This is a conundrum that home grill masters have grappled with season after season. They go to the local butcher or grocery store and buy nice, thick and chunky USDA Choice steaks. They prepare their favorite condiments for a massage, fire up the gas grill or charcoal, and stand in the smoke to hopefully deliver an epicurean delight to family and friends. When everyone sits down to eat, they smile politely and begin to chew and chew and chew.
What went wrong? In fact, for home-made grilled steaks they were adequate. His guests weren’t in a fine dining restaurant, so what were they waiting for? The steak was tasty, if a little overcooked and a little chewy. Bought Choice beef, which is second best. It’s not bad meat. It’s good meat. It’s just not as good as the steak at the prime steakhouse.
First of all, many supermarkets still don’t have access to the best quality beef that is available at a prime steakhouse. Upscale restaurants serve USDA Prime. Lots of cattle are raised in the United States. In the year 2000 alone, the USDA says that more than 41 million head of cattle were slaughtered for human consumption. There are many cows. However, only 2% of all this meat is classified as USDA Prime. Since it is the best money can buy, the government generally reserves the limited amount to sell to the best steakhouses and upscale restaurants. The average consumer has no chance of finding this grade in the supermarket.
Do not misunderstand. Supermarkets sell Choice beef. It’s good meat. It can be tender meat. But you won’t be able to taste it and cut it like a steak on a prime rotisserie.
There are some other secrets you may not know about. Most of the best steakhouses age their meat to enhance the flavor and tenderness of the cut. Aging is done by letting the meat rest (under very controlled conditions) for several days or weeks. The weekend grill master couldn’t even think about aging his steaks due to not having the proper aging area. The steaks could go bad and anyone who eats them could get food poisoning. This is not a good option.
A top-notch steakhouse isn’t going to write the secrets of their seasoning, and all the great fine dining restaurants will season their steaks. You may detect a little coarse pepper, a little light salt, but the rest will be a mystery. And it will continue to be so.
Here’s something that may come as a surprise. Many good top steakhouses actually grill their steaks under high flames. Here’s how they can do the exterior to perfection while the interior is still weird. Yes, there are still those who use a grill, but it will be gas and not charcoal.
Unless you plan to open your own premium steakhouse, give up the idea that your grilled steaks taste like they came from one. If you want to impress your friends and family with your mastery of the grill, stick with chicken, ribs, burgers, and hot dogs. If you want steak, let the professionals at your local premier steakhouse take care of it.
