Maine’s culinary scene offers a wide variety of food, reflecting a commitment to fresh, locally sourced ingredients. Farmers markets are currently full of seasonal produce and exceptional cuts of meat. This commitment to quality and sustainability is what makes Maine’s food scene so special. But what if you bring this food scene to your own home? With high-quality ingredients, your homemade food may just become restaurant quality. Try this out with my tips for grilling a delicious steak, supplied by your local farmer.
Choose the right steak: Grilling steak may seem difficult to some, but I’m going to share some tips for how to make it easy. First, the meat. From a flavor perspective, the difference between one steak and another is the fat content. A high-quality meat is one with marbling — fat deposits between muscle fibers within the meat. This will give you the most flavor.
What I have found with steak, like most foods, is that it is subjective. Our perspectives on taste and flavor are different. We are all biased in favor of what we know. Because of this, many would say a skirt steak is best for grilling. However, I love to grill with a New York strip or a ribeye. These two are also great for cooking in a cast-iron pan over a burner. Opt for a steak that is 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 inches thick. This will allow for a nice crust with a juicy center.
Temper your steak: Taking a steak from the fridge to the grill is a dramatic change. My advice is to take your steak out of the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking. On these hot summer days, be wary of leaving your steak in the heat. Your goal is to bring it to room temperature. However, if your steak is on the thinner side, about a half-inch, I would leave it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook. This will help you get a juicy center and avoid cooking it all the way through.
Ensure a nice crust: Before placing the steak on the grill, make sure there is no moisture on the surface of the meat. Pat the meat dry with a paper towel. I also would advise you to add a small amount of olive oil on both sides, which helps achieve a better sear and grill marks. No need to add too much; the fat content within the meat will do the job of keeping it flavorful.
Keep the grill hot: I grill with the heat on high. I don’t play around too much with the temperature. Just start it on high, close the lid, and open it when the temperature is around 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
Use a digital meat thermometer: One of my favorite ways to ensure the desired doneness of the steak is to test the temperature. Below are the temperature guidelines. Whichever you prefer, test the steak and pull it off the heat when it is 5 degrees below your desired temperature. When you remove it from the grill and let it rest for five minutes, it will continue to cook on the plate. These are the guidelines: rare, 125-130 degrees; medium-rare (my favorite), 130-135; medium, 140-145; medium-well, 150-155; well-done, 160-165.
Don’t stress: Cooking steak perfectly is a skill. By no means do my steaks come out perfectly every time. You will have to cook a steak a hundred times just to understand the components, but it still won’t be perfect. Like I mentioned before, taste and flavor are subjective.
There are a lot of components of cooking a steak that can help you improve every time. These are some of my tips that help me achieve a flavorful and delicious steak. Next time you are at the Brunswick Farmers Market, look for a meat vendor who can supply your next cooking adventure! I hope it becomes one of your summer staples.
Grilled steak with chimichurri sauce
Ingredients:
1 1/4- to 1 1/2-inch-thick ribeye or New York strip steak
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
Chimichurri sauce:
1/2 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup EVOO
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper
Juice of 1 lemon
Directions:
In a medium bowl, add all the sauce ingredients and whisk until combined. Set aside.
Remove your steak from the fridge about 30 minutes prior to grilling. Preheat grill to high, about 400 degrees. Pat your steak dry with a paper towel. Brush steak on both sides with olive oil and season generously with salt and pepper.
Place steak on the grill and cook until slightly charred, about 4 minutes. Flip the steak and continue to grill for another 3-5 minutes. Check the internal temperature at the 3-minute mark. Transfer the steak to a cutting board and let it rest for 5 minutes before slicing. Top with some chimichurri sauce, and enjoy!
