Steak Toppers

Here are a few of our favorite steak toppers if you are looking to jazz up your steak with some additional flavors. 

Pat of Butter- a must while the steak rests before serving

Garlic butter- make your own of course!  Use fresh minced garlic for best flavor.

Blue Cheese crumbles-  adds a wonderful complimentary flavor

Sauteed Mushrooms-  slice and sautee in butter or olive oil

Sauteed Onions- slice onions and sautéed in butter until lightly carmelized

Lump Meat Crab-  Warm backfin lump crab in butter.  Phillips Seafood makes a wonderful pasteurized lump crab in a can.  Closest to fresh as you can get—find at Costco in the refrigerated section, make sure you buy the lump meat,not backfin or claw.

 

These are our favorites—there are many others that range from salsa to fruits, other cheeses, butters & herbs. 

Whatever your topper make sure that you allow your steak to rest after grilling.  Meat tightens up during the cooking process—serving immediately would be a disservice to the meat and to the one eating it.  By allowing the meat to “rest” for 3-5 minutes juices will return to the center of the meat and the meat will relax making for a more tender bite.

 

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Grain Fed Beef is Better

If you’re looking for a succulent steak that is full of flavor and still tender then grab the Grain fed beef. There seems to be a  a push promoting grass fed beef as better, but have you actually chewed a grass fed steak?  It’s not what I would describe as tender.  In fact, someone described it to me once as chewing on shoe leather.   Don’t get me wrong, grass fed beef can have nice flavor, but the steaks are lacking tenderness due to the meat being so lean.  Grass fed beef lacks the high level of marbling found in grain fed beef.  This marbling is what gives the diner the juicy tender bites that make eating a great steak so enjoyable.  So what’s better?   For me, a steak that is succulent and tender is better— when I eat a steak I’m not selecting it for its leanness.  If I’m going to eat a steak, I want to eat a steak that has nice marbling, chews tenderly, melts in my mouth and gives my taste buds total satisfaction.  If I want something lean, I opt for chicken or fish.  If you want to try grain fed beef, go for the burger.  Otherwise, if you are looking for that perfect steak you’ll enjoy off the grill, Grab the Grain Fed Beef.

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Marinade for Lamb Chops

This marinade is a wonderful compliment to lamb chops.   

Tip:  Make in a Mortar & Pestle .  Use the head of the pestle to grind the salt into the herbs, which aides in extracting the natural oils.  These oils penetrate into the meat complimenting the flavor of the lamb.  If you don’t have a mortar & pestle use a glass bowl and work salt into herbs with a spoon.

Ingredients:

1 tsp salt

1 tsp paprika

¼ tsp pepper

2-3 cloves fresh garlic minced

Fresh Rosemary from 1 large sprig- Chopped

2 – 3 TBSP Olive Oil

 

Once ingredients are ground together allow them to sit for 5- 10 minutes.  Pat lamb chops on both sides with marinade and let sit for 20- 30 minutes prior to grilling

This is a favorite and we are sure it will be one for you as well.

 

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Grilling Tips for Steaks

GrillingTips for Steaks

PREP STEAKS

1. Allow steaks to come to room temperature prior to grilling.  This allows for even cooking.
2. Season meat is you wish.  We suggest keeping it simple with light distribution of salt, pepper and garlic.

 

PREP GRILL

1. Pre-Heat Grill.  

 

Gas Grill- set on high to allow grill to reach high temperature.  Wait approximately 10- 15 minutes after lighting.

 

Charcoal Grill-  Grill is ready once coals are red hot with presence of white ash.

 

GRILL STEAKS

1. Sear steaks on grill for 2 minutes.  This helps seal in the steaks juices.  After searing, turn down grill ( gas grill) or move to indirect heat (charcoal grill).
2. Continue to cook steaks.  Once droplets of blood or juices form on top of steak it is time to turn steaks (approximately 6- 9 minutes for 2” steak).  Do not pierce meat with fork or knife.  This will cause flavorful juices to purge.  Use a spatula or tongs to turn steaks.
3. Cook meat until desired doneness.  

Medium Rare- Cool, reddish pink center (or 145° F)

Medium- Warm pink center (or 160°F).

1. Remove steaks from the grill and place a pat of butter on each steak.  Allow them to rest for 3- 5 minutes before serving.   This allows juices to return to center of meat as meat tightens while cooking. 

 

** Bone-In steaks (ie:  Cowboy Cut or Porterhouse) will take longer to cook than boneless steaks.

 

 

 

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Why USDA Prime

Why USDA Prime

Have ever wondered what quality of steaks you were really buying?  There are so many names out there….Premium, Prime, Choice, Private Reserve, Select.  What do they mean?  Well, many names are not actual “grades” given by the USDA, but merely marketing names.  Many times these names attached to steaks are geared to give the appearance of a high quality steak, when in fact, they are merely fancy descriptions.  The USDA (United States Dept of Agriculture) sets the standards for inspectors on how to “grade” beef.  When talking in terms of grading steaks, there are 3 basic quality levels of Graded beef. 

The HIGHEST quality Grade issued by the USDA is “USDA Prime“.  USDA Prime makes up less than 2% of all graded beef.  USDA Prime has abundant marbling and is generally only sold to high end hotels and restaurants.  There are also some high end mail order steak companies who also offer USDA Prime.  More tha likely, you won’t find USDA Prime in your local grocery store.

The next quality grade given is USDA Choice.  This grade of beef is a nice quality, but has less marbling than USDA Prime.  Marbling is what give your steaks succulent flavor and tenderness.

USDA Select is the final and lowest quality grade given by the USDA.  This grade is described as fairly tender with less marbling than the higher grades.  It may also lack flavor and juiciness than higher grades.

So, as you can see, it really matters what’s in a name!!  Don’t be fooled if you see a steak marketed as ”prime”.  If you are looking for the best and highest quaity graded steak, make sure it says “USDA Prime“.  Then you can be assured that you will be dining on the finest graded steak available. 

 

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