Backyard BBQ Steak Guide: Everyday Steaks

Cooking steak can often seem intimidating – especially if you’re not experienced on the grill. There’s always a chance that after you pull that steak off the grill that it won’t turn out, and that’s why people tend to stick with steaks they know and love. However, there are so many different types of steaks to choose from that you could be missing out. All you really need is a little knowledge and some good quality salt (a thermometer helps, too).

Over the next month we’ll be highlighting different steaks, which we’ve broken down into categories to make it easy to remember. This week we’re starting with what we call “Everyday Steaks.” Don’t forget to keep an eye out on our Instagram page as we’ll be posting videos! Jason will pick 1 steak each week and show you how he BBQs it.

The Everyday steak is one you can pick up for a quick, no-fuss dinner. plus, they’re all relatively easy to cook. This group consists of the New York Striploin, Sirloin Cap, and Top Sirloin.

New York Striploin: A new york strip steak comes from the short loin and is a truly classic and timeless steak. It’s a well-marbled cut that has a nice fat cap – which is why it’s known for being tender, and full of flavour and moisture. That fat cap provides built-in flavour, so need to select a cooking oil for this steak. Tip: sear the fat cap for a few minutes first and then place the steak face down afterward. This helps tenderize the fat cap and then the steak can cook (on the grill or in a pan) in its juice.

Sirloin Cap: A sirloin cap steak is a flavourful, tender cut that doesn’t need much else added, but does absorb marinades and rubs quite well. Lean like the sirloin that it’s cut from, it also has a small fat cap that adds built-in flavour and juices while cooking – so there’s no need to select a cooking oil for this steak. Great for grilling and pan-searing.

Top Sirloin: A top sirloin steak is a flavourful, moderately tender, and naturally lean steak. This cut of meat is quite versatile, and it lends itself well to marinades and seasonings. Perfect for pan-searing and grilling.

All of these steaks are known for being delicious on their own but also pair well with sauces and spices. Joe Beef & House of Q are classics here at the market when it comes to sauce, while Triple Smoke’s line of real-wood smoked spices make the perfect rub.

Triple Smoke: Made on Vancouver Island, their artisan all-purpose spice blends are real wood smoked and delicious.

Diamond Crystal Kosher Salt: An authentic Kosher salt, this salt is known for its simplicity, purity, and coarse texture. Coarse enough to pick up, but still fragile enough to crush between your fingers for perfect seasoning.

Joe Beef Steak Sauce: Made in Montreal, this sauce is lightly spicy and smoky while still having a sweet, fruity side.

This is a summertime favourite and is the perfect side dish for any meal (steak included!). Make lots, as it’s great cold the next day for lunches and snacking.

I’m always looking for innovative ways to feature Lepp’s sweet summer corn, and this one caught my attention. Smitten Kitchen featured it with smashed potatoes, but I knew it would also be a perfect accompaniment to any of our steaks.

Summertime means watermelon all the time. While it is a perfectly wonderful treat when consumed on it’s own, we think adding it to a salad might be our new favorite use for this sweet summer melon.