How to Grill a Flank Steak and Other Types of Beef Cuts
Flank steaks are a staple for meat eater and are quite a common cut which is relatively inexpensive. It’s characterized with a high connectivity tissue amount since it’s derived from the side of the cow, mainly chosen for its relatively low saturated fat amount.
There are, still, some fat deposits which provide an essential marbling for grill cooking, making it one of the easier steaks to cook even for a beginner. How are other steaks cooked compared to a beef flank steak and what should the grill cook consider when choosing their beef cut for the backyard BBQ party?
We found a fantastic source of information online regarding the best practice for cooking a flank steak and other meat types – the GrillerDude.com blog – hope it helps you frill a better steak each time.
Best Ways to Season and Grill a Flank Steak
Flank steaks contain about 28 grams of fat and 108.6 grams of protein per 387 grams of serving weight (average size for a flank steak). The presence of fat makes this steak relatively easy to grill, with the chance of it overcooking too quickly at high heat being quite low.
What needs to be considered when cooking a flank steak, however, is the high protein amount per serving, a while 108.6 grams making it one of the highest protein beef cuts out there.
Protein cooks at a lower temperature than fat – protein starts breaking down between 105F and 200F, whereas beef tallow and fat starts breaking down at 205F and above.
This means that a flank steak can be cooked at around 405F, however, for no longer than 4-5 minutes on each side.
Other Beef Cut Grilling
There are other beef cuts which also have specific methods of cooking on charcoals, like for instance the porterhouse steak (T-bone steak), which contains two different meat cuts from the animal.
A porterhouse contains meat from the tenderloin and strip steak – the tenderloin has a more tender meat, whereas the strip steak is higher in fat.
This requires two cooking methods for a single steak, making it one of the more difficult cuts to deal with on a grill. You need to create two heat zones – one for the tenderloin and one for the strip steak part.
If exposed to equal heat one will cook sooner than the other, causing it to burn, hence it being a technical meat to grill – you need to check heat and readiness on both types of meat at the same time.
The skirt steak is cooked for about 8 minutes in total due to its high amount of fat per gram meaning it takes more time to cook properly to a safe internal temperature of 130F.
Check for readiness with a meat thermometer and visual cues the behavior and color of the steak, both sides should be cooked for 4 minutes and the steak should be rested for 5 minutes.
What’s a Good Rule to Follow When Grilling Beef
The best thing you could do for your steak is to have it at 54F before grilling because this will allow you to cook it far better than if it were frozen or at room temperature. Seasoning should be added either with a bonding agent, like a sauce or once the meat starts sweating when salted.
Leave slated meats in the fridge for at least 1 hour so they can release surface moisture to which dry and wet spice rubs and adhere better.
You can learn quite a lot about a steak and the best cooking and grilling methods for it, based solely on it’s fat and protein contents.
We do suggest you take a look at the GrillerDude.com blog where the experts spent quite a lot of time breaking down key information points on how to best cook the most common beef cut types.
Final Tips on Grilling the Perfect Beef Steak
There is something to be said about the grill itself – some grills are more suitable for comfortable grilling, like the Smart Flip Flop Grill from Griller Dude. It’s an Argentinian style grill which flips the meat for you, preventing overcooking and making grilling a more enjoyable experience altogether – check it out and see for yourself.
