Strip Steak: Favored by many steak lovers, strip steaks are cut from the center of the top loin and sometimes have a long slice of bone along one side (actually the long bone of the T-bone). These steaks are known by different names in different regions. Aliases include: New York strip, Kansas City strip, shell, Delmonico, Ambassador, hotel cut, sirloin club, and top loin. Delicious by any name! Rib-Eye: Exceedingly tender and richly flavored, rib-eye is cut from the muscle behind the ribs. If it has a bone attached it's called rib steak. Give it a good sear and maybe a splash of homemade steak sauce. Don't forget the ranch-style pinto beans on the side. Filet Mignon: Pure, trimmed tenderloin, filets mignons (add an "s" to each word to make the plural) are meaty cylindrical pieces cut up to 2 inches thick. Grilling over High heat is the best way to prepare these fork-tender beauties. London Broil: Usually a flank steak but also a catchall name for any cut of meat that is broiled or grilled over Direct heat and then sliced across the grain. Sirloin: The term "sirloin steak" covers a lot of turf. The sirloin (which is also cut into roasts) is the section between the tender short loin and the tougher round. Steaks can be cut from the top or bottom portions of this section. Top sirloin steaks are more tender than bottom sirloin steaks, but a good marinating session for the latter can even out the difference. Go for top sirloin when you can afford it. Tri-Tip: This lesser-known gem is a thick, lean, triangular cut from the bottom sirloin. Some call it a roast. If you can find it, treasure it. Tri-tip is terrific grilled medium rare and sliced thin like a London broil--an outstanding choice for steak salads and sandwiches. Aliases include tip roast and sirloin bottom butt also found cut into tip steaks. Flank Steak: Cut from the lean flank and with virtually no marbling, the relatively inexpensive flank steak is best when pounded or tenderized by a high-acid marinade. Lime juice and red wine are popular ingredients. For some reason, this rather pedestrian cut often gets jazzed up in pinwheel-like beef rolls, perhaps evidence that cooks on a budget can still be pretty creative. Skirt Steak: Also cut from the flank, the thin and flat skirt steak is what makes beef fajitas so good. Grill it quickly over High heat to tenderize it and coax out its flavor. A marinade is good for it, too. Treat it right and this lean, inexpensive cut will reward you handsomely.From Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.

_GRILLING GUIDE: BEEF

Steps:

• Cut:Steak: New York, porterhouse, rib-eye, T-bone, or tenderloin Thickness and/or Weight: 3/4 inch thick Approximate Grilling Time: 8 to 10 minutes Direct Medium Thickness and/or Weight: 1 inch thick Approximate Grilling Time: 10 to 12 minutes Direct Medium Thickness and/or Weight: 1 1/4 inches thick Approximate Grilling Time: 14 to 16 minutes: sear 10 minutes Direct High, grill 4 to 6 minutes Indirect Medium Thickness and/or Weight: 1 1/2 inches thick Approximate Grilling Time: 16 to 18 minutes: sear 10 minutes Direct High, grill 6 to 8 minutes Indirect Medium Thickness and/or Weight: 2 inches thick Approximate Grilling Time: 20 to 24 minutes: sear 10 minutes Direct High, grill 10 to 14 minutes Indirect MediumSkirt steak Thickness and/or Weight: 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick Approximate Grilling Time: 5 to 7 minutes Direct HighFlank steak Thickness and/or Weight: 1 1/2 to 2 pounds, 3/4 inch thick Approximate Grilling Time: 12 to 15 minutes Direct MediumKabob Thickness and/or Weight: 1 to 1 1/2 inch cubes Approximate Grilling Time: 10 to 12 minutes Direct MediumTenderloin, whole Thickness and/or Weight: 3 1/2 to 4 pounds Approximate Grilling Time: 35 to 50 minutes (medium rare): sear 20 minutes Direct Medium, grill 15 to 30 minutes Indirect MediumGround beef patty Thickness and/or Weight: 3/4 inch thick Approximate Grilling Time: 8 to 10 minutes Direct MediumRib-eye roast, boneless Thickness and/or Weight: 5 to 6 pounds Approximate Grilling Time: 1 1/2 to 2 hours Indirect MediumTri-tip roast Thickness and/or Weight: 2 to 2 1/2 pounds Approximate Grilling Time: 30 to 40 minutes: sear 10 minutes Direct High, grill 20 to 30 minutes Indirect MediumRib roast Thickness and/or Weight: 12 to 14 pounds Approximate Grilling Time: 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 hours Indirect MediumVeal loin chop Thickness and/or Weight: 1 inch thick Approximate Grilling Time: 10 to 12 minutes Direct MediumFrom Weber's Big Book of Grilling. Copyright © 2001 Weber-Stephen Products Co. All rights reserved. First published by Chronicle Books LLC, San Francisco, California.