Q&A: Local butcher shares his knowledge on grilling that perfect steak

By DANIEL SUDDEATH
Daniel.Suddeath@newsandtribune.com

July 20, 2008 12:27 am

— Vegetarians beware, this story is about a time-honored tradition that keeps cow, chicken and pig populations in-check.
What would summer be without grilling? Many Americans savor the taste of ribs, hamburgers and hotdogs being cooked over a charcoal grill.
Barbecues bring families together, and Derek Unkle — meat manager for Preferred Meats located at 110 Hometown Plaza in Sellersburg — works to make those outings a tasty time.
Preferred Meats is owned by Kathy Kempf, and they sell meat from the owners’ livestock which are raised, processed and butchered in Indiana.
Unkle has started selling smoked meats, prepared on site, including ribs, brisket and pulled pork that he said people “love to put around the picnic table.”
Unkle recently shared some of his wisdom with The Tribune and The Evening News on the best meats to use when grilling.
Question: What’s the most popular meat for grilling?
Unkle: “Steaks usually go first, then our smoked products are a close second. Smoked ribs and smoked beef brisket, those are some of the things people are wanting the most.”
Q: What’s your favorite cut of meat?
Unkle: “My favorite cut would have to be filet mignon, and we do sell quiet a bit of that here.”
Q: What’s the healthiest cut of meat?
Unkle: “A sirloin steak or a New York strip would be, because of less fat content than say our ribeyes or things of that nature. Buffalo has also went over real well, it’s 97 percent fat free. It’s a different taste, a little bit gamier but it’s a lot leaner, it’s kind of a cross between beef and venison. Tuna steaks or swordfish steaks are also good on the grill and good for you.”
Q: What’s the best marinade?
Unkle: “I prefer Worschestershire sauce or Italian dressing.”
Q: What should a buyer look for in a steak?
Unkle: “As far as grilling steaks, you want to look for a good marbled steak. What that means is, if you buy a cut of meat and it’s completely red — there’s no white spotting throughout the steak — it’s going to be tough.”
Q: What’s a good cut of meat for fajitas?
Unkle: “Skirt steak. It’s something that’s not very common, hard to find it in a grocery store. A lot of upper-scale Mexican restaurants will have skirt steak on their menu, it’s real lean and tender. Flank steak is another one.”
Q: What about a cut of meat that’s tasty but hardly requested?
Unkle: “Tri-tip sirloin. That’s a real lean cut of meat that’s also tender.”
Q: What’s unique abut Preferred Meats?
Unkle: “Our meat is handcut and the freshest around. All our meat is from Indiana vendors so it’s all local product. Most customers only buy their beef here. It’s a higher grade than what you buy in a grocery store, and it’s also aged. You can’t buy aged beef in a grocery story — it’s all natural.”
Q: What’s a tip for grilling the perfect steak?
Unkle: “You always want to bring steaks to room temperature before grilling, that really brings the flavor out. If you just set the steaks out, about 15-20 minutes to get them to room temperature.”


Know your cuts of meat
Retail beef cuts and recommended cooking methods
CHUCK
• Chuck pot roast — pot roast
• Chuck steak — marinate and grill/broil, braise
• Chuck eye steak — Grill/broil, skillet
• Shoulder top blade — Grill/broil, skillet
• Shoulder top blade flat iron steak — grill/broil, skillet
• Shoulder pot roast — pot roast
• Shoulder steak — marinate and grill/broil, braise
• Shoulder center ranch steak — grill/broil
• Shoulder petite — grill/broil, roast
• Boneless short ribs — braise

RIB
• Rib roast — roast
• Rib steak — grill/broil
• Ribeye roast — roast
• Ribeye steak — grill/broil, skillet
• Back ribs — grill/broil

LOIN
• Porterhouse steak — grill/broil, skillet
• T-bone steak — grill/broil, skillet
• Top loin steak — grill/broil, skillet
• Tenderloin roast — roast
• Tenderloin steak — grill/broil, skillet

SIRLOIN
• Tri-tip roast — roast, grill/broil
• Tri-tip steak — grill/broil
• Top sirloin steak — grill/broil

ROUND
• Top round steak — Marinate and grill/broil
• Bottom round roast — pot roast
• Bottom round steak western grill — marinate and grill/broil
• Eye round roast — roast
• Eye round steak — marinate and grill/broil, braise
• Round tip roast — roast
• Round tip steak —skillet
• Sirloin tip center roast — roast
• Sirloin tip center steak — grill/broil, skillet
• Sirloin tip side steak — marinate and grill/broil

SHANK AND BRISKET
• Shank cross cut — stew
• Brisket flat cut — pot roast

PLATE AND FLANK
• Skirt steak — marinate and grill/broil
• Flank steak — marinate and grill/broil

At the grocery
• Select beef last when shopping to ensure that beef stays cold as long as possible until you get home.
• Choose beef with a bright cherry-red color, without any grayish or brown blotches. A darker purplish-red color is typical of vacuum-packaged beef. Once exposed to oxygen, beef will turn from a darker red to bright red.
• Fresh ground beef does go through a number of color changes during its shelf life. These color changes are normal, and the ground beef remains perfectly wholesome and safe to eat if purchased by the "sell by" date on the package label.
• Choose steaks, roasts and pot roasts that are firm to the touch, not soft.
— The National Beef Association

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