Grilling guide: Steak

Canadians love to sink their teeth into a juicy grilling steak. Here are the top five grilling steaks that are best for tenderness and rich flavour; they’re perfect for the grill.

• Top sirloin: Top sirloin offers a leaner cut bursting with bold beef flavour.
• Tenderloin:  Also known as filet mignon, tenderloin is the most luxurious and tender cut.
• Ribeye: A steakhouse favourite, ribeye is rich and flavourful. There is a lot of fat marbling throughout.
• T-Bone: The icon of steak, t-bone – which is also called a porterhouse – is two steaks in one: tenderloin on one side and strip loin on the other.
• Strip loin: A strip loin, or New York, steak has fine marbling and delivers exceptional flavour and tenderness.

Flavour

Flavour is a personal preference and can be added before or after grilling. The simplest method is to just to add salt and pepper to both sides of the steak before you place it on the grill. You can also use other seasonings and spice rubs like CO-OP GOLD Montreal Steak Spice.

Steak is best at its most basic. However, you may choose to add barbecue sauce when the steak is nearly finished – to prevent sugars in the sauce from burning. Alternatively, serve the barbecue sauce as a condiment on the side, which can also be done with compound butter.

Another way to add flavour to your steak is to use a marinade. A marinade, or even coarse salt itself, will increase tenderness and flavour of steaks. To marinade:

1. Pierce your steak with a fork.
2. Place in a freezer bag with the marinade. The time can be as short as an hour or as long as overnight.
3. Discard the marinade and pat the steak dry.
4. Start grilling.

Watch Chef Dale MacKay grill the perfect steak.

Grill

To get great crosshatch grill marks like a steakhouse, preheat your grill to high and lightly oil to prevent sticking.

Place steaks on medium-hot grill, lined up in the same direction. After two minutes, use tongs to rotate each steak 90 degrees to make a square crosshatch. Repeat on the other side of the steak.

Multiple flips can help ensure even cooking. Be careful not to play too much as opening your barbecue lid will reduce heat and increase cook time.

Time on the grill is dependent on the steak thickness and on individuals’ preferences. Canada Beef offers a chart of estimated grill times, but the surefire way to check doneness is to use a meat thermometer – from 145 F (63 C) for medium-rare to 170 F (77 C) for well done.

Let the meat rest off the grill for a few minutes before serving to prevent the steak’s juices from running all over the plate when it’s cut into.

If you have any questions about cuts or cook times, or would like your steak cut to a specific thickness, please speak with the butcher at your local Co-op Food Store.