A Good Steak

While I love grilling just about anything, putting a good steak to the flame is without a doubt my all-time favorite. Yesterday was one of those days. I stopped by my favorite meat market, picked out just over four pounds of Angus Top Sirloin and headed home. This time I had a different idea about how to cook, and as the temperature outside was just above single digits it was worth a shot.

I used a spice rub on the steak - not too much, but enough to impart some flavor; and then made up a basting sauce. Not a marinade, but a basting sauce. The sauce was about 3/4 cups of olive oil, 3/4 cups of red wine, with some garlic, onion, oregano, thyme, salt, pepper and sugar. I let the sauce sit for a couple of hours to meld the flavors while the spice rub was working its way into the steak.

I know I have always talked about cooking with the top down in really cold weather, but these steaks deserved to be kissed by the flame, so last night was a "top up" night. I used a small saucepan on the side burner for the basting sauce. I did not want to boil the sauce, but I did not want it getting so cold that it would retard the cooking process, so it was a very low flame and I checked it often.

Cooking the steaks was fabulous and the smell of cooking steak in the arctic air was exhilerating! After only 25 to thirty minutes and making sure I used the basting sauce frequently, the steaks were done and ready to be enjoyed. My lovely wife cooked up so good size russets and made a wonderful veggie salad of cucumbers, mushrooms, tomatoes and onions with some vinegarette dressing that was out-of-this world delicious.

The stead was enjoyed by all and it was perfectly done and perfectly juicy. The best part was tonight we had steak and eggs with the left-overs, and nuking the steak did not take away any of the flavor or any of the juiciness.

So the next time you reach for the marinade - think about doing a good basting sauce instead!

Temperature Control

Most of us like to cook on a grill that will maintain a temperature around 350 degrees. On a normal summer day, this is a good cooking temperature and opening the grill, or even cooking with the lid up is an okay thing to do.

But let's talk about grilling when the temperature is hovering just below zero. At this temperature you have to understand the science of cooking, not just that throwing meat on fire for a specified period of time will get it done. At these temperatures you need to understand that a higher temperature - as much as 450 to 500 degrees can be required and that the grill lid must stay down for the cooking process to continue. It will still be necessary to lift the lid to turn the meat, but do this sparingly and quickly, as the temperature below zero can actually halt the cooking process on that part of the meat that is not directly exposed to the flame.

Speaking of exposing meat to the flame - I have found it much better to place the meat on the higher grill, farther from the flame. This way the dripping fat which will still ignite, does not char the meat. Cooking with the grill open in summer weather you can get that great "flame in the face" feeling while keeping the meat moving so it doesn't get charred. Keeping the lid closed the flame needs to kiss the meat, not consume it.

Let me know about your experiences as well!