Beef, King of the Tailgate

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The term ‘steak’ comes from the Saxon word ‘Steik,’ which literally means 'meat on a stick cooked over a fire.'

— Executive Chef Karl Marsh, Omaha Steaks

Making the Grade

Quality grades for beef are based on the amount of fat within the lean meat (marbling), color, and age, all of which affect the meat's flavor and tenderness. There are eight quality grades for beef: prime, choice, select, standard and commercial, as well as utility, cutter and canner quality grades, which are not generally sold in stores, except as ground beef.

Prime label beef is as good as it gets, says the USDA. It has the most marbling, the most flavor and is often sold at the best steak houses. Next is choice label -- good stuff, but with less marbling than prime. It’s what you get at most grocery stores. Select label cuts are leaner than the higher grades, while standard and commercial grades are commonly sold as store-brand meats.

Steak: What’s the Beef?

What exactly is steak? And what is the right cut, the right price and the right way to cook it for tailgating? Dave Zino, executive chef for the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, says steak is defined by URMIS (Uniform Retail Meat Identity Standards) as a flat cut of meat larger than a chop, ranging from 3/4 inch to 1-1/2 inches thick.

But Omaha Steaks Executive Chef Karl Marsh takes a more historical view of the term:

“The term ‘steak’ comes from the Saxon word ‘steik,’ which literally means 'meat on a stick cooked over a fire,'" he explains. "In today’s world, steak most generally refers to small pieces of meat that are seared on the outside.”

For preparation, beef is first divided up into six “primal cuts.” Steaks, as well as other cuts of meat, are then taken from those primal cuts. They're differentiated by the area of the cattle from which they are cut, with the main steaks categorized as filet mignons, top sirloins, boneless strips, ribeyes and flatirons, notes Marsh

At a tailgate party, the No. 1 way to cook a steak is grilling or “dry-heat cooking.” Suzanne Strassburger, aka Suzy Sirloin, a Master of Beef Advocacy and fifth-generation member of the Strassburger Meats family, recommends getting your grill as hot as possible.

“Grilling at a high temperature ensures that you will get a crispy crust on the outside while at the same time maintaining the juiciness inside,” she said.

She also recommends letting the steak set after cooking. “A good rule of thumb is to let the steak rest for as long as you cooked it,” she said. “If you cut into a steak right off the grill, all those great juices run out and are wasted on the plate. By letting the steak rest, the juices redistribute through the meat and you will enjoy a more flavorful, much juicier steak.”

Less tender, more inexpensive steaks also make for good grilling -- they just benefit greatly from a tenderizing marinade beforehand. Also, medium-rare is about as well-cooked as you want to get with these cuts. The more they cook, the tougher they get.

Champions of the Grill

Some cuts of beef remain eternal champions of the gridiron grill, season after season.

“Any steak, from filet mignons to ribeyes, makes great tailgate fare, but the bold, beefy taste of boneless strips make them a very popular choice,” said Marsh. Stassburger notes that the best cuts of beef for tailgating are New York strip, boneless ribeye and top sirloin. “They are called middle meats, and they are all easy to find. All you need is some kosher salt to bring out the flavor, pepper, and just a dash of garlic.”

Then there are the “unsung heroes” of the grill, including the lesser-known -- but equally delicious and versatile -- tri-tip, flatiron, skirt steak, and flank steak.

Beef tri-tip is sometimes called “beef’s best-kept secret,” said Rich Oliver, co-owner of Oliver’s Meat Market, a Denver, Colorado, institution since 1923. “We have a nice tri-tip, which is something I think a lot of people don’t know about. It’s cut from sirloin and has some really nice marbling to it and excellent flavor. It’s really a great value and quality for the money.”

Skirt and flank steak work for kabobs or skewers and are as easy to make as they are delicious. You can buy kabob cubes precut or trim your own meat into 1- or 1-1/2-inch chunks. “Flank steak is an unsung hero," said Zino. "The keys to a successful flank eating experience are to marinate it in a tenderizing marinade for six to 24 hours and to cut it across the grain.”

Marsh favors the flatiron. “Flatiron steak represents a great value, as it's extremely tender and less expensive than cuts like the filet mignon,” he said. “The flatiron has a robust, beefy taste, and the shape of the steaks makes them perfect for a wide variety of uses, including served in a bun as a sandwich or sliced and served with grilled vegetables for fajitas.”

So for your next tailgate, take some of these cuts off the bench and put them in your starting lineup.

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