Summer Sizzles!

Whether you’re celebrating Father’s Day, a family reunion, or the great outdoors, grilling adds terrific flavor to the summer months. June is National Steakhouse Month and in celebration Fort Dodge Today offers up some tips and recipes from the Iowa Beef Industry Council and the Cattlemen’s Beef Association. Tips from the Iowa Beef Council for perfectly grilled beef: Cook all beef cuts at low to medium temperature unless otherwise stated. Watch beef carefully during grilling. Grilling time can vary with the cut of beef, position of the grill, weather, temperature of the coals, and degree of doneness desired. Use a water spritzer to put out flare-ups when cooking on a brazier-style grills. Spray lightly to prevent food from being covered with loose ash. Determine doneness of steaks by making a small silt near the bone and checking color; for boneless cuts, make a slit near the center. Use a meat thermometer to accurately determine the doneness of large cuts of beef cooked in a covered cooker or on the rotisserie. An instant-read thermometer can also be used to gauge doneness of small and large cuts of beef. Remove roasts from grill when meat thermometer registers 5 degrees below desired doneness. Temperature of roast will rise about 5 degrees during standing. Allow roasts to stand “tented” with aluminum foil for 15 to 20 minutes after removing from grill. Standing time facilitates easier carving. Grilling times are based upon beef taken directly from the refrigerator. What Kind of Steaks Should I Buy? The Iowa beef Council recommends matching cuts to cooking methods. For tender cuts, dry-heat methods such as grilling, pan-broiling, broiling, roasting and stir-frying are best. Moist heat, undercover cooking methods – braising, pot roasting, stewing – are better choices for less tender cuts, including flank, skirt and bottom round. Tender Steaks Most steaks that come from the center (rib and loin sections) of the animal and are usually cooked by dry-heat methods. Tender steaks can be categorized as premium steaks or as more affordable family-priced steaks. Premium-priced tender steaks include: Family-priced tender steaks include: Top loin (strip) Shoulder center (ranch steak) T-Bone Top sirloin Porterhouse Top blade (flat iron) Rib-eye Chuck eye Rib Round tip Tenderloin Less Tender Steaks Full-cut round Top round Eye roundBottom round Chuck shoulder Chuck 7-bone Chuck arm Chuck blade Flank Skirt For more information on beef visit the Iowa Beef Industry Council on-line at www.iabeef.org.