S T E A K. Five simple letters that spell a world of carnivorous pleasure. A well-grilled steak (like this Caveman T-Bone recipe!) stimulates all your senses: the sight of the dark crust, the scent of smoke, the sizzle of the meat on the grill, the meaty chew, and, of course, the inimitable flavor: simultaneously meaty, salty, and sanguine. I've traveled Planet Barbecue from one end to the other, and I can tell you this: nothing satisfies like steak.
But which steak? Your local butcher or supermarket meat section -- the closest that most of us get to hunting and gathering these days -- contains a mind-boggling array of options.
Here are five of my favorite steaks for grilling. My top choice? The one on the end of my fork!
- Porterhouse: For the person who wants it all -- two great steaks in one: a New York strip and a filet mignon (see below), connected by a T-shaped bone. What a combo! Cut from the rear of the short loin, this monster (I like to buy it at least 2 inches thick) serves two people with leftovers. Italians call it bistecca alla fiorentina and grill it dark on the outside and just shy of still bleeding inside, seasoned with little more than sea salt and extra-virgin olive oil. They cut the two steaks off the bone and carve them into 1/4-inch thick slices. (The bone goes back on the grill for charring.) Tip: For a professional-looking presentation, keep the slices in order and reassemble the porterhouse around the bone. Which you, the grill master, call dibs on.
- All steaks should be generously seasoned, grilled over a hot fire and rested for a few minutes before serving.
- To sample fibrous belly steaks at their best, cook them fast and serve thinly sliced across the grain (which shortens their tough stringy meat fibers).
- How to Prepare Flank Steak
- How to Make Professional Grill Marks
- 8 Must-Try Regional Barbecue Sauces
- Turn Up the Heat with Chile Peppers! 15 Hot Facts & Grilling Tips
- The Pull of Pork & Its Sauces: 12 Must-Read Tips
- The ONLY Ribs Recipe You'll Ever Need: First-Timer's Ribs!
- 22 Rib Tips! Up Your Game with Slabs & Bones
- The 10 Commandments of Perfect Grilling
- The Art of Smoking
- Direct vs. Indirect Grilling
Steven Raichlen is the author of the Barbecue! Bible cookbook series and the host of Primal Grill on PBS. His web site is www.barbecuebible.com.