Archive for: June 2007

It’s popular to marinade meat but precautions should be used for the safety of you and your family or guests. We’ll get into marinades in later posts, but I felt this was important to pass on.

Marinade meats in the refrigerator and not out on the counter.

If you want to use some of the marinade as a sauce on the cooked food, put aside a portion before you place the meat in the marinade.

 Don’t reuse marinade that contained raw meat. Once you remove the meats from the marinade, discard the marinade.

Filet Mignon is considered the most tender cut of beef, and also one of the most expensive. Very popular in high end restaurants. The average cow provides no more than 4-6 pounds of filet, which is why it is so expensive. The muscle is non-weight bearing so it receives very little exercise, which makes it tender.

Filet mignon is generally a thick steak and many times you will find them at the butcher cut and ready to go, sometimes wrapped in bacon.

The usual method for cooking the filet is high heat. 

Despite the tenderness and the expensiveness of the filet mignon, many people feel a ribeye steak is actually more flavorful. Include me in this group. Then again, I prefer a Miller Lite to a Michelob.  

You can always grill corn on the cob in aluminum foil by removing the husks and wrapping, but here is the way I prefer - direct on the grill.

Roast corn over the fire or on the grill without using tinfoil by simply leaving the husks on. Soaking in advance prevents the husks from burning.

1. Carefully peel back husk without detaching it and remove silk. Optional but preferable is to now rub the corn with butter.
2. Replace husks and soak ears in cold water for 1/2 hour.
3. Place corn on grill or on a rack above an open fire.
4. Cook for about 15 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure even cooking.

The ribeye steak, is one of the most popular, juiciest, and expensive steaks on the market. Meat from the rib section is tender and fattier (the meat is said to be “marbled”) than other parts of the cow. The extra fat makes rib eye steaks especially tender and very flavorful.

 The rib eye is sometimes served with the bone. The extra moisture and fat alongside the bone supposedly enhances the flavor.

This steak is excellent on the grill.

Pork chops on the grill are delicious. Remember, however, pork needs to be thoroughly cooked. As with most meats needing cooked thru and thru, slower cooking is recommended. The chops should be on the thick side.

I like to hit both sides of my pork chops with a lot of pepper before tossing on the grill. I think the pepper adds to the taste and seems to make it juicier. Basically put on the pepper and rub it in.

Bring the heat to high and lower the burners. Add the chops. They will begin a slow searing. When the pork chops release from the grate, turn them over and do the same for the 2nd side. It will probably just take a couple minutes. Now turn off one of the burners and move the chops to the unlit burner and close the lid. Let them cook slowly.

 When you see the juices appearing on the meat, turn them over. Do the same for the 2nd side. The juices should be running clear when they are thoroughly cooked.

I like to finish by turning up the flames and putting the chops over them for about 30 seconds on each side to get that nice crispiness.

I’m not a big pork chop fan but pork chops on the grill are one of my favorites.