How to Grill a Perfect Steak
Choose the right type of grill for your meal., Purchase bright red, freshly cut steaks from your local butcher., Let the steak sit, covered, at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before cooking., Rub the steak with salt and pepper, massaging it...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Choose the right type of grill for your meal.
A great steak speaks for itself
-- it needs little seasoning other than some salt and pepper and is packed with flavor.
The right grill will help accentuate this flavor.
That said, any grilled steak will be perfect if handled correctly, so there is no "wrong" choice.
Propane:
Gas grills add little flavor to the meat, letting the steak stand on its own.
They are the fastest and easiest to control for cooking, making them perfect for larger meals or last-minute grills.
Charcoal:
The "classic" BBQ flavor, these hard little bricks heat up relatively quickly and give rich, smoky tones to the meat.
Make sure they are all white-hot before cooking on them.
Wood-fire:
The hardest to light and manage but the choice of top barbecuers around the world, wood chips have the best flavor.
Can be combined with charcoal to get the best of both worlds. -
Step 2: Purchase bright red
The best meat should still be a bright, vibrant red color.
Marbling, or the white streaks of fat, also indicate a more flavorful and juicy steak.
If the steak is maroon or brown colored, skip it for something fresher.Just ask if your butcher will slice off a fresh cut for you.
Some ideas for good steak cuts include:
High-End Cuts Ribeye, Strip, Tenderloin, T-Bone, DelmonicoIncredible Budget Cuts:
Hanger, Skirt, Tri-tip, Ranch, Sirloin, or Flank, This prevents you from throwing a cold steak on a hot grill, which greatly alters cook times and makes it harder to get a well-seared outside and completely cooked middle.
Bigger steaks, those thicker than 1-1/2"
may need 15 minutes or so. , While some chefs love seasoning, most steakhouses won't touch a piece of good meat with anything more than simple salt and pepper.
Use the largest grains of salt you can
-- kosher or course-grained is best
-- and liberally cover the meat.
Then touch it up with pepper, adding as much as you personally enjoy (but nowhere near as much as the salt).
Think of the salt as light snow on a dark road.
You can still see the asphalt, but the "snow" (salt) covers the majority of it.
Be sure to get both sides and the edges of the steak as well. , If you're using a charcoal or wood grill, you'll need to get it started roughly 30-40 minutes before eating.
A propane grill likely only needs 5-10 minutes if you leave the cover on.The thinner the steak the hotter the grill should be, and keeping track of this temperature is important.
However, you can check temperature even if you don't have a thermometer with a simple trick: 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) thick:
Heat up to 425–450 °F (218–232 °C), so that you can't keep your hand over the grill for more than 3 seconds. 3⁄4 to 1 inch (1.9 to
2.5 cm) thick:
Get the grill to 360-400°F.
You shouldn't be able to keep your hand over the grill 4-5 seconds. 1 to 1 −1⁄2 inch (2.5 to
1.3 cm) thick:
Get the grill to 325-360°F, as you don't want to overcook the outsides before the center finishes.
Your hand could only take about 5-6 seconds above the grill.
Thicker than 1 1⁄2 inch (3.8 cm):
Stick to 325°F, and know that you'll likely need to flip the steak once more than you would otherwise to avoid burning the outsides. -
Step 3: freshly cut steaks from your local butcher.
-
Step 4: Let the steak sit
-
Step 5: covered
-
Step 6: at room temperature for 5-10 minutes before cooking.
-
Step 7: Rub the steak with salt and pepper
-
Step 8: massaging it gently into the meat.
-
Step 9: Pre-heat the grill on medium-high heat.
Detailed Guide
A great steak speaks for itself
-- it needs little seasoning other than some salt and pepper and is packed with flavor.
The right grill will help accentuate this flavor.
That said, any grilled steak will be perfect if handled correctly, so there is no "wrong" choice.
Propane:
Gas grills add little flavor to the meat, letting the steak stand on its own.
They are the fastest and easiest to control for cooking, making them perfect for larger meals or last-minute grills.
Charcoal:
The "classic" BBQ flavor, these hard little bricks heat up relatively quickly and give rich, smoky tones to the meat.
Make sure they are all white-hot before cooking on them.
Wood-fire:
The hardest to light and manage but the choice of top barbecuers around the world, wood chips have the best flavor.
Can be combined with charcoal to get the best of both worlds.
The best meat should still be a bright, vibrant red color.
Marbling, or the white streaks of fat, also indicate a more flavorful and juicy steak.
If the steak is maroon or brown colored, skip it for something fresher.Just ask if your butcher will slice off a fresh cut for you.
Some ideas for good steak cuts include:
High-End Cuts Ribeye, Strip, Tenderloin, T-Bone, DelmonicoIncredible Budget Cuts:
Hanger, Skirt, Tri-tip, Ranch, Sirloin, or Flank, This prevents you from throwing a cold steak on a hot grill, which greatly alters cook times and makes it harder to get a well-seared outside and completely cooked middle.
Bigger steaks, those thicker than 1-1/2"
may need 15 minutes or so. , While some chefs love seasoning, most steakhouses won't touch a piece of good meat with anything more than simple salt and pepper.
Use the largest grains of salt you can
-- kosher or course-grained is best
-- and liberally cover the meat.
Then touch it up with pepper, adding as much as you personally enjoy (but nowhere near as much as the salt).
Think of the salt as light snow on a dark road.
You can still see the asphalt, but the "snow" (salt) covers the majority of it.
Be sure to get both sides and the edges of the steak as well. , If you're using a charcoal or wood grill, you'll need to get it started roughly 30-40 minutes before eating.
A propane grill likely only needs 5-10 minutes if you leave the cover on.The thinner the steak the hotter the grill should be, and keeping track of this temperature is important.
However, you can check temperature even if you don't have a thermometer with a simple trick: 1⁄2 inch (1.3 cm) thick:
Heat up to 425–450 °F (218–232 °C), so that you can't keep your hand over the grill for more than 3 seconds. 3⁄4 to 1 inch (1.9 to
2.5 cm) thick:
Get the grill to 360-400°F.
You shouldn't be able to keep your hand over the grill 4-5 seconds. 1 to 1 −1⁄2 inch (2.5 to
1.3 cm) thick:
Get the grill to 325-360°F, as you don't want to overcook the outsides before the center finishes.
Your hand could only take about 5-6 seconds above the grill.
Thicker than 1 1⁄2 inch (3.8 cm):
Stick to 325°F, and know that you'll likely need to flip the steak once more than you would otherwise to avoid burning the outsides.
About the Author
Patricia Chapman
Professional writer focused on creating easy-to-follow creative arts tutorials.
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