Recipes by James Eddington
Eddington’s of Exeter
527 Main Street, Exeter
519-235-3030 – www.eddingtons.ca
Photos by Casey Lessard
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First off, I must thank my Dad for any barbecue skills I have acquired! Put him in the kitchen and it’s a disaster, but throw him outside to the Q and it’s perfection. This is an inherited process that can take up a good chunk of an afternoon, accompanied with cold beers and a Cuban cigar. But only after the lawn has been cut!
Choose the right cut of ONTARIO beef! Rib and loin are best for the barbecue; the meat is tender. My personal favorite is the rib eye steak.
Cheers, James Eddington
Picking the best cut
Make sure the meat is a medium red color, not too pale or too bright of a red. Make sure the meat is marbled with some fat. You should have streaks of fat running through the meat.
Marinate your steak
Rub steak with olive oil, sprinkle with granulated garlic and steak spice. Don’t be scared of the garlic. Rub mixture into steak. The longer the rub has been applied the more flavors the meat will take on.
Make sure steak is at room temperature before it hits the grill (an oiled grill will produce better grill marks).
Grilling
Make sure barbecue is pre-heated; 500F is good. Don’t over-flip or prod your steak. Two turns is enough! Turn steak at 45º angles to achieve diamond markings. Depending on doneness, 2-5 minutes between turns.
Feel free to lather your steak with barbecue sauce or your desired condiments. If marinated properly, this won’t be necessary!
Final stage: let your meat rest. Take off barbecue or turn off and move to cooler spot. This allows juices to flow out from centre and continue cooking.
How do you like it done?
Very rare: Hot on the outside, raw on the inside and the meat will be sort of wobbly. Final temperature reading should be 100°F.
Rare: Red, cool to warm center and the meat will be soft and spongy. Final temperature reading should be 120°F.
Medium rare: Red, warm center and the meat will have a springy firmness. Final temperature reading should be 126°F.
Medium: Hot, pink center and the meat will have a less springy firmness than medium rare. Final temperature reading should be 135°F.
Medium well: Slight color, cooked throughout and the meat will feel firm. Final temperature reading should be 145°F.
Well done: The meat is gray-brown throughout and very firm and unyielding. Final temperature reading should be 160°F.
How do you know it’s done?
Using your hand, touch your thumb to the finger required as follows. With the other index finger, press on the palm below the thumb (see photo):
Rare: Whole hand stays loose
Medium rare: Thumb to tip of index finger
Medium: Thumb to tip of middle finger
Medium well: Thumb to tip of ring finger
Well done: Thumb to tip of pinkie finger
Always cook your meat one stage below your desired result. For example, if you want a medium rare steak, cook it closer to rare. Why? Because the final process is to let your meat rest for ~3-5 minutes. It will continue to cook at this stage.
Enjoy!