Best Boneless Cuts For Grilling: Ribeye Top Loin Or Top Sirloin
For a boneless cut, look for ribeye, top loin, or top sirloin.
- Ribeye is cut from the center portion of the rib, same as a prime rib. These steaks are well marbled, very juicy, and have a full beef flavor.
- Top loin is cut from behind the ribs and is also known as strip steak, Kansas City steak, or New York strip. Its full-flavored and very tender.
- Top sirloin steak is cut from the hip of the cow and is also called London Broil. Top sirloin steaks vary in tenderness and marbling and are leaner than the other two boneless options.
Make A Fashionable Choice: Skirt Steak
Often used to make fajitas, skirt steak has been enjoying more popularity these days, and this cut can be a great change of pace. Because skirt steak is made up of many different muscle fibers, it is typically subjected to a marinade for at least 30 minutes. This infusion of flavor takes your steak game beyond the typical salt, pepper, and steak seasoning spice blends.
Common marinades for skirt steak incorporate some type of acid, usually citrus juice or vinegar. This helps to break down the muscle fibers while also adding sour notes to the steak. If you’re looking for an herby skirt steak recipe, use a marinade with lemon juice, lemon zest, olive oil, garlic, shallot, herbs, and red pepper. Or you could go outside the box with a miso-marinated skirt steak that includes soy sauce, sesame oil, chili-garlic sauce, sugar, ginger, and garlic.
Even after a good marinade, there’s still work to be done to ensure your skirt steak doesn’t turn chewy. After your steak comes up to room temperature, sear each side for no more than two minutes apiece. The ideal temperature for skirt steak is medium rare, so a bit of time under indirect heat may be necessary, but you’ll want to avoid going anywhere past medium.
How To Grill Hamburgers
Growing up, I watched my Dad grill burgers that swelled up like meatballs on the grate. Under heat, hamburger patties shrink and swell up in the middle. Years later, I learned to prevent this by using my thumb to place a dimple in the bottom of the patty. This allows the burger to expand, but not swell up. Goodbye, Dad burgers!
When flipping burgers, or any beef on the grill, be sure to place the burger down in a different spot from where you lifted it. The grill grate does not have time to reclaim heat in the few seconds it takes to flip a burger. Find a new hot spot to generate a new sear and continue the cook.
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Check The Color Texture And Smell Of The Cut To Make Sure It Is Fresh
Another tip to buy a good cut of beef for grilling is to check if it is fresh or not.
The fresher the meat is, the tastier your dish will be.
The color of the beef should be dark red but bright instead of dull, glowy, and sticky when touched.
It shouldnt be any weird spot or smell from the cut too.
How To Choose The Best Cut Of Steak
For just about any steak, its especially important to look at thickness. Although thinner cuts of steak can cook just fine on the grill or in the oven, theyre a little more difficult to master. An extra 30 seconds or minute too long, and your delicious steak can turn into a not-so-tempting hockey puck. Thicker cuts allow you a little more time to play with, so you can get the perfect grill marks and cook without overcooking it. Of course, the right thickness can vary with your preferences, but its a good idea to choose a cut thats at least 1-inch thick for any cooking method.
Then, look at the marbling. See those white lines running through each cut? Thats marbling, which is another name for the fat that runs through the steak, almost like thin veins. You think you dont want fat in your steak, right? Thats a common thought, but naturally occurring marbling through the muscle is what gives your steak tenderness and flavor. As it cooks, the fat renders itself down, creating the excellent texture and rich steak flavor you expect. So, the right amount of fat is a good thing! Of course, you dont want a fatty steak, so look for nice, thin lines of marbling rather than chunks of fat.
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What Makes A Good Cut Of Steak
- Marbling is the presence of intramuscular fat, and it creates a yin to the yang of muscle. This fat adds immense flavor, tenderness, and moisture. The more marbled the steak, the higher the fat content.
- Bone-in vs. boneless: Bone-in meat takes longer to cook, but the bone helps seal in moisture and adds a lot of flavor. The saying, “the closer to the bone, the sweeter the meat” didn’t come from nowhere.
- USDA grading: The national meat grading scale in the United States, developed by the United States Department of Agriculture, is based on the meat’s level of maturity and marbling. There are eight grades, and from highest grade to lowest, they are Prime, Choice, Select, Standard, Commercial, Utility, Cutter, and Canner. Read more about USDA grading on the agency’s website.
- Dry aging: Dry-aging is the process of aging beef in a controlled, open-air environment. This removes moisture from the surface of the meat, which causes the enzymes in the beef to slowly break down and form a crust to which bacteria and mold attach . The inside stays bright red and moist, and the resulting flavor is as rich, full-bodied, and nutty-tasting as beef gets.
- Tenderness: The presence of soft muscle tissue and fat are what create tenderness. While tenderness is coveted, it is by no means necessary, and a tougher cut of meat can be compensated for with a proper cooking method .
It Is Best To Buy A Cut With Marbling Fat And A Moderately Tender Texture
The best cut for grilling will be a cut with a perfect marbling fat content.
A sufficient amount of fat is enough to moisten the meat, making it juicier and more flavorful without being too greasy.
Moreover, the ideal texture for grilling is moderately tender to tender because a tough cut will take a lot of time to cook.
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The Absolute Best Cuts Of Meat For Grilling
Your grill is capable of far more than just hamburgers and hot dogs. The summer months are the time for your grill to shine. The smell of the smoke and the taste of the grill marks are iconic sensory pleasures that should be pushed to their full potential. Your local butcher shop is sure to be stocked with cuts of meat fit for serving everything from large gatherings to a simple summer date night between you and your better half.
Not only does the food coming off your grill taste better because you’re sharing the experience with the ones you love in the sunshine, but finding new things to throw on the grill will make the whole experience more exciting. But no matter what you place on your grill this summer, it is sure to be mouthwatering. Here are the best cuts of meat to grill that can nourish, impress, or introduce new flavors to anyone you welcome to your home.
Choosing The Right Meat For The Grill And How To Grill It
Do you get bored with the same meats on your grill week after week? You shouldnt have to because there are so many different options. A perfect backyard BBQ meal is the result of a combination of the right cut and type of meat and cooking technique.
If you are ready to take your grilling game to the next level, here is what you need to know.
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Denver Steak Is A Diamond In The Rough
Back the 2000s, researchers at Colorado State University’s Center for Meat Safety & Quality were looking for a way to upgrade low-value steaks, when meat scientist Dale Woerner identified a shoulder cut that had previously been ignored .
The cow’s shoulder area, also known as the chuck area, is known for tasty cuts. However, these cuts then tend to have a lot of connective tissue that is typically broken down with low-and-slow cooking. However, the meat surrounding a bone in the shoulder has much less connective tissue, making it an ideal steak.
Because there is a significant amount of connective tissue in a Denver steak, a sear-it-and-forget-it approach isn’t the best strategy. Rather, this cut benefits hugely from either a reverse sear or sous vide cooking . These methods involve cooking the steak slowly at first to break down some connective tissue and then finishing with a sear. To reverse sear on your grill, start by cooking the steak with indirect heat until it reaches around 100 F. If you’re going with a sous-vide method, cook the steak for 2 hours at 130 F, and then finish with a quick sear on each side. As with other lesser cuts of steak, it’s important to cut a Denver steak against the grain after a long rest.
How To Pick The Right Cut Of Meat
Depending on your needs, some cuts are better than others.
Woman holding packet of beef in supermarket
Noel Hendrickson, Noel Hendrickson
If youre showing off a marinade, pick up a beef tri-tip. This uneven, triangular cut comes from the bottom sirloin, and its loose, fibrous texture makes it ideal for marinades.
If youre experimenting with a rub, try skirt or flank steak. These loose, thin cuts cook quickly and best when seared on the outside, perfect for turning a spice rub into a crackly, savory crust. Skirt and flank steak are served thinly sliced against the grain, making for the tenderest bite, and complete with concentrated bits of rub found only on the surface area of each slice.
If youre on a budget, go with beef sirloin or chicken wings. Sirloin delivers beefy, rich flavor, though its quite lean and can dry out when overcooked. This makes it great for skewers, which are also a nice way to stretch the dollar when it comes to sticking to a meat budget. Chicken wings are an inexpensive yet tasty cut, as they come with as much flavorful bone and sinew as they do meat.
If price is no object, treat yourself to porterhouse steak. Two cuts of beef NY strip and filet mignon are separated by a juicy bone on this steak. Meat shrinks as it cooks, which may result in a protruding bone on a porterhouse this is less than ideal when pan-searing a steak, but perfect when cooking on a grill, over a direct source of heat.
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The Absolute Best Cuts Of Steak To Grill
Is there anything like grilling a steak? Done correctly, with a cold beer as your copilot, putting beef to flame is as calm and centering as a guided mediation. The Zen Art of Carnivorism. Peace begins with steak.
As your guide on this metaphysical journey, it behooves us to say: We don’t blame you if you’d prefer to plunk down a few extra bucks for the good stuff. However, there are cuts worthy of a spot on your grill that can fit any budget. Just keep in mind whether the steak you choose would benefit from a marinade or may require some extra care while cooking.
You’re likely familiar with most of the chart toppers on this list. But we’ve also included some underrated options and some cuts that have become more popular in recent years. Come for the rib-eye, stay for the flat iron. These are the absolute best cuts of steak for a grill.
How To Grill A Steak:
Ok, you bought a great steak and you prepared it well! Now, lets cook it!
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Why You Should Rest Your Grilled Meat
Since I last wrote about resting your meat, there have been some questions called as to the validity of the science behind it. Here is the prevalent theory as to why resting your steak is important :
“As the steak cooks, the muscle fibers on its exterior tighten, squeezing juices out of its surface. This creates an imbalance of juice in its interior, with most of the liquid being concentrated at the center of the meat. If you cut the steak open as soon as it comes off the grill, the juice has only one place to goonto your plate. On the other hand, allow the steak to rest until its temperature has normalized, and the juices will distribute themselves more evenly throughout its interior. Cut the steak open, and the juice stays put exactly where it’s supposed to be: in the meat.”
However, Nathan Myhrvold of the James Beard 2012 Cookbook of the Year Modernist Cuisine says otherwise. His claim is that it’s not so much about redistribution of moisture, but that it’s about the relative viscosity of hot vs. cool liquids. The juices stay in place because they’ve managed to thicken up a bit as they cool.
In either case, the fact remains: resting your meat works. That said, if you are using the reverse-sear method, then resting is largely unnecessary: the steak cooked gently enough that there is not a large temperature gradient inside it anyway.
Q: Should I pre-carve my steak before serving?
Isn’t that pretty?
Q: Do you have a favorite steak knife or serving tool?
The Best Cuts Of Meat For Grilling
Hotdogs and hamburgers are always popular for grilling. Just about everyone eats them and theyre tough to screw up, and if youre feeling fancy, there are plenty of ways to make burgers juicier and tastier. However, putting a nice cut of beef on the grill is where a true master shines.
The classic cuts, like a rib-eye or porterhouse, are always tasty. They can be pricier though, and are best if youre just grilling for yourself or one or two people. There are a number of cuts of beef that are just as tasty, but less well known and less expensive, too.
There are 14 major cuts of beef and then a whole range of subcuts. Some need to be cooked slow or seasoned to bring out the most flavor. Many, however, are best when grilled, with just a bit of sauce or seasoning.
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If You’re In A Grilling Rut It’s Time To Switch Things Up Check Out Our Favorite Steaks To Toss On The Grill
I dont know about you, but I often find myself in a grilling rut. Week after week, Im grilling up the same top sirloin steak, a round of burgers and vegetable skewers. Well, its time to break out of that routine! Theres a whole world of meats you didnt know you could ask for at the butcher counter. But sometimes its hard to make changeshow do you know which is the best steak for grilling and which should be saved for other cooking methods? As a former restaurant chef, I know all about the different cuts of beef. There are many steaks well-marbled and tender enough to simply toss on the grill, and there are a few that benefit from some marinade. And then, there are a few cuts Id avoid completely when it comes to the grill. Lets take a peek at which steaks fall into which category.
Best Beef For Grilling: What Cuts Of Beef Are Ideal For Grilling
This article will be about the best beef for grilling.
There are many cuts of meat that can be used on a grill, but it is important to know which ones have the right fat content and flavor profile to make your dish outstanding.
Lets get started!
Grilling is a perfect cooking method when it comes to winter days.
Among different kinds of meat, beef is an ideal option of meat for this cooking technique.
Grilling might seem like a simple task, but to have a juicy steak over an open flame, you will need to choose the best cut of beef.
Here are our tips that will help you out:
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Whether You Prefer Boneless Or Bone
The best cuts of beef for a juicy steak are well-marbled cuts with visible flecks of white fat throughout the cut.
The USDAs beef grading system helps with this: beef graded as prime has the most marbling and is cut from young, well-fed cattle beef graded as choice has less marbling but will still be tender, juicy, and flavorful. Both are ideal choices for grilling!
More specifically, here are the beef cuts that are a cut above the rest for the grill, at least!
