Dominick's meat manager Doug Besse has some suggestions and tips to help your next cookout be a success.
- What types of cuts of meat are best for grilling?
- Bone-in or boneless New York strip steaks, Bone-in or boneless Ribeye's, Porterhouse, T-Bone's or fillet mignon
- Steaks slightly thicker, one to one-and-a-half inches, work best especially for those that like steaks rare, medium rare or even medium. If you like your steaks medium well or more you should look for steaks slightly thinner. To add flavor, look for steaks that are moderately marbled and have a nice outer layer of fat.
- What other types of meats are recommended for grilling?
- Boneless chicken breast - A great tip for grilling boneless chicken breast is to split them before cooking. They'll cook quickly and evenly which will prevent them from drying out and getting tough. They can be marinated or seasoned to taste.
- Back ribs - Great slow cooked right on the grill, steamed in foil on the grill or even par boil.
- Wild or farm raised salmon fillets - You can purchase them in whole slabs or portions. The whole slabs are great for parties and aesthetics, but the portions are easier to manage on the grill for every day cooking.
- Shrimp - Large raw shrimp work best. There are three methods to grilling shrimp: you can double skewer to make it easier to turn, and it looks more impressive, single skewered for quicker prep time or use a stir basket right on the grill. This is a great option when cooking with vegetables.
- Kabob's - chicken, beef, pork with vegetables, they come plain or marinated.
- Recommended seasonings for steaks, chicken or seafood:
- Start with a light coating of extra virgin olive oil. Remove your selection from the refrigerator 20 to 30 minutes prior to cooking to bring it to room temperature. This is especially important for steaks.
- A great option for steaks is Dominick's Ranchers Reserve Cowboy Rub with Coffee or Rancher's Reserve Classic Steak Rub.
- Chicken is very versatile. You can use a simple seasoning, marinade or basting sauce.
- Back ribs can be seasoned with a barbeque rub, or any of your favorite seasonings. Wrap them in foil and grill on low heat 200 to 250 degrees for an hour. Remove them from foil, slightly brown and add favorite barbeque sauce
- The salmon, shrimp and other seafood are all similar to chicken. Try the Cowboy Steak Rub on salmon and blacken it slightly before moving to a lower heat to finish.
- What other tips or techniques for successful grilling?
- Maintaining temperature - Heat the grill on high then turn it down for cooking. Don't be in a hurry, get to know your grill, they all have different hot spots.
- Cleanliness of grill - Keeps flare-ups down and prevents other flavors from getting into what you're cooking today.
- Staying safe while grilling - Save the cocktails until after you're finished cooking!
