Canada Day is just around the corner and we know you’ll be heading for the grill to celebrate. What better way to enjoy Canada Day than with a nice juicy steak from Schmucker’s Fresh From The Farm — or, if you like, a flavourful pork chop!
Either way, you’re in for a treat with our locally raised meat, always produced without antibiotics or hormones.
Grilling steak just right can be a little intimidating if you don’t do this often, or your guests are known to be picky. But it’s pretty simple if you follow some basic rules:
- Remove steaks from the fridge 20 minutes before grilling, keeping them covered so they can warm to room temp.
- Get the grill (gas or charcoal) good and hot, and brush the steaks with canola or olive oil on both sides, seasoning well with salt and pepper or a flavour mix like Montreal steak spice.
- Put steaks on the grill and cook until slightly charred and golden brown, 4-5 minutes. Then turn them ONCE and grill for another 3 to 10 minutes, depending on how well done you like them.
- Transfer to a platter and tent loosely with foil for at least 5 minutes.
Here’s a clever expert’s way to tell if your steak is done the way you like it. Try this with one of our delicious Tenderloin, New York strip, T-bone or Ribeye cuts.
Press a finger on the thickest part of the meat and compare how firm it feels using this test.
- Hold a hand open and press down with a finger from the opposite hand on the fleshy area at the base of your thumb. That’s what a raw steak feels like.
- Now, press your thumb and pointer finger together, then feel the same area at the base of the thumb. That’s what “rare” feels like.
- Third finger and thumb - medium-rare.
- Ring finger and thumb: medium well.
- Pinkie and thumb: well done.
If you’re having trouble picturing this, check out this video.
If that’s too vague for you, you can also use a digital meat thermometer:
- Rare (cool red centre) is 125ºF
- Medium rare (warm red centre) 135ºF
- Medium (warm pink centre) 145ºF
- Medium well (slightly pink centre) 150ºF
- Well done is 160ºF.
Take your steak off the grill when it hits 5 degrees below that number, because it will continue to cook a little as it rests. Just enough time to get the salad, vegetables and other wonderful summer accompaniments on the table. (You can pick up local, in-season veggies from our produce department, too. Check out our asparagus, mini Bella mushrooms, red and mixed bell peppers, and zucchini, all of them delicious dressed with a little oil and herbs and lightly grilled next to those steaks.)
Enjoy your cookout from Schmucker’s Fresh From The Farm and our wonderful local farmers!
And Happy Canada Day!
