Dear Customers,
April is arguably the most unpredictable month. I have actually gone skiing in April when a chance storm dumped over a foot of wet snow overnight. (kinda like the one on St. Patrick’s Day this year!) And then again, I’ve mowed my lawn in April every year in recent memory with the afternoon temperatures hovering in the mid-70’s! Those are two weather extremes 180° apart from each other any way you care to measure it.
As outdoor activities increase in frequency after a brutal winter, I spend more and more time enjoying simple chores like getting the patio furniture out of the shed, grilling on the back porch regularly and even starting my tomato seeds in heated trays. The sounds of track meets, little league games and neighborhood kids playing echo joyously around the borough. Peepers trill along streams and creeks of an evening and the promise of summer grows stronger day by day.
Speaking of grilling out of doors, there are a few dos and don’ts when it comes to grilling that bear repeating here. This becomes even more important when your meat-of-choice is beef. Nobody would blame you if you opted for pork or chicken instead, because the price of beef is at an all-time high. The cattle industry sites drought, disease, and slow repopulation as contributing factors to herds that are thinner than ever. Also, tariffs on foreign beef are limiting imported competition! But if you absolutely have to have beef, here are some tips to keep in mind.
If the meat is 1 inch or thicker (steaks, roasts, etc.) use the indirect method of cooking. Keep the meat over on the cooler side of the grill and not right over the flame. Use a good quality meat thermometer and it’ll save you $$. Here are some guidelines to utilize. RARE (125°F – cool, red center), MEDIUM RARE (135°F-warm red center), MEDIUM (145°F – warm pink center), MEDIUM-WELL (150°F – slightly pink center) and WELL DONE (160°F – little to no pink!
And, remember that meat continues to cook after removing it from the grill, so take that into account in your final temperature.