Did you know that every three ounces of steak have 26 grams of essential protein and only 179 calories? Steak is a healthy and easy source of protein, especially when grilled.
Summer is coming to an end, and what better way to celebrate than with a grill night? Continue reading below to learn about the benefits of grilling steak and the five best steak cuts for grilling.
Benefits of Grilling Steak
There are a lot of different ways to cook steak: pan-fried, baked, it can be broiled, air-fried, or slow-cooked. However, the best way to cook a steak is on a grill. Here's why.
Less Fat
Grilled steak has less fat than pan-fried or baked steak. A pan-fried, baked, air-fried, slow-cooked, or broiled steak sits in all its fat. Most cooking methods make it difficult to remove fat from the steak.
On the other hand, as steak grills, the excess fat leaks out and drips away, down off the grates. In other words, grilled steak is better for you.
Less Oil
When pan-frying a steak, the first thing to do is oil the pan. This adds more fats and oils to the meal. The only thing to do when grilling is heat the grill and add the steak.
Unique Flavor
Grilling is popular for a reason. Grilled meat has a unique flavor depending on the heat source. Charcoal or wood grills add a distinctive smokey flavor to the meat. Wood chips can be used with propane or electric grills to infuse flavor as well.
The Outdoor Experience
When there's not enough room to gather indoors, moving outdoors means you can bring together more friends and family. The children can play outdoors without the risk of breaking something, while the adults enjoy the fresh air.
Additionally, something about cooking over a fire taps into primal human instincts. Evidence suggests that the discovery of cooking with fire defined human evolution by increasing brain size.
The Five Best Steak Cuts for Grilling
Grilling steak is the preferred method. But what is the preferred cut? This depends on several factors. First of all, the more tender, the better. Beef gets more tender further from the horns and hoofs. This is because cows use their legs and neck muscles often, and muscly meat is tougher, which makes it harder to chew and less pleasant to eat.
Another thing to consider is the fat-to-muscle ratio, also known as marbling. When raw, fat is white and creates a marbling effect with the pink or red muscle of the meat. Fat adds flavor, moisture, and tenderness to a cut of meat.
Last, consider the difference between bone-in or boneless cuts. While leaving the bone adds flavor and moisture, it can be harder to cook. Meat near the bone will cook slower. Boneless steaks cook more evenly.
Everyone has their own opinion about the best cuts for grilling, but there does seem to be some consensus regarding the five best cuts for steak grilling.
- Strip
The strip steak goes by many different names, including New York Strip and shell steak, to name a few. This cut comes from the area below the backbone and lower than the ribs. Strip steak is known for being tender and lean, with a beefy flavor. The strip cut ranges from 8 to 14 ounces.
- Sirloin
You can never go wrong grilling up a sirloin steak. The sirloin cut is naturally lean, flavorful, and juicy. The hindquarter cut is easy to overcook, so keep an eye on the grill. This is a somewhat smaller cut, usually around 5 to 10 ounces.
- Ribeye
Ribeye is a classic grilling cut. As the name suggests, this cut comes from the cow's rib section. Ribeyes are beautifully marbled, have a high-fat content, and, therefore, a rich flavor. The fat, combined with the soft muscles, makes for a very tender cut.
This cut can be both boneless or what is called a bone-out ribeye. Either cut will come with the same marbling and unbeatable flavor.
- T-Bone
The T-bone cut gets its name from the T-shaped bone in the middle of the steak. Like the strip steak, this cut comes from the area below the backbone and provides two types of steak. You have a strip steak on one side of the bone and a ribeye cut on the other.
Be sure to cook the strip steak or the less marbled, fatty side of the bone further away from the heat. T-bone cuts are hefty, usually around 18 ounces.
- Filet Mignon
Filet Mignon or tenderloin steak is again from below the animal's backbone. This cut is dangerously tender, with a rich, buttery flavor. Tenderloin has very little fat, made up of entirely soft muscle.
This cut is perfect for grilling as it only requires quick, high heat. Be sure not to overcook this prized cut.
Getting Started
Summer is not over yet. There is still time to gather friends and family and have a grill out! Grilling reduces fats and oils in the meat, brings out a unique flavor, and gives you an excuse to cook outside.
There are a lot of different cuts out there, but the five best steak cuts for grilling are universally recognized. From your strip, sirloin, and ribeyes, to your T-bones and tenderloins, some cuts are just begging to be grilled.
This is the sign you've been looking for to fire up the grill and buy some steak. Check out the Golden Steer Steak Company today for the best steaks on earth delivered to your door.
