Is there anything better than a nicely grilled juicy steak? I guess it all depends on who you ask. Honestly, I’d have to think awhile before I thought of something better for my dinner. 🙂
Here is my secret to grilling a perfect steak.
First, you want to start with a good steak. There are a lot of different types of steaks. I’ve been going with T-Bone lately. They aren’t cheap, so we don’t have them all that often. When we do, they are worth the money in my opinion. Definitely some of the best steak I’ve had.
When selecting beef, or any kind of meat, the fresher the better. You want a nice red color to your steaks. If they are grey, or otherwise just not looking so good for one reason or another, you should probably pass and shop somewhere else.
Grilling your steaks as soon as possible after buying them is always a good idea as well. Again, the fresher the better. I usually grill mine within a day or so after purchase, so I usually keep them in the refrigerator. If you won’t be cooking them within a few days you will probably have to freeze them. Nothing wrong with a frozen steak, just make sure you wrap it accordingly to protect the meat from freezer burn. Always check the “sell by” date on your package to ensure you are getting fresh meat and that you do not let it sit too long and spoil.
When you are ready to grill, you want to pull your steaks out of the refrigerator and let them sit for a bit beforehand. I usually let mine sit for 15 minutes or so. This is so they are not really cold when you throw them on a hot grill. When you do that, a lot of the time the meat sticks to your hot grill grate and makes a mess of the steak. Now you don’t want to leave them out too long where you are taking a chance of the meat spoiling. Just long enough to take the chill off.
Once you have a hot grill going, you want to throw your steak (or steaks) on. It helps if you plan ahead a little bit, regarding how people like their steak cooked.
I like mine rare, so I always cook mine first. Then I wrap it in foil and let it sit, while I cook the wife and kids steaks. It’s easier for me to keep track of time that way.
If you plan to grill steak for yourself, you don’t have to worry about it 🙂
My wife and kids like their steaks just a slight bit pink in the middle, but not much more than that. Maybe medium rare. Over time I’ve found they like them cooked about ten minutes on a side. So that is what I do and sometimes I need to throw them back on for a couple minutes longer. It is better to throw steaks back on the grill for a bit, than to cook them too long and have them be ruined.
I don’t find myself using a thermometer on the grill much, maybe I should. I have experience on my side in knowing how much charcoal I use and how long people like their steak done through trial and error. If you are just starting out, you might want to use an instant thermometer if you have one. Also, the amount of time is going to vary depending on what kind of grill you are using. Having a little practice with your grill is probably a good idea before you try steak. You have to watch out for flare-ups in particular. Maybe try some burgers or hot dogs first? No matter what kind of grill you are using, you want to get it going good and hot when you are grilling steak.
I’m grilling these three steaks you see to the right, for the wife and kids. This is after I flipped them once at the ten minute mark. All I need to do now is cook them another 10 minutes.
I used to sear the steaks on one side then flip it twice, but I read somewhere that searing was not a good idea. I quit doing it and I think it has made a difference for the better. The less you handle them, the better they seem to turn out. At least that has been my experience.
Here they are after the last 10 minutes. Now all you need to do is use your tongs to put them on some kind of a plate or platter, and you are all set.
Honestly, I think less is more when it comes to grilling steaks. I used to use seasoning and wood chips and all kinds of other bells and whistles. This is all I’ve been doing for quite some time now and they always turn out fabulous. Charcoal is enough for me. Not much of a recipe, but the family always thinks I’m king of the backyard grills with this one.
Delicious!!!
I hope you agree!