Great Grilled Beef

Grilling Methods

Grilling Methods - the type of food you are grilling and the type of grill you are using determines whether you will cook by the DIRECT or INDIRECT method.

• Direct Method -
  Food is placed on grid directly above the hot coals. The grill can be open or covered. Direct heat is most often used for cuts of beef which cook in a relatively short period of time such as steaks, burgers or kabobs.
   
   
• Indirect Method – 
   
  
  Foods are cooked by reflective heat, similar to the way in which a conventional oven cooks. This method is used for larger roasts and steaks which require longer cooking at lover temperatures.
  
  Procedure:
  Open or remove the grill cover. Open the bottom dampers. Arrange an equal number of briquets on each side of fire grate. Ignite the briquets and burn until ash covered. Make certain coals are burning equally on both sides: it may be necessary to move hot coals (with long-handled tongs) from one side to the other in order to have heat evenly distributed. (Depending on the size of your grill, the number of charcoal briquets required for each side can range from 15 to 30.)
  
  Place aluminum foil drip pan in center of fire grate between coals. Position grid with handles over coals, so briquets may be added as needed. Place beef on grid above drip pan. Cover (with damper open) and cook as recipe directs. Turning meat during indirect cooking is usually unnecessary. Add additional coals (5 to 10 for each side, depending on size of the grill) every 45 minutes to 1 hour as necessary to maintain proper heat during cooking.
   

Determining Temperature of Coals

To check the temperature of the coals, cautiously hold the palm of your hand about 4 inches above the coals. Count the number of seconds you can hold your hand in that position before the heat forces you to pull it away.

Time Temperature
2 seconds Hot (high)
3 seconds Medium-hot
4 seconds Medium
5 seconds Low

Hot coals are barely covered with gray ash.
Medium coals glow through a layer of gray ash.
Low coals are covered with a thick layer of gray ash.

It usually takes 30 to 45 minutes before the coals are ready for grilling. Never begin grilling until the coals are covered with a light ash and are no longer flaming. Cooking over a direct flame will burn the outside of the food leaving the inside raw.
 

Tips for Perfectly Grilled Beef

• Cook all beef cuts at low to medium temperature unless otherwise stated.
   
• Watch beef carefully during grilling. Grilling time can vary with the cut of beef, position of the grill, weather, temperature of the coals, and degree of doneness desired.
   
• Use a water spritzer to put out flare-ups when cooking on a brazier-style grills. Spray lightly to prevent food from being covered with loose ash.
   
• Determine doneness of steaks by making a small silt near the bone and checking color; for boneless cuts, make a slit near the center. Use a meat thermometer to accurately determine the doneness of large cuts of beef cooked in a covered cooker or on the rotisserie. An instant-read thermometer can also be used to gauge doneness of small and large cuts of beef.
   
• Remove roasts from grill when meat thermometer registers 5 degrees below desired doneness. Temperature of roast will rise about 5 degrees during standing.
   
• Allow roasts to stand “tented” with aluminum foil for 15 to 20 minutes after removing from grill. Standing time facilitates easier carving.
   
• Grilling times are based upon beef taken directly from the refrigerator.
   

Beef Doneness Guide

Rare 140⁰F
Medium Rare 150⁰F
Medium 160⁰F
Well Done 170⁰F

What Kind of Steaks Should I Buy?

Matching Cuts to Cooking Methods

For tender cuts, dry-heat methods such as grilling, pan-broiling, broiling, roasting and stir-frying are best. Moist heat, undercover cooking methods – braising, pot roasting, stewing – are better choices for less tender cuts, including flank, skirt and bottom round.

What Kind of Steaks Should I Buy?

Tender Steaks

Most steaks that come from the center (rib and loin sections) of the animal and are usually cooked by dry-heat methods. Tender steaks can be categorized as premium steaks or as more affordable family-priced steaks.

• Premium-priced tender steaks include:
  • Top loin (strip)
  • T-Bone
  • Porterhouse
  • Rib-eye
  • Rib
  • Tenderloin
     
• Family-priced tender steaks include:
  • Shoulder center (ranch steak)
  • Top sirloin
  • Top blade (flat iron)
  • Chuck eye
  • Round tip

Less Tender Steaks

• Full-cut round
• Top round
• Eye round
• Bottom round
• Chuck shoulder
• Chuck 7-bone
• Chuck arm
• Chuck blade
• Flank
• Skirt