AMES, Iowa — Grilling season is upon us – finally! In honor of June Steak Month, we’re bringing you tips on how to enjoy safe, nutritious and delicious beef meals on the grill all summer long. Grilling is a fantastic natural method of dry heat cooking, but there are some precautions to take before firing up. Fear not, by monitoring things like heat levels and doneness, you can feel good about serving up a tasty grilled beef dish to the ones you love.
Trim, if necessary. To prevent fire flare-ups and smoke while grilling, trim any excess fat from your steak. Trim visible fat before grilling to help prevent flare-ups.
Up your flavor game. Marinades help add even more flavor to a tasty steak, while also tenderizing less tender cuts. Stick to marinades with little to no sugar – these types of marinades may help protect your steak from charring.
The heat is on…medium! For best results, grill over medium heat. If the food is grilled over too high heat, the exterior can become overcooked or charred before the interior reaches the desired doneness.
For charcoal grilling, when coals are medium, ash-covered (approximately 30 minutes), spread charcoal out in single layer and check cooking temperature. To check temperature, cautiously hold the palm of your hand above the coals at cooking height. Count the number of seconds you can hold your hand in that position before the heat forces you to pull it away; approximately 4 seconds for medium heat. For gas grilling, gas grill brands vary greatly and grilling times may need to be adjusted.
Don’t play with the meat. Don’t flip your steaks too often, just turn occasionally for even cooking in browning. Don’t press, flatten or pierce the meat, otherwise you’re missing out on those flavorful juices.
Determine doneness. Steak’s tender, juicy texture is optimum when cooked to medium rare (145 degrees Fahrenheit) to medium (160 degrees Fahrenheit) doneness. To test temperature, insert an instant-read thermometer horizontally into the side of the steak, avoiding bone or fat. Remove the steak from the grill 10 degrees before your desired degree of doneness, and tent loosely with foil. Allow the steak to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving to allow the steak to finish cooking and to reabsorb those delicious juices.
For beef recipes and additional cooking tips, visit www.iabeef.org.
— Iowa Beef Industry Council
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