Buy a 3 lb hunk of Flat Iron or Pincanhu steak. I buy two to have enough for leftovers. If they have a 6lb hunk, that works too.
It’s the shoulder and very lean. It looks almost like filet. Trim the fat off if the butcher has not done so. A really good price is $10 per pound.
Coat with salt, pepper and crushed fresh garlic. Both sides.
Turn on grill full tilt high. Wait for 400 degrees on the temp meter.
Stick steaks on normal racks (the full ones).
Sear at 400. Both sides. You can get fancy and make the side angle marks crisscross if you want, turning each steak once for each side.
Then turn down all the way and cook low and slow ontop of the bbq racks. Takes about 20 to 25 minutes. Could be more depending on the grill. That’s why you have a probe.
Stick the probe in the middle. 125 degrees for rare (it’s usually red and soft and worth a try). 135 degrees for medium. Then rest for 20 minutes. The rest is critical so juices get reabsorbed by the tissue. Otherwise all the juice falls out if you don’t rest. Also the meat keeps cooking when resting, so rest the meat off heat on your plate. Then serve.
This meat is so tender when rare, it does not have to be eaten piping hot.
Flat iron
Flat iron cuts are one step below filet mignon/chateaubriand/beef tenderloin, and 1/3 the price with tremendous beef taste. Good price is $10 per pound. Some butchers will charge double, so shop around.
Picanha
Picanha (pronounced “pee-kahn-yah”) is big flavor and tender, and wildly famous in Brazil. Good price is $10 per pound.
Tri-Tip
Developed in Santa Maria California, it’s the most affordable cut and has more fat and marbling if that is your thing. A good price can be as low as $7 a pound.
Chateaubriand / Filet Mignon / Beef Tenderloin
If you have the cash, it’s really the best. But be prepared to pay $17 a pound or more, even up to $30 a pound.
Chateaubriand is the thicker portion of the beef tenderloin.
Filet mignon is cut from the smaller end of the beef tenderloin.
Beef tenderloin is the whole enchilada, as they say! It’s a huge delicious roast. Slap it on the grill!
We like to pair big meats with big salads…
This reduces the carbohydrate and glucose index.
It also provides a lot of fiber to balance off any of the fats.
For those of legal drinking age, having a nice deep red wine like a Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux, or Malbec pairs well. If you’d like a lighter red wine, then Pinot Noir also goes well. Of course, white wine like a buttery Chardonnay or light Pinot Gris goes well too.
