Memorial Day weekend kicks off the summer grilling season at our house! One of my favorite meals when I'm eating at home is a ribeye grilled over a wood fire served with fresh sliced tomatoes. A thick ol' ribeye is perfect for a backyard grillmaster like me. You don't have to watch it every second that it's over the coals as you do a leaner steak like tenderloin. And it's a great-tasting cut time after time.
When the weather is good, I grill a lot because it's a quick and easy way to prepare a meal. I prefer to cook over wood coals, and my two favorite woods, mesquite and pecan, are readily available throughout Texas year-round. The downside to using wood rather than charcoal is that you have to plan ahead. You have to light the wood, let it catch fire and then wait until it burns down to coals before you can start grilling. So wood takes a little longer than charcoal, which is always a great second choice.
As the wood burns down into coals, I get the steaks ready by applying a rub. My special rub includes sea salt, coarse ground pepper, minced fresh garlic and dried oregano. I want to tell you: Put that on there, and it just doesn't get any better. I also like the Italian Grilling Rub in the recipe section on my website.
I like my steaks medium rare so I cook them about 5 to 6 minutes per side and turn them just once. The best tool to determine doneness is an instant-read meat thermometer. For medium rare, you want the internal temperature to read 140 to 145 degrees F and medium is 160 degrees F.
I like cold steak leftovers, so I always cook a few more steaks on the grill than I need for that meal. My family will either put the remaining steaks in a salad the next day or eat them in steak sandwiches.
Those are my secrets to perfect beef cooked on the home grill. I've got a different preference when I eat at a restaurant. But I'll save that for a future piece.
When the weather is good, I grill a lot because it's a quick and easy way to prepare a meal. I prefer to cook over wood coals, and my two favorite woods, mesquite and pecan, are readily available throughout Texas year-round. The downside to using wood rather than charcoal is that you have to plan ahead. You have to light the wood, let it catch fire and then wait until it burns down to coals before you can start grilling. So wood takes a little longer than charcoal, which is always a great second choice.
As the wood burns down into coals, I get the steaks ready by applying a rub. My special rub includes sea salt, coarse ground pepper, minced fresh garlic and dried oregano. I want to tell you: Put that on there, and it just doesn't get any better. I also like the Italian Grilling Rub in the recipe section on my website.
I like my steaks medium rare so I cook them about 5 to 6 minutes per side and turn them just once. The best tool to determine doneness is an instant-read meat thermometer. For medium rare, you want the internal temperature to read 140 to 145 degrees F and medium is 160 degrees F.
I like cold steak leftovers, so I always cook a few more steaks on the grill than I need for that meal. My family will either put the remaining steaks in a salad the next day or eat them in steak sandwiches.
Those are my secrets to perfect beef cooked on the home grill. I've got a different preference when I eat at a restaurant. But I'll save that for a future piece.