Grilling
STEAK ON THE GRILL
Concept
Char meat over the grill hot spot and finish cooking over low heat (cool spot). Keep grassfed beef on the rare side as compared to grain-fed beef; do not overcook. Cooking time depends on many variables such as cut thickness, grill temperature and whether the cut has a bone. Experience is the only guide. Develop a “feel” for doneness - before cooking press on the meat with your grill tongs or fork – notice its “give”. When the steak begins to firm it is approaching done. Develop your own preference for doneness. We like to grill beef so that it has a range of doneness throughout the cut so there are pieces to everyone’s taste. A general rule for all meat cooking is to leave it to rest for 10 minutes after cooking, covered with tinfoil, before carving.
Method
Once steak has defrosted, pat dry with kitchen towel, put on a plate and bring to room temperature.
One hour before cooking, peel and cut in half a large garlic clove. Rub steak on both sides with garlic. Sprinkle with about 1-2 teaspoons of tamari, turning steak a couple of times to coat both sides with tamari. Leave to marinade about an hour.
Meanwhile, prepare your grill. If a charcoal grill, once coals are ready, push them to one side to create a hot spot.
Using tongs, not a fork, place steak on the hot spot (bone side closest to the hot spot if your steak has a bone). After establishing a char, remove to the cool side to finish cooking.
There are no hard-and-fast rules for “doneness”, but a 2lb bone-in Porterhouse one and a half inches thick will take about 20 minutes. Don’t overcook it! There should still be some “give” to the meat when you take it off the grill.
One Porterhouse steak of approx. 2lbs will serve 3-4 adults depending on appetite and what else you serve with it. A 1lb ribeye will serve 2 adults.
LONDON BROIL STEAKS
The secrets to a good London broil are: marinade it for 2-3 hours before grilling, and don’t overcook it. Follow these instructions for a really flavorful and delicious steak.
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For two steaks of approx. 1 lb each, make a marinade by whisking together 3T olive oil, 1T soy sauce or tamari, plus salt and pepper to taste.
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Put the (defrosted) steaks in a ziploc bag with the marinade and leave for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
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One hour before grilling, remove the steaks, pat dry and bring to room temperature.
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Cook on each side until a nice char forms on the meat, but there’s still some “give” when you press the steak with tongs.Precise cooking times will depend on how hot your grill is and how thick the steaks.
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Cover steaks and leave to rest for 10 minutes. Slice thinly and serve. Excellent with salsa verde.
PYM FARM BURGERS
Makes 6 burgers
Ingredients
2 lb ground grass-fed beef (ie 1/3 lb per burger)
2 teaspoons tamari
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Thyme (1t dried, or 2t finely chopped fresh)
Method
Mix all ingredients very well together in a large bowl, using your hands.
Form into 6 burgers, making a slight indentation in the middle of each (this helps keep them flat rather than round as they cook).
Grill over medium-high heat to your preferred doneness.
Compose your own burger with desired toppings.
BRISKET ON THE GRILL
This is a great way to cook brisket in summer when you want to use your grill, not the oven.
Method
Season your brisket generously with salt and pepper. Bring to room temperature.
Prepare your charcoal grill as usual. When the coals are hot, char the brisket for about 10 minutes on each side, using tongs to turn it.
Remove the brisket and wrap it well in heavy-duty foil, folding the edges so the packet is well sealed.
Put the packet back on the grill and lower the temperature by moving it to the cool spot of the grill (ideally, you’d want it around 200 degrees F for the rest of the cooking time). Put the cover on and leave it about 2 hours as the coals gradually cool down. You can either eat it hot after 2 hours, or leave it to cool completely and have it cold the next day. Whether hot or cold, serve it with a simple salsa verde.