Holiday Gifts More Meaningful in Economic Crisis
With the holidays approaching and the economy sliding into a fearful unknown, many question what they will do both personally and corporately for holiday gifts this season. Now more than ever, American’s need comfort, reasurrance and acknowledgement of genuine appreciation. More and more people may turn to gifts that are personal and give a genuine feeling of warmth to the recipient. It is my opinion that trinket type gifts and other such non-personal ”things” will be far less this holiday season. Instead, we’ll see less overall in the number of gifts, but higher quality both peronsally and in business. When seeking these types of gifts many may turn to mail order gourmet foods which range from fine wines to 5-star steaks.
Temper Steaks Before Grilling
Steaks for dinner? Be sure to temper those steaks before hitting the grill. What does that mean? Well, the best way to ruin a good steak, or any steak for that matter, is to grill a cold steak. Don’t take your steak from the refrigerator straight to the grill. I can almost assure you that you’ll be disappointed after the first bite. Steaks need to temper or sit out for about 30 minutes at room temperature before they touch the grill. The biggest advantage to tihs is for even cooking. Grilling a cold steak results in either an overcooked steak or most certainly an unevenly cooked steak. At some point all of us in our rush to fix dinner have thrown a cold steak on the grill only to discover the middle cooked perfectly (maybe) and other areas of the steak overcooked.
So, STOP, take out those steaks and let them temper while you make the salad, enjoy an appetizer or a glass of wine. A good steak was meant to be enjoyed and savored. Wait that extra few minutes so you’ll enjoy that first bite and every bite.
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.
Grilling Tips for Steaks
GrillingTips for Steaks
PREP STEAKS
- Allow steaks to come to room temperature prior to grilling. This allows for even cooking.
- Season meat is you wish. We suggest keeping it simple with light distribution of salt, pepper and garlic.
PREP GRILL
- 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
- 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).
- 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.
- Cook meat until desired doneness.
Medium Rare- Cool, reddish pink center (or 145° F)
Medium- Warm pink center (or 160°F).
- 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.
