How To Grill Steaks

Before you go anywhere near the grill here's a couple of preparation steps that will really help the flavor of your steak

1. Choosing Your Steak
   Look for steak that has a good marble of fat running through it because this is where the flavor is. The best cuts (in my opinion) for marble and flavor are Ribeye and Sirloin, less preferable is filet or tenderloin but there's no arguing on the melt in the mouth texture of filet.

2. Hanging
   Well hung beef will taste better than that which has been hung for less time and typically the longer hung beef (up to 21 days) will be at your butcher rather than down the supermarket. Whichever source you've used though, your steak needs to be dry prior to cooking and to achieve this, the best thing is to place your steak in the refrigerator on a cake cooling rack for 2 days. This let's the air circulate all around the steak and clear up any excess moisture.

Now more patience is required because you don't want to take your steak straight out of the refrigerator and onto the grill. You need to give it at least two hours at room temperature to warm through. This is especially important if you like your steak rare, it's only going to get a short cooking time and if you cook straight from the refrigerator to center of your steak will still be cold by the time the outside is cooked. Allowing your steak to come up to room temperature before cooking means that the center will be pink like you like it and warm too.

Now we're ready to cook

Season your steak with salt on one side. The salt protects the steak from the heat (something we want to avoid) so seasoning on one side only at least keeps the flip side at the mercy of the hot grill. In addition, don't be tempted to season with peeper until after the cooking because the pepper will scortch during the cooking.

It is tricky though because whether you like it rare medium or well done is dependent on two things:-

1. The thickness of the steak
2. How hot your grill is

This latter point is easily addressed if you have a controllable gas grill but if you’re on charcoal it makes it a little more difficult but in essence, the hotter the better. it's at this point though that I defferentiate between how to grill steaks on gas and how to grill steaks over charcoal.

If on gas you can really get some heat into the searing plates which is great news because the trick for searing is to keep the temperature of the steak as high as possible for as long as possible. The best way to do this is to turn your steak every 15 seconds during the whole of the cookout. (Usually between 2 - 4 minutes in total).

With charcoal it is difficult to really get that same level of heat that comes with direct grill plate contact so I recommend that the best way to get the highest heat for the longest period of time is only to flip the steak once.

How To Grill Steaks Exactly To Your Liking

For me a steak should be crisp and caramelized on the outside, and pink on the inside to the point that the absolute center hasn't actually been cooked at all.

Ask any professional chef and they will tell you that timing is approximate and the best way to measure how well done your meat is is to feel it. Gently push down on the steak and if it’s soft and takes time to recover (like the flesh at the base of your thumb) its form then it’s rare. If your steak is firm and doesn’t form an imprint when you press it, then it’s well done.

Medium (a similar feel to the flesh in the palm of your hand) and all points in between are a matter of experience but once you’ve got it sorted you’ll get it right every time and delight your guests. For more detail on this point check out Jake Slain's article on perfect grilled steaks.

If you're like me and hate reading instructions then I've prepared a quick video of the above principle and you can watch it right here:

Now that your steak is done to your liking there's one final point to remember - after the intense heat of cooking you must rest your steak for 5 minutes before tucking in. This gives the muscle time to re-shape after cooking and this helps retain the juices. It's at this point to you can season with pepper.

Follow this process and you should get perfect steaks every time and packed with flavor. I hope that you agree.

See Also:-

Grill Charms - Unique Grilling Gifts For Your Steak
How To Grill Chicken
Barbecue Beef Boneless Rib Recipe
How To Grill Corn
How To Grill Asparagus
How To Grill Shrimps

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