Girls and grilling don’t typically come as a package deal. Why do men think they can take over the barbecue and leave us to deal with pots and pans? Most summer weekends in Westchester call for barbecues, especially when we just spent last weekend at our favorite Hamptons hot spots.
Let’s all give thanks to the grilling God himself, Benjamin Steakhouse’s Executive Chef Arturo McLeod, for sharing tips with my readers to transform us outdoor cooking virgins into grilling gurus. Suit up in your favorite apron and get ready to grill a killer summer meal!
- Get the grill temperature to above 500 degrees. If you don’t think your grill is hot enough, put some fat on it to bring the flames up and increase the heat.
- For grilling, the best cuts are those with more marbling, for example: New York strip, rib-eye and skirt steaks. You also want more marbling in the meat you use for your burgers, so that they don’t dry up or fall apart. Steaks should also be evenly-cut, so they come out evenly-cooked.
- All you need to cook a steak is Kosher salt! It is thicker, has more flavor, and holds better to any meat when you’re grilling. All you need to do is sprinkle it on a few minutes before you grill, but you can also let it marinade for a little longer.
- Of course USDA Prime meat is ideal; however, if you’re using a lesser-quality steak, you can tenderize the meat by punching holes in the surface with a large fork- this will also help to cook the meat faster.
- If you can, use natural hardwood charcoal to grill. It gives meat a beautiful, smoky flavor that you don’t get with gas or electric grills. Do not use lighter fluid, your meat will come out tasting like it!
- If your steak is about 1 inch thick, grill for about 5 to 7 minutes on each side for medium rare. For medium, it’ll be approximately 8 to 10 minutes, and 11 to 13 minutes for well done.
- For an added kick, before putting your steak on the grill, brush on some Benjamin Steak Sauce to give it a light sweetness without overwhelming the natural flavor of the steak.
- When making shish kebab, coat the wooden sticks with vegetable oil first, so that the meat and veggies slide off more easily.
- Serve immediately, cold meat loses flavor!
Big thanks to Executive Chef Arturo McLeod and Benjamin Steakhouse for helping us ladies out! Be sure to check out his grill skills for yourself this summer.
