Barbecue and Grilling:
Grilling Tips (BBQ Tip)

How to Pick Your Steak

Leaner cuts (less marbling) have more flavor but tend to be a bit tougher if cooked past medium. The sirloin, New York, round and flank fall into this category.

The most marbled cut is the rib-eye. Often called a cowboy steak. It is cut from the same piece of meat as the prime rib. It has flavor and tenderness but has more fat in it. It remains a good steak even cooked well done.

The most tender but not necessarily the most flavorful steak is the tenderloin. It is a muscle that is hardly used by the animal, so it eats very soft. It has little marbling but remains tender because of the fine muscle texture. A prized piece of meat and the most expensive cut of beef. Best if ordered up to medium but remains tender, although slightly dry if ordered well done.

Most Flavor: Sirloin and New York
Most Tender: Rib-Eye and Tenderloin

Checking for Doneness Using the Touch Method

I've worked in steak houses as a chef more many years. When you have a five by three foot grill loaded with steaks, fish, veggies and ribs, you have to be able to tell if your meat is cooked properly by touching it. Here is the story I use to train a broiler cook. It seems to be pretty fool-proof, depending on the fool.

For rare, let your left hand hang loose in front of you. Poke your right index finger into the fleshy part of your left hand between your index finger and thumb. It will offer very little resistance and is soft and pliable. This is how a steak cooked rare will feel to the touch.

For medium rare, extend the same left hand but this time spread out your fingers and poke the same spot with your right index finger. You'll see that it is firmer and a little springy to the touch. This is how a steak cooked medium rare will feel.

For medium, make a fist with your left hand and poke again. It should feel firm and only give a little. This is how the medium steak will feel.

For those how like their meat well done, guess how that feels. Very firm!

Steven Raichlen’s Top 10
Tips for Great Grilled Steak

Choose the right steak. Rib-eye or flank, t-bone or top round – there’s a choice for every type of grill, fire, budget and taste.

Choose the right seasoning. Use rubs, marinades, sauces, butters and bastes to add an extra dimension of flavor. Even something as basic as sea salt and cracked black pepper adds a spectacular taste to beef.

Steaks partner deliciously with a world of interesting flavors – the possibilities are endless.

Build the right fire. Understand the difference between direct and indirect grilling and when to use each. Remember, every fuel and fire burn differently.

Cook it to perfection. It’s easy when coals and grill are the right temperature and you follow the basic cooking guidelines for the steak. (If the grill is too hot, the outside of the steak can overcook before the inside is ready; if too cold, you won’t get the right searing.) Use the "1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi method" to recognize when your grill is ready.

Know when your steak is done. Remember medium rare is 145°F; medium 160°F and well done is 170°F. Use an instant-read meat thermometer or the "poke" test to check for doneness. An instant-read thermometer gives you the internal temperature immediately.

Turn, don’t stab. Tongs are the most important tool in the griller’s workshop, enabling you to turn the steak without stabbing it. Look for spring loaded, long-handled tongs – 14 to 16 inches.

Give it a rest. After grilling, give the steak a rest for a couple of minutes to let the juices redistribute before cutting into it. A drizzle of olive oil or a pat of butter gives the steak a handsome sheen and spectacular flavor and finish.

Keep it clean! Always brush your grill grate with a stiff wire brush to clean it. (If you don’t have a brush, use a piece of crumpled foil.) Clean the grate after preheating, and again, after grilling. Oil the grate with a folded paper towel dipped in oil and rubbed over the bars of the grate. Food will stick to a dirty grate and you won’t get those snappy grill marks.

Grill safely. Make sure the grill rests securely on the ground, deck, patio, or other surface. Never leave a lit grill unattended; don’t use it indoors or in a garage or carport. Always keep children and pets at a safe distance.

And above all, have fun! Don’t be afraid to try something new. That’s what grilling is all about.

Courtesy of Steven Raichlen, How to Grill (Workman, 2001)

National Cattlemen's Beef Association http://www.beef.org

Cooking Whole Chickens

You all know the problem right? The breast is dry and the legs are pink! That's because the legs have more fat and connective tissue in them. Most people cook their chicken or any birds, breast side up. And when you go to cut it up, there is no juice in the breast but the backbone in moist and tender and full of flavor from the juices dripping down during the cooking process.

TURN IT OVER! Try cooking your chicken upside down. This way the legs are sticking up in the air and will get more direct heat and the juices from the backbone and legs will cook down and keep the breast moister. And remember to baste with fat only! Basting with water or stock washes away the protective natural fats.

If you are cooking a large bird like a capon or turkey, remove the wings and legs from the breast and cook them all separately. Remove each part from the oven as it is done.

How Do I Know When It Is Done?

Please don't rely on those silly little red pop up things. Bad idea in my opinion. To test birds for doneness the USDA recommends that you cook the bird to an internal temperature of 180°F. I disagree. I remove my bird from the oven when an instant read thermometer inserted into the inside of the meatiest part of the thigh reads 160°F. Remember that bird will still be cooking for a while once you take it out of the oven. And always remember to allow the bird to rest for 2 minutes per pound before carving it. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat instead of pouring out all over your cutting board.

Here is a Tip for Chicken:

Only season the skin of fowl if the skin is to be eaten. Your seasoning will not penetrate the skin and flavor your bird. If you would like to infuse your bird with flavor, rub your butter, seasonings or herbs under the skin. And baste the skin of your chicken with butter or oil before putting it on the grill or in your oven. This helps keep it moist and helps the browning process.

Checking for Freshness and Quality of Fish

The flesh should be firm so that when pressed with your finger, it doesn't leave an indentation or mark.

The eyes should be clear and plump, not cloudy, dull or sunken.

The fish should not have a strong "fishy" odor. It should have a clean aroma akin to fresh seaweed or I've even heard of it referred to as a cucumber-like smell.

Look for bright red gills. Grey or yellow is a sign of loss of freshness.

If the skin is on, it should be firm and elastic.

The gut cavity should be clear of blood, have no cuts into the meat, and the bones should not be torn from the flesh or easily torn away.

Fish should always be packed in ice. Check the temperature. No matter what the season, or time of year, fish should arrive at 32 to 36°F.

Buying Fish

Get your fish at the busiest fish store you can find. Chances are it will be freshest from there. Use the guidelines above. Buy it as close to when you'll use it as possible and figure 7-8 ounces per person on boneless fillets and steaks. For whole fish that you will clean or cook whole, plan on one pound per person. Frozen fish should always be thawed in your refrigerator overnight.

Tips for Grilling Fish

I hesitate to recommend cooking times for fish or any other product on a grill. The reason for this is that every grill cooks differently, so my time on my Weber gas grill will be different than your charcoal grill or Hibachi.

But I'm going to give you a guideline anyway, because overcooked fish and seafood is basically "cat food" in my opinion! So here goes! These guidelines are based on direct heat cooking over a medium hot grill. See, confusing already!

Small whole fish will need about 7 minutes on each side. A little longer if stuffed.

Large whole fish will need about 15 minutes per side, again longer if it is very large or stuffed.

Fillets (like salmon) will need about 6-8 minutes per side. Trout fillets may only need 4 minutes per side.

Steaks (like halibut or salmon) usually need about 5 minutes per side.

Kabobs are usually cut into chunks a little over an inch thick and will need about 12 minutes turning often.

Remember Please: These are just guidelines to use in planning your meal. Every grill is different and will produce different results. Oh yeah! Remember to always cook fish and seafood like shrimp on a cleanly scraped grill that has been brushed with a little oil or fat. Do not "dry weld" your fish to a filthy grill!

Cook fish on an oiled grill skin side down for the first part of the cooking time. The skin protects the fish from burning and drying out. It also can provide natural oils to your grill, so when you flip the fish it doesn't stick.