Cooking the Perfect Piece of Meat

Cooking meat is a Man thing. Since the discovery of fire Man has cooked meat over it. There is no reason to change that now; sure there are alternatives and it is nice to change things up from time to time (i.e. Rib Eye cooked in a cast iron skillet with butter) but your best bet is to stick with what is tried and true.

What you need to remember is a cook is only as good as his ingredients. You want to start with the best cuts of meat you can afford and cook it very soon (0-3 days) from purchase. You want to look for local, free range, grass fed if you're getting Beef; Corn = Crap. Pork and Lamb, try to get local and/or organic. You're likely to find your best selections, quality, and cuts at local markets/butchers - they focus on quality not quantity and they will have butchers that can help guide your selection.

Now lets get to seasoning - when you buy good meat you want it to be the star, not a sauce or marinade. You want to season it with a *little* olive oil (just enough to keep it wet), salt and pepper (be as liberal as you like) and you want to do this up to 24 hours before cooking to allow flavors to sink in. You can also add other spices to your tastes. My favorites: Ground Corriander, Garlic Powder, dried and crushed rosemary, and cumin (use this sparingly as it's powerful). Make sure to coat all sides of the meat and allow to sit. If you're pressed for time you can pull out the meat 20-30 min before you plan to start cooking so you can season it and allow it to come to room temp.

Lets get to cooking! Like I said before I think the BBQ is the best method for cooking meat if you want my suggestions for other methods please request them and they will be provided. As said above, you want you meat to be room temp and seasoned prior to going on the grill. Additionally, you want to start with a hot grill - if using gas, let your grill run on med-hi for 5-7 minutes before putting the meat on. If using charcoal, 5-10 minutes after spreading the coals and putting the grill (grate) on. Now comes the easy part, reduce heat to low (turn nob or spread coals), put meat on, close lid, walk away. You want to let it sit and cook for about 4-7 minutes - thicker = more time - before you open the lid. Once it has cooked for said time, flip, close lid and repeat 4-7 minutes.

**Keep in mind you need to keep an eye on the grill for excessive smoke and/or flame ups. dowse these immediately or you'll char your meal**

Now you've let your meat cook on both side and it should be pretty close to being done. You want to insert a meat thermometer (preferably digital) into the thickest part of the thickest piece and check the temp. I have found that once the meat reaches 5-6 degrees below the recommended cooking temp (usually on thermometer) is the best time to remove it from the heat.

***Things to remember - I am not condoning eating unsafe/undercooked meat. Cooking meat kills the bad things in it. If you choose to cook you meat to a temp lower than recommended by the USDA you are taking a risk***

Continue to let the meat cook on each side for 0.5-2 minutes until it reaches your target temp.

Once the meat has reached your target temp take it off the heat and let it rest for 5-10 minutes tented with foil (keep some heat in but not all). This allows the loose/hot juices to be absorbed back into the meat and not run out when cutting. I prefer serving without sauces/dressings/glazes as they take away from the meat being the star.

I hope this helps you Do Man Stuff