3 Cuts of Beef, 3 Recipes
Today I present to you my 3 favorite cuts of beef!
Not only that, I'll also explain how to keep your cuts of meat super juicy and how to season them properly.
Indeed, you should know that each piece of meat reacts differently when cooked depending, in particular, on the length of its fibers and its fat content, so you have to cook them accordingly. So I reveal all my tips so that you have a tasty piece of meat every time! 👌
The rib of beef
Let’s start strong. The first recipe I’m going to tell you about features my all-time favorite cut of meat, THE ultimate steak: the rib of beef (or in English, the “rib steak”)!
The prime rib, a cut of beef, is made from the fattiest part of the animal. It is found in the upper back and, although the ox works hard, the back is not the part that it moves the most. This means that this piece of meat is very fatty, very tender and much less fibrous than a brisket of beef, which supports 60% of the weight of the animal.
There are two types of prime rib that you can buy: boneless (a sirloin steak), and bone-in. If you have a choice, get the bone-in one. Why? Because there is a lot of fat and flavor in the bone (so much fat, in fact, that it allows the meat to baste itself and "soften" as it cooks). On that note, it is recommended to keep the bone on when you want to age a rib steak, precisely because of the flavor it gives the meat.
When I prepare this very fatty piece of meat, I opt for a classic rub so as not to change its taste. I also limit myself to a single ingredient: my “luxury salt and pepper”, my favorite seasoning, Texas BBQ Québec spices ! (By using a dry marinade, I also make sure that the piece of meat does not burn.)
The preparation is not complicated:
- Spread (but don't necessarily rub) Texas spice on the prime rib.
- Light the infrared burners of the BBQ (if your BBQ doesn't have one, make sure you have a super hot zone in your BBQ, whether it runs on propane, charcoal or another fuel) to maximum and sear the piece of meat for about 2 minutes on each side. (I say about because when cooking, you can't necessarily rely on time. I recommend instead turning the piece of meat when it comes off the grill easily and has a nice caramelization.*)
- Turn off a burner to create an indirect heat zone and place the piece of meat there. (We'll also get a beer to keep our hands busy and "stop" ourselves from opening the BBQ lid often. Just like a human, a steak needs heat, moisture and love. 😉)
- Cook the meat until it reaches the desired internal temperature.** (I personally aim for 135°F; at this temperature the fat has rendered and the meat is not overcooked.)
- Remove the meat from the BBQ and let it rest. (FYI: the longer the meat cooks in indirect cooking, the less time it is necessary to let it rest.)
- Serve, savor this delicious meat and enjoy its timeless “classic” taste.
*If your meat sticks to the BBQ grill, there are 4 possible causes:
- The grid is dirty (it must be clean).
- The meat should be seared for longer (it is normal for it to stick at the start of caramelization).
- The meat should be seared for less time (it burned and stuck to the grill).
- The amount of marinade/sauce (if you used any) is too high (make sure to remove the excess from the top of the piece of meat).
**When it comes to cooking temperatures, I have a foolproof trick to help you remember them. Imagine you're driving 75 mph on the highway. Since that's over the speed limit, you're likely to see lights in your rearview mirror...red and blue lights. Well, at 120°F, the steak is red on the outside, then blue on the inside. If the road is nice and you're going even faster than 75 mph, you'll get an even bigger ticket. The same principle applies to meat: every time you increase the temperature by 10°F, the doneness changes by one level and the meat gets more and more done. Finally, if you're driving at 100 mph, your car, like the meat, is well done and it's best not to continue so as not to burn anything...
Otherwise, it is important to mention that cooking temperatures of 120 to 160 °F apply to all mammals. In the case of chicken and turkey, however, an additional 10 °F (or 170 °F) is required to properly cook these meats.
- 120°F = blue
- 130°F = rare
- 140°F = medium
- 150°F = medium well done
- 160°F = well done
Beef flank steak
We continue with my second recipe. This time, we will use my second favorite cut of beef, the flank steak! Although you don't have to do it, I suggest cooking it by reversing the cooking steps of the prime rib to maximize its juicy taste.
Preparation :
- Spread (without necessarily rubbing) the dry marinade Malabar steak Steven Raichlen on the beef flank.
- Preheat the BBQ to 300°F or 400°F for indirect cooking. (I recommend “slow” cooking at 300°F which allows you to take your time and enjoy a beer at the same time.)
- Let the meat cook and check its internal temperature with the Thermomax . (Since the flank steak is a fairly thick piece of meat, it is also possible to use a WiFi or Bluetooth thermometer instead, such as an iGrill , to know the internal temperature of the meat while watching TV for example.)
- When the piece of meat reaches 10°F below the desired cooking temperature (personally, I like it rare, so I aim for 120°F), pour Expresso BBQ Québec sauce on both sides (you can put as much sauce as you want, but the more you put, the less time you let the meat grill to prevent it from burning).
- Turn on the BBQ burners to maximum and grill the piece of meat on both sides for about 2 minutes on each side (this allows the meat to obtain the 10°F it needed to reach the right temperature).
- Serve, taste and enjoy the moment!
The filet mignon
The last recipe I want to share with you is made with my third favorite cut of beef (and not the least!): filet mignon!
Basically, filet mignon is an extremely tender piece of meat that is not very fatty, so to give it flavor, we're going to inject it with a very fatty liquid: a mixture of butter and cognac! You'll see, this mix is seriously sick!
Preparation :
- Place the filet mignon in the refrigerator.
- In a bowl, place a quantity of butter equivalent to approximately 20% of the weight of the piece of meat and melt it on the BBQ or in the microwave.
- Pour a quantity of cognac equivalent to the quantity of butter into the bowl. Mix and leave to cool.
- Just before the mixture sets, “pull” it into the syringe of the BBQ Québec competition injector .
- Once the filet mignon is cold, remove it from the refrigerator, cover it with the dry marinade 49e parallèle BBQ Québec X La ferme Monette or Santa Fe Steven Raichlen and inject it with the mixture. (Although the first marinade is the one I prefer to spread on my filet mignon, both marinades are made with coffee and are excellent choices. Also, I tell you, the mixture of sweet, salty and bitter flavors of the marinade marry wonderfully with the fatty and salty ones of the liquid mixture; the result is crazy!)
- Turn the BBQ burners to maximum and sear the piece of meat for about 2 minutes on each side (until it comes off easily).
- Turn off a burner to create an indirect heat zone and place the piece of meat on it.
- Let the meat cook until it reaches the desired internal temperature and remove it from the grill. (I personally like my filet mignon blue, so I'll remove it from the grill when it reaches an internal temperature between 110 and 120°F. If you really like the taste of its meat, you can even remove it at 110°F; it's practically raw inside, but it's hot and delicious!)
- Once the filet mignon is ready, add a little maple butter on the bottom so that it melts and runs down the sides to form a nice crust. Then place a slice of blue cheese on top and sprinkle with green onions (preferably grilled on the BBQ). (This step is optional, but is part of the recipe I teach in BBQ 102; it has proven itself. 😉)
- Serve, enjoy and let the meat make love to your mouth.
There you go! I wish you all a good lovemaking session. 😜
Happy BBQ! 🔥
Today I present to you my 3 favorite cuts of beef!
Not only that, I'll also explain how to keep your cuts of meat super juicy and how to season them properly.
Indeed, you should know that each piece of meat reacts differently when cooked depending, in particular, on the length of its fibers and its fat content, so you have to cook them accordingly. So I reveal all my tips so that you have a tasty piece of meat every time! 👌The rib of beef
Let’s start strong. The first recipe I’m going to tell you about features my all-time favorite cut of meat, THE ultimate steak: the rib of beef (or in English, the “rib steak”)!
The prime rib, a cut of beef, is made from the fattiest part of the animal. It is found in the upper back and, although the ox works hard, the back is not the part that it moves the most. This means that this piece of meat is very fatty, very tender and much less fibrous than a brisket of beef, which supports 60% of the weight of the animal.
There are two types of prime rib that you can buy: boneless (a sirloin steak), and bone-in. If you have a choice, get the bone-in one. Why? Because there is a lot of fat and flavor in the bone (so much fat, in fact, that it allows the meat to baste itself and "soften" as it cooks). On that note, it is recommended to keep the bone on when you want to age a rib steak, precisely because of the flavor it gives the meat.
When I prepare this very fatty piece of meat, I opt for a classic rub so as not to change its taste. I also limit myself to a single ingredient: my “luxury salt and pepper”, my favorite seasoning, Texas BBQ Québec spices ! (By using a dry marinade, I also make sure that the piece of meat does not burn.)
The preparation is not complicated:
- Spread (but don't necessarily rub) Texas spice on the prime rib.
- Light the infrared burners of the BBQ (if your BBQ doesn't have one, make sure you have a super hot zone in your BBQ, whether it runs on propane, charcoal or another fuel) to maximum and sear the piece of meat for about 2 minutes on each side. (I say about because when cooking, you can't necessarily rely on time. I recommend instead turning the piece of meat when it comes off the grill easily and has a nice caramelization.*)
- Turn off a burner to create an indirect heat zone and place the piece of meat there. (We'll also get a beer to keep our hands busy and "stop" ourselves from opening the BBQ lid often. Just like a human, a steak needs heat, moisture and love. 😉)
- Cook the meat until it reaches the desired internal temperature.** (I personally aim for 135°F; at this temperature the fat has rendered and the meat is not overcooked.)
- Remove the meat from the BBQ and let it rest. (FYI: the longer the meat cooks in indirect cooking, the less time it is necessary to let it rest.)
- Serve, savor this delicious meat and enjoy its timeless “classic” taste.
*If your meat sticks to the BBQ grill, there are 4 possible causes:
- The grid is dirty (it must be clean).
- The meat should be seared for longer (it is normal for it to stick at the start of caramelization).
- The meat should be seared for less time (it burned and stuck to the grill).
- The amount of marinade/sauce (if you used any) is too high (make sure to remove the excess from the top of the piece of meat).
**When it comes to cooking temperatures, I have a foolproof trick to help you remember them. Imagine you're driving 75 mph on the highway. Since that's over the speed limit, you're likely to see lights in your rearview mirror...red and blue lights. Well, at 120°F, the steak is red on the outside, then blue on the inside. If the road is nice and you're going even faster than 75 mph, you'll get an even bigger ticket. The same principle applies to meat: every time you increase the temperature by 10°F, the doneness changes by one level and the meat gets more and more done. Finally, if you're driving at 100 mph, your car, like the meat, is well done and it's best not to continue so as not to burn anything...
Otherwise, it is important to mention that cooking temperatures of 120 to 160 °F apply to all mammals. In the case of chicken and turkey, however, an additional 10 °F (or 170 °F) is required to properly cook these meats.
- 120°F = blue
- 130°F = rare
- 140°F = medium
- 150°F = medium well done
- 160°F = well done
Beef flank steak
We continue with my second recipe. This time, we will use my second favorite cut of beef, the flank steak! Although you don't have to do it, I suggest cooking it by reversing the cooking steps of the prime rib to maximize its juicy taste.
Preparation :
- Spread (without necessarily rubbing) the dry marinade Malabar steak Steven Raichlen on the beef flank.
- Preheat the BBQ to 300°F or 400°F for indirect cooking. (I recommend “slow” cooking at 300°F which allows you to take your time and enjoy a beer at the same time.)
- Let the meat cook and check its internal temperature with the Thermomax . (Since the flank steak is a fairly thick piece of meat, it is also possible to use a WiFi or Bluetooth thermometer instead, such as an iGrill , to know the internal temperature of the meat while watching TV for example.)
- When the piece of meat reaches 10°F below the desired cooking temperature (personally, I like it rare, so I aim for 120°F), pour Expresso BBQ Québec sauce on both sides (you can put as much sauce as you want, but the more you put, the less time you let the meat grill to prevent it from burning).
- Turn on the BBQ burners to maximum and grill the piece of meat on both sides for about 2 minutes on each side (this allows the meat to obtain the 10°F it needed to reach the right temperature).
- Serve, taste and enjoy the moment!
The filet mignon
The last recipe I want to share with you is made with my third favorite cut of beef (and not the least!): filet mignon!
Basically, filet mignon is an extremely tender piece of meat that is not very fatty, so to give it flavor, we're going to inject it with a very fatty liquid: a mixture of butter and cognac! You'll see, this mix is seriously sick!
Preparation :
- Place the filet mignon in the refrigerator.
- In a bowl, place a quantity of butter equivalent to approximately 20% of the weight of the piece of meat and melt it on the BBQ or in the microwave.
- Pour a quantity of cognac equivalent to the quantity of butter into the bowl. Mix and leave to cool.
- Just before the mixture sets, “pull” it into the syringe of the BBQ Québec competition injector .
- Once the filet mignon is cold, remove it from the refrigerator, cover it with the dry marinade 49e parallèle BBQ Québec X La ferme Monette or Santa Fe Steven Raichlen and inject it with the mixture. (Although the first marinade is the one I prefer to spread on my filet mignon, both marinades are made with coffee and are excellent choices. Also, I tell you, the mixture of sweet, salty and bitter flavors of the marinade marry wonderfully with the fatty and salty ones of the liquid mixture; the result is crazy!)
- Turn the BBQ burners to maximum and sear the piece of meat for about 2 minutes on each side (until it comes off easily).
- Turn off a burner to create an indirect heat zone and place the piece of meat on it.
- Let the meat cook until it reaches the desired internal temperature and remove it from the grill. (I personally like my filet mignon blue, so I'll remove it from the grill when it reaches an internal temperature between 110 and 120°F. If you really like the taste of its meat, you can even remove it at 110°F; it's practically raw inside, but it's hot and delicious!)
- Once the filet mignon is ready, add a little maple butter on the bottom so that it melts and runs down the sides to form a nice crust. Then place a slice of blue cheese on top and sprinkle with green onions (preferably grilled on the BBQ). (This step is optional, but is part of the recipe I teach in BBQ 102; it has proven itself. 😉)
- Serve, enjoy and let the meat make love to your mouth.
There you go! I wish you all a good lovemaking session. 😜
Happy BBQ! 🔥
