Just about any cut of steak can be grilled to perfection. Cuts of steak found at your supermarket include round, sirloin, flank, chuck, porterhouse, rib eye, t-bone, new york, and fillet.

They range in price and tenderness. The tenderness of the meat depends on the location of the cut on the animal and the amount of fat or marbling. Preparation of the meat, amount of time cooked, and how the cooked meat is cut also determine tenderness. Meat should be allowed to rest on the plate for up to five minutes after removing from the grill to allow juices to be absorbed.

Some cuts such as round steak should be sprinkled with meat tenderizer or marinated to increase tenderness. Round steak is the least tender of the cuts listed above. It has little or no fat. Sirloin steak, although more tender than round steak, can also be marinated to improve tenderness.

The doneness of the meat determines tenderness in all cuts of steak. Cooking steak to rare, medium rare, or medium doneness gives the most flavor and tenderness. Cooking meat too long depletes the juices and makes the meat dry and tough. Cooking a steak well done will toughen the meat and in some cuts such as round steak will make it difficult to chew and eat. If you prefer your steak well done, then choose a cut of beef with some fat or marbling to improve tenderness.

The least expensive cut of steak is chuck steak. It has enough fat or marbling in the meat to make it a very economical yet tender steak when grilled properly.

Flank steak is a cut of steak shaped like a plank. It is best grilled medium rare and then cut across the grain into thin slices.

The rib eye is a very tender cut of steak because it has fat that adds to the juiciness and flavor of the meat.

The porter house, t-bone, new york, and fillet cuts of beef are the more expensive cuts and when cooked properly, the most flavorful and tender.

When I cook steak on the grill I usually sprinkle the meat with salt, pepper, and garlic salt or garlic powder and, of course, I use Watkins products! This simple method allows the flavor of the meat to predominate. If you want added flavor use a marinade, rub, glaze, sauce, or salsa. Choose ingredients that will blend well with the flavor of the meat and the side dishes. They can be salty, tangy, spicy hot, sweet, pungent, or buttery.

The following grilled steak recipes use a marinade, butter, or glaze to add flavor and tenderness.

Ultimate Grilled Steak

1/2 cup Watkins Steak Sauce
1/2 cup Balsamic Vinaigrette Dressing
2 small cloves garlic, minced
Freshly ground Watkins Pepper
2 medium beef rib eye, chuck, or sirloin steaks, about 8 oz. each (Sirloin and chuck steak should be cut into pieces)

Mix steak sauce, dressing, garlic and pepper. Reserve 1/4 cup of the mixture. Pour remaining 3/4 cup mixture over steaks in re-sealable plastic bag; seal bag. Refrigerate 30 minutes to marinate. Preheat grill to medium-high heat. Drain steak; discard marinade. Grill steak 4 to 5 min. on each side or to medium doneness (160°F.) Cook less time for medium rare. Serve drizzled with reserved 1/4 cup dressing mixture.

Grilled T-Bone Steaks and Peppers

4 T-Bone or Porterhouse steaks, cut about 1-inch thick
4 small red, yellow or green bell peppers, cut into quarters
1/4 cup salted butter, very soft
2 tablespoon finely chopped green onion
1 teaspoon garlic, minced or 1/2 teaspoon Watkins Garlic Powder

Place steaks and bell peppers on grill over medium, ash-covered coals. Grill, uncovered, 14 to 16 minutes until steaks are medium rare to medium doneness and peppers are tender, turning occasionally.

Meanwhile, combine butter, green onion and garlic in small bowl. Stir with fork until uniformly blended.

Top each steak with 2 tablespoons of butter mixture.

Combine bell peppers with 2 tablespoons butter mixture in medium bowl; toss.

Serve steaks with bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper, as desired.

Grilled Teriyaki Steak
Marinate this meat overnight for a delicious grilled result.

2 lbs. boneless round steak, 1/2″ thick
1 tsp. Watkins Granulated Black Pepper
2/3 C. teriyaki sauce
1/3 C. soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp. instant meat tenderizer
1/8 tsp. Watkins Garlic Powder

Sprinkle round steak with pepper; pierce at 1 inch intervals with a meat fork. Place in a large shallow container. Combine the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour over steak. Cover dish and marinate for 8 to 10 hours or overnight in refrigerator. Or place steak in a resealable plastic bag and pour marinade over steak and refrigerate. Grill over hot coals 3 to 5 minutes on each side or until done as desired. Makes 6 servings.

Grilled Fajita Kabobs
Simple Mexican flavoring makes these steak kabobs a delicious, low-carb meal.

1 1/4 lb. steak
1/3 C. Italian dressing
3 Tbs. lime juice
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Garlic Salt or Garlic Powder
2 green bell peppers, cut into chunks
2 medium onions, cut into chunks
8 medium flour tortillas, warmed
Salsa

Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes to an hour. Trim fat from steak, cut into 1 inch cubes. In a small bowl combine dressing and lime juice. Thread beef, peppers and onions onto the skewers, brush with dressing. Grill 10-15 minutes until all is done. Season with salt if you wish. Serve on tortillas with salsa.

Eleisia Whitney has a Watkins Home Business. She enjoys cooking and baking with Watkins extracts, spices, herbs, and sauces for healthy meals. Eleisia publishes a Watkins Newsletter, Around the Kitchen Table, that brings you recipes, cooking and health tips, and contests for free Watkins products.
Read the current issue at http://www.everydaynecessities.com/may15-08newsletter.htm
Visit her at http://www.everydaynecessities.com and http://www.WatkinsOnline.com/eleisiawhitney

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