Top 5 Criteria For The Most Tender Steak

Carnivores crave a most tender, juicy steak?

Steak and potato is probably the most popular comfort food for meat-eating Americans.

My husband and I have steak at least once a week, usually on Friday’s after a long work week.

Such a simple meal requires very little clean up required.

Perfect for a Friday evening at home.

Also, cooking steak at home is much, much more economical than dining out for steak.

Lastly, you control your steak, therefore, with practice, you can cook your steak exactly like you want it.

As I promised to my subscribers, earlier this week; Here are my top 5 criteria (no particular order) for GRILLING the most TENDER, juicy steak you will ever have.

CLICK HERE FOR GRILLED STEAK TIPS RECIPE!

1. Choice of steak cut

Relative to the size of a cow, good steak cuts are proportionally small. The top choices are the following:

Tenderloin or Filet Mignon

Boneless, most expensive cut off the cow
Located in the short loin or sirloin, under the ribs
A whole tenderloin starts out wide, then tapers at the tail, the filet is from the more narrow end
Very lean, fine-grained
Best if 6-8 ounces for one portion

Strip

Short loin behind ribs
Very little fat content
10 ounce a good size for one portion

T-Bone or Porterhouse

Expensive because it usually includes part filet and part strip
Cross section of the un-filleted short loin
Can be 16-20 ounces to feed 2 people

Rib-eye

Upper rib cage area
Full of marbling
Has the best flavor but not known for being tender

2. Meat must acclimate

A few weeks ago, I wrote an article explaining the significance of letting your steak acclimate:

JoAnn’s Food Bites Acclimate For A Good Steak

I explained by removing your steak from the refrigerator, putting it on a plate; allowing it to sit out for 30 minutes prior to cooking – will help the meat retain moisture and tenderness during the cooking process.

Having a dry surface on the meat ensures juices will be retained.

Therefore, never put a COLD steak on the grill, always acclimate your steak.

3. Salt

Prior to grilling, apply salt and gently press into the cut of beef.

Salt has a high affinity for water and your steak is full of moisture, especially on the surface.

The salt will coat the meat, pulling the moisture to the surface, but the liquid will be reabsorbed during the grilling process.

Some may advise you to gently pat dry the surface of your steak, I NEVER do this. I believe this removes some of the juiciness of the meat.

If you choose to apply a dry rub to the meat, now is the time; however, if you buy high quality beef, such as PRIME or GRASS FED, why in the world would you apply a rub to mask the awesome flavor of the beef itself.

4. Avoid Overcooking

During the grilling process, you want to keep as much moisture inside the steak as possible; therefore, I advise the following process for grilling your steak.

Turn on all burners to the grill, getting the grill up to about 500º
Once hot, open the grill, turn down to medium-high for the burners you will be using; you can turn off any unused burners
Using tongs and a paper towel dipped in olive oil, lightly go back and forth on the grill grate, to get an oil coating
Immediately, apply your steaks, to the hot burners, getting a quick sear
Keep the grill lid closed as much as possible to retain heat
Once a sear has been applied to both sides (3-4 minutes per side), turn down burners to medium and cook to desired temperature

Searing traps all the moisture inside the steak

USE AN INSTANT READ THERMOMETER TO DETERMINE STEAK TEMPERATURE

A Thermapen is an expensive kitchen investment but worth every penny.

Rare = 120ºF – 125ºF Medium Rare =130ºF – 135ºF Medium = 140ºF – 145ºF

For the most tender steak, do not cook above 140º. With each passing degree, you will lose tenderness.

5. Give It a Rest

After you have grilled your steak to 130º (my ideal temp), remove from the grill, place on a platter and tent with foil.

Some may say “loosely” tent with foil, but I always curl the foil under the plate and secure it, to keep all the heat trapped.

The meat will continue cooking. Letting the meat rest for 10 minutes will result in a tender, juicy steak.

MY TOP 5 CRITERIA TO GRILLING A TENDER STEAK

1. Good cut choice of meat; filet, strip, T-Bone or rib-eye
2. Acclimate your meat
3. Apply salt to your steak
4. Do not overcook the steak, but make sure you have a good sear
5. Let the meat rest after grilling

Remember, this list only applies to grilled BEEF steaks.

Every protein has different characteristics which can alter priorities for making the meat tender.

As well as different types of BEEF must be treated differently to optimize tenderness.

Finally, the appropriate cooking method to accompany the cut of meat is crucial for ideal taste and tenderness.

CLICK HERE FOR A DELICIOUS MASHED POTATOES RECIPE TO ACCOMPANY YOUR STEAK!

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