Grilling season is upon us. Spending time grilling with family and friends is a wonderful part of the summer season. Executive Chef Amiro Cruz from Wolfgang's Steakhouse gives simple tips to help ensure that your barbeque gatherings are a success.
The bigger the steak is, the better. Want to make sure your steak is meltingly tender? You want a nice thick slab of beef to throw onto that flaming hot grill, the bigger the cut the better. At Wolfgang's Steakhouse, steak portions are sliced from the massive cuts at the beginning of each day. These massive cuts of meat stay mouth wateringly tender throughout the cooking process.
Buy Grade A Prime Angus Beef. To make grilling easier the most important tip would be to make sure you buy the top Grade A Prime Angus Beef, which is what they use at Wolfgang's Steakhouse . The flavor you get from Grade A Prime is unlike any other along with the perfectly marbled fat, which is necessary for a mouth watering juicy grilled steak. Using these Grade A Prime cuts makes the whole process of grilling less intimidating because you are starting out with the best quality product. Start summer off right with the best meat you can buy.
Use dry-aged beef for added flavor.
If you are looking for that extra robust meaty flavor make sure to purchase "dry-aged" beef. Dry Aging is when the meat is placed in dry aging cooler when t he fat surrounds the whole meat, so when you dry age, the meat inside stays nice and juicy, and the outside gets that dried factor. The edges get darker, and that is when you know you have some mouth-watering steak to grill. Chef Amiro Cruz mentions, "Just throw a dash of sea salt and pepper to showcase that true beefy flavor. Dry aging really adds that extra depth of flavor that normal beef does not have."
Make sure your grill is blazing hot. When steaks are ordered at Wolfgang's, the meat is placed in a high-intensity broiler to cook it at 1600° F . The high temperature is key for grilling because you want to lock in those juices from that Grade A Prime Angus Beef by searing each side. Only some course salt and freshly ground pepper is used once the cuts of meat are actually being prepared. "You really want to showcase the true flavor of the meat." Chef Amiro Cruz says.
Rest your meat. Once it's done cooking, do not dig in right away, Cruz cautions, "Rest it a little bit so the juices inside can distribute." He also explains, "If you cut it right away, the blood will drain out immediately, and it'll lose all the juice. You'll see blood on the plate, instead of staying in the meat. If you let it sit, it stays juicy."
Cut against the grain. If you are sharing a cut of meat, make sure you cut against the grain for each serving portion. "The grain is the tissues that run different ways inside the steak. Cutting against the grain isn't as important when you buy this high-quality of steak, but cutting against the grain makes for a softer cut," Cruz said. Just look for the lines that run through the meat and cut perpendicular to them.
Don't worry about the temperature of the steak before grilling. Some people recommend bringing the meat to room temperature before throwing it on the grill, but Cruz said it doesn't really matter. "I take it straight from my refrigerator, so it's 41 degrees [which is what the FDA recommends]," he said. "Some people prefer room temperature, but you're grilling at home so you can do whatever you please."
About: Wolfgang's Steakhouse by Wolfgang Zweiner
Zweiner worked for the famous Peter Luger's in Brooklyn for over 40 years and took his fine dining expertise to open the first Wolfgang's in 2004. The restaurant empire is now celebrating 10 years of success as an internationally acclaimed steakhouse in the US and abroad with 12 locations: 4 inNYC,Somerville NJ, Miami, Beverly Hills, Waikiki and abroad in Tokyo and Marunouchi Japan, with a new location that just opened in Seoul, Korea. Wolfgang's signature is their premium steaks which undergo an onsite 28-day dry age process - a rare feat. Restaurant patrons including David & Victoria Beckham, Jennifer Aniston, Robert Downey Jr., Jessica Alba, and Iron Chef Bobby Flay - are all fans of renowned dishes including their sizzling 48 oz Porterhouse for two along with their famous chilled seafood tower, colossal shrimp cocktail, ahi tuna tartare with avocado, german potatoes, creamed spinach, and delectable lobster mac and cheese - steakhouse staples elevated!
For more information on Wolfgang''s Steakhouses, their locations and menus, visit: http://www.wolfgangssteakhouse.net/.
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