Everyone has their own unique method for grilling. While this may lead to some innovative and creative cooking methods, it most definitely also spreads misinformation. From this misinformation, grilling myths are spread far and wide and are often repeated. If you learn to recognize the following grilling myths and never fall victim to them again, you can rest assured you’ll never fall victim to them again.
Myth #1: Season your Steak After you Cook it
Some chefs think salting a steak before you cook it will dry out the meat and make it tough once it comes off the grill. In fact, salting your steak early helps the meat keep in moisture throughout the grilling process. Also, it helps your meat brown better and leads to a fuller char.
Myth #2: Use “the poke test”
Many people believe that you can tell if a steak is done by poking it with your finger. If it is rare, it would feel like your index finger poking the base of your thumb on the same hand. When it’s medium, it feels like your middle finger touching the base of your thumb on the same hand. If it’s well-done, it feels like your ring finger touching the base of your thumb on the same hand. There are so many different variables to this method. For one, not everyone’s thumb is the same toughness.
The only true way to measure if your steak is done is to measure the temperature. Rare is 120 degrees, medium-rare 126 degrees, medium 134 degrees, medium well 150 degrees, and well done 160 degrees.
Myth #3: Only Flip your Meat Once
It’s commonly thought that you should only flip your meat once on the grill so that it cooks evenly. This may have stemmed from the belief that searing your meat first is the best way to cook it, leaving the juices inside.
Truthfully, no matter what kind of meat you are grilling, you should always flip the meat several times. If the meat is on one side for too long, that side can get dried out or burnt. Basically the hotter the grill, the more flips are needed. The more often you flip meat, the less drastic of a difference in temperature on each side of the meat and more evenly it cooks. If it were possible to have a grill on top and bottom of your meat at the same temperature, neither side would cook more quickly than the other, making it cook more evenly.
Myth #4: Falling-off the-bone Ribs are Cooked Perfectly
A oft-repeated myth is that ribs that are falling off the bone are cooked to perfection. They are juicy and easy-to eat. Honestly, ribs falling off the bone are overdone. Overcooked ribs are mushy, and have less taste. Ribs should stay on the grill until rib meat begins to pull away from the bone, but has not literally started falling off.
Myth #5: Don’t use a for to Turn your Steak
It’s often believed that flipping your steak with a fork will leak out all the necessary juices or otherwise dry out the steak and cause it to lose flavor. This is true to an extent, but not enough to make a noticeable difference; steaks don’t just burst when poked. A tiny portion of the meat is affected, but will not be noticed in its overall consumption. Although flipping with a fork is okay, using a thermometer to reveal meat’s internal temperature is ideal. Then you can know exactly when it is done.
Written by the staff of Lutz’s BBQ, where they serve up tasty BBQ and provide some of the best service for catering Columbia MO has to offer.
