Bet You Don't Know Jack? About Cooking Steaks on a Gas Grill That Is!

When it comes to cooking meat on a gas grill most folks just can't seem to get it right. For most of us, gas grill cooking is nothing but guesswork. I am sure you have often wondered just how your favorite steak house manages to serve up such mouth-watering, tender steaks that always seem to be cooked to perfection. We will attempt here to provide you with the tips and tricks to cooking steak on a gas grill that will have your friends and family begging for more.

Before you begin, you want to determine how the people in your family or party like their steaks cooked. Some like their steak cooked medium-rare to rare and some are going to opt for a steak that is medium to well-done. Now, I am going to tell you something that may seem completely counter intuitive to what you may be thinking but stay with me.

Question. If cooking a rare or medium-rare steak do you think the gas grill heat should be high or medium. Is that your final answer?

If you said medium heat, you would be incorrect. When cooking a rare to medium-rare steak you want your temperature high in order to sear your steak and cook it quickly on the outside. This process traps the juices inside and results in a steak that is super juicy. The medium to well-done steak on the other hand should be cooked over a medium heat to give the inside a chance to cook without burning the outside.

Preparing the cooking grate is important as well. I use a Weber gas grill that incorporates heavy cast iron grates as opposed to the thinner wire grates. These grates heat up evenly and hold the heat much better. You want to brush a bit of cooking oil on the grates before you fire the gas grill up. This keeps the steak from sticking to the grates and tearing the outside sear when flipping or removing.

The steaks themselves should have been removed from the refrigerator about an hour ago and allowed to come to room temperature. While the grill is heating up and before placing on the grill, you want to brush your steaks with a light coat of cooking oil as you did with the grates. This keeps the steaks tender and moist. Now rub in a little salt and pepper or a seasoning of your choice such as perhaps a bit of garlic powder or maybe a bit of cayenne pepper if you can stand the heat.

Most folks are not sure about when to flip a steak over. Here a bit of trial and error is in order but as a general rule of thumb, look for moisture beginning to seep out of the side that is facing you. Now cook the steak for about 1/2 the time you cooked it on the first side.

You can flip your steak multiple times if you are looking for those criss-cross grill marks that you see at the restaurant. Just angle the steak at a 45 degree angle to the original grill marks if you want to get all fancy.

Although it is not necessary to cook a steak all the way through as is necessary with poultry and pork, some guidelines are helpful to determine when your steak is done to perfection. You do want to avoid cutting your steak to check its doneness, especially if you plan on putting it back on the grill. This will cause the juices to run out and may result in a dried out piece of shoe leather.

1" Thick Steaks - Rare 8-10 minutes, Medium 12-14 minutes, Well 16-20 minutes
1 1/2" Thick Steaks - Rare 10-16 minutes, Medium 16-20 minutes, Well 22-26 minutes
2" Thick Steaks - Rare 12-16 minutes, Medium 18-22 minutes, Well 24-28 minutes

What you may want to invest in is a good meat thermometer or meat fork. The meat thermometer is longer and will enable you to get deep inside a roaster chicken to check temperature but the meat fork having shorter tongs, is ideal for cuts such as steak and pork chops.

Now don't think that your steak is ready to eat as soon a you remove it from the grill. The steak continues to cook for about 5 minutes after you remove it from the grill. Do let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before eating.

Don't let the challenge of cooking the perfect steak scare you. With just these few tips and a bit of preparation, you will have soon earned that "Kiss Me I'm the Cook" chef apron!

 

Things That Need To Be Known About Jerk Seasoning

Jerk seasoning is a food experience that comes from the sunny and friendly island of Jamaica. When it is used in ingredients to cook it isn't just a recipe full of flavor but an integral part of their lifestyle which is based around the sunshine, beaches and living a fun life socializing with friends and family and even meeting new people. Culture is enhanced by the whole experience and it has become a way to integrate food into social situations.

Jerk is a major part of Jamaican culture just like reggae music. As well as being a unique combination of spices and herbs it is also a way in which to cook ingredients as diverse and pork, fish, chicken and goat. It used to be cooked over coals outdoors regularly cooked outside and on the street by vendors who make their living this way. It is because of this that it has become something with a widely recognized reputation.

Your pivotal ingredients which give the marinade its interesting balance of flavors are Thyme, Chili Peppers and Pimento which is what is known by others as allspice which is a combination of nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves which have all been ground together so that these aromatic oils can be released to test the taste buds. Thyme is a natural fragrant herb that grows wild throughout the world while chili peppers make this an eye watering delight.

When it comes to these specific ingredients they can be rubbed directly onto meat like chicken and pork. This can then also in some cases be blended with a liquid to form an enjoyable and versatile marinade. In Jamaica you mainly have jerk chicken or pork and occasionally it is applied to fish.

It can also be utilized along with vegetables, pasta, legumes and a lot more other dishes. You may even use it as a special flavouring for other foodstuffs such as home-made chips. The only limit in this regard is your imagination when you are in the kitchen.

You can cook in this way using a variety of food preparation techniques which can be seen to include barbecuing, grilling, baking, and a traditional heavy pot which is then heated over charcoal barrels or in a steel drum jerk pan. To make the real flavors come out you should first make sure the jerk marinade has been given time to sink in. Leave it overnight for best results.

Beginning in Jamaica the style moved all the way through the Caribbean then to certain parts of Europe. It is now growing in popularity throughout the world and is served in many different specialist restaurants that serve it.

There is also the fact that the ingredients are widely available and there are ready-made spice rubs and commercially available ones that can be found in jars for home use. You can get it in a variety of stores from ethnic food stores to bigger outlets who sell a large variety of foodstuffs from different places.

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