How To Char A Steak On The Grill

The Absolute Best Way To Cook Bacon According To So Many Tests

His advice was, it turns out, just one of many answers. A quick Google search on “how to cook steak” reveals nearly 300 million suggestions. You could grill your meat. Or, you could cook it in a blistering skillet on the stovetop. You could start it on the stovetop, before transferring it to the oven. You could make like Bobby Flay and sear it on the stovetop, slice it, and then broil the other side. There’s the reverse sear, and there’s sous vide, and the list goes on.

Which makes steak a perfect candidate for our Absolute Best Tests series, in which I spend far too much time with one specific ingredient or recipe, in an effort to coax out perfection. Shall we begin?

How To Make Perfect Grilled Steak

Want to make a perfect grilled steak every single time? The key to perfect, crusty on the outside, juicy on the inside grilled steak is right in your pantryand your freezer!

Once upon a time, the Southern husband and I thought we knew how to grill a nice plain steak. How hard could it be, really?

We would pick up a good looking rib-eye or sirloin at the meat counter, crank up the grill and toss it on there. And it tasted fine.

At least, it tasted fine until we added a couple of steps that seemed very simplebut that transported our steak supper from fine to just plain mouthwateringly, crusty on the outside, tender and juicy on the inside, perfect.

And ever since that fatefully delicious date we have never looked back, steak-wise.

There are two steps to steak perfection before you get to the actual grilling part, and here they are:

1. You want a perfectly dry surface on your steak. That dry surface is going to give you a gorgeous crusty exterior and that tender juicy pink interior. But just patting your steak dry isnt going to get you there you need to mix together a combo of cornstarch and salt and rub your steak all over with it.

The cornstarch-salt mixture is going to absorb every last bit of moisture and give you the nice searable surface you are looking for. And in case you are worried, I promise you wont taste one single bit of cornstarch its all going to cook off when the time comes.

Now go grill some steak!

• 12 tablespoons coarse salt

How To Grill A Frozen Steak A Charcoal Grill

The best way to grill a frozen steak is to preheat your charcoal grill to medium-high heat and place the steak directly on the grill. Grill the steak for 3-4 minutes per side, or until it is cooked to your desired doneness. If you would like a charred outside crust on your steak, you can use the direct grilling method described above, or you can briefly place the steak over the hot coals after it has been on the grill for a few minutes. Just be careful not to overcook your steak!

If you want to add some extra flavor to your frozen steak, you can brush it with a bit of oil or baste it with a sauce before grilling. You can also season it with salt and pepper before grilling.

Also Check: Seasonings For Ribeye Steak

Flip Your Steak Often And Frequently

Turn the steak every 45 seconds or so, until you have built up a nice starting color and the fat has started to render. On your first flip, the steak will look underwhelmingly pale. Dont worry, this is normal. Stick with it because youre on your way to the perfect crust! The total time to build the base color will be about 5 minutes .

How Long Do I Cook A Ribeye Steak On The Grill

How to Cook Ribeye Steak on the Grill. Bring the meat to room temperature. Remove your steak from the refrigerator 30-40 minutes before cooking. For the perfect medium-rare ribeye steak, grill for 9-12 minutes for a 1-inch steak, and 12-15 minutes for a 1½ inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point.

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Prepare The Barbecue Grill

The cooking surface must be clean and oiled so your steaks will have good contact with the grill without sticking. Prepare the grill while it’s finishing heating up.

The easiest way to oil the cooking grate is with an oil-soaked paper towel and the metal brush used to clean the grill. Fold a paper towel in half until it is the size of your grill cleaning brush. Soak it with oil that has a high smoke point, like canola or grapeseed oil. Brush this over the cooking grates evenly. It will smoke some, but enough oil will remain on the grates as long as you don’t let the grill sit at its highest temperature for too long before grilling.

The Best Way To Cook Steaks On A Charcoal Grill

Cooking steaks is perhaps one of the best ways to make your meal.

The best way to cook steaks on a charcoal grill is to make sure that the meat remains juicy while it becomes tender.

Of course, it is easier said than done as making the steaks tender while staying juicy is challenging.

That is why you need the specific skills and knowledge to do it.

Charcoal grills are great for cooking as they can produce a lot of heat without making too much fire.

They do not produce flames as much as wood so you can cook with radiant heat.

They can also add a little bit of flavor to the steaks to get that familiar BBQ flavor.

You can also cook in them without the risk of too many flare-ups that might burn the steaks.

You can also control charcoals a little easier so if you need to cook in low and slow method, you can use a charcoal grill to do that and cook the food with the best finish.

I will share my secrets on how to cook your steaks properly on a charcoal grill with this recipe.

That way, you will make the best food when hosting parties or for a simple meal.

• About 2 teaspoons of thyme leaves
• 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 shallot, minced

Note: With a ribeye steak, the cut of meat should be around 1 and a half pounds without the bone. You can also choose other cuts like porterhouse and t-bone steaks.

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How To Grill A Perfect Steak

THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE SALES LINKS. PLEASE SEE MY AFFILIATE NOTICE FOR DETAILS.

How to Grill a Perfect Steak is your go-to grilled steak guide! Every step is broken down to make the process of grilling steak easy and approachable!

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY:This post is sponsored by Country Natural Beef, the opinions are my own.

What Is Reverse Searing

Reverse searing is a cooking process used for steak which involves a low and slow cook early in the process and finishes with a high temperature sear. This process can be completed on a grill with two-zone heat, a smoker with low temperature and a high heat sear , or even in a low temperature oven and a high temperature skillet.

You can utilize whatever grills, appliances, or tools you have available to reverse sear the perfect steak as long as you have an understanding of the two-step process.

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Roasted Shallot And Herb Butter:

How Long To Grill Steak

For a 1 1/2-inch thick steak, here are the general cooking times:

• 6 to 8 minutes for rare
• 7 to 10 minutes for medium-rare
• 10 to 12 minutes for medium
• 12 to 15 minutes for well done

Note that the USDA recommends cooking whole cuts of beef to an internal temperature of 145°F.

Keep in mind that the thickness of your steak, the heat of your grill, and your desired level of doneness will all impact the time it takes your steak to grill. Raichlen suggests checking the temperature of the steak by inserting a digital meat thermometer through the side, not top down. You can also use Elises handy dandy guide.

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What Do You Eat With Grilled Steak

You can serve sauces to pour over the grilled steak, such as pan sauce, compound butters, chimichurri, or bottled barbecue.

As far as side dishes, it’s nice to have two elements.

Prepare The Herb Butter

Get a saucepan and then put the butter and other ingredients for the herb butter in it.

Melt the butter over low heat and then let it rest in the refrigerator or on the counter if you are cooking soon.

Make the herb butter 10 minutes before cooking to get the flavors from the herbs to transfer to the butter itself. If it hardens, place it on the grill to melt the butter again.

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Salting Early Pays Off

You might have heard the warning that you shouldnt salt meat too far in advance of cooking because it can draw out moisture. Its true that salt draws moisture towards itself, but over the course of 20 to 30 minutes thats a good thing, because the salt begins to dissolve into that little bit of moisture.

When the steak hits the hot cooking grate, the sugars and proteins in the moisture combine with the salt and other seasonings to create a delicious crust. Any moisture you might lose is well worth the flavor of that crust.

Why Does High Heat Make My Steak Tastes Better

The surface of a steak tastes best when the high heat gets several important chemical reactions going. It might be a little TMI, but you can always impress your guests with your grilling knowledge!

The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between amino acids and sugars created by heat. Caramelization is the browning of sugar by oxidation under heat. There are small amounts of sugars in meat, that cause this reaction and give you that rich, complex, caramel or butterscotch flavor that makes your steak memorable.

There are also fats on the surface, and they contribute a lot to the flavor of the meat. When heat melts the fat and chemically alters it, the flavor is also drastically altered.

Fat reaches its most rich and succulent point when it becomes golden brown, just before it burns. While your steak is at best when the color is more of a nut brown. Blackening or charring a piece of meat is carbonization, and wont taste much better than the charcoal, so pay attention to what youre doing on the grill. Timing is everything!

For me the rarer the better, while my wife likes no signs of pink, with her steak well done.sigh. Its proven quite challenging but also very satisfying when I get it right.

I also like to experiment with the seasonings I use, trying to masterfully create perfection. Many famous steak houses are known not only for their steaks but for the secret seasoning they use to create added flavors.

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How To Grill The Perfect Steak On A Gas Grill

In the world of backyard grilling, nothing tastes better than a grilled steak. There is a lot of controversy over the best way to grill, i.e., using charcoal, wood pellets, or gas. All three will deliver heat, the pellet and gas maintain a constant temperature, and the charcoal and pellet add smoke. You can also add smoke with a gas grill by making a smoking packet and placing it above the burners or by using a smoke tube. But there are some things that you can do with a gas grill that you cannot do with the pellet grill, and you can do it with a charcoal grill with some tools to move the charcoal.

The Last Rule Of Steak House

The answer is most definitely yes! Allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before serving. Take the steaks off the grill and cover them with foil, away from the heat. This gives all those wonderful juices time to return to the meat, giving you a tender and juicy steak.

All thats left is a sit-down and enjoy the deliciousness of a Steak House quality steak, cooked just right.

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How To: Grill The Perfect Steak

I almost named this post, How to cook a steak that doesnt suck. Vegetarians beware this one is not for you . Go browse our dessert section today while the rest of us stay here and look at slabs of beef. Its no secret that Kate and I like our meat. Ive actually noticed at a lot of the business related events we attend where fancy dinners are involved, the women in attendance almost always order fish, or grilled chicken, or a stinking side salad, and then leave 3/4 of it on their plates when theyre finished. If theres a beef filet on the menu, Kate and I both order it about 98 percent of the time. And you better believe we chow down every last bite too. I want to show you all that you really can cook an awesome restaurant quality steak at home. You can also totally ruin a perfectly good restaurant quality steak at home. So follow our steps to grill a steak that doesnt suck, okay?

1. Choose the Right Cut

I could write a whole post on different cuts of steak, so just for today well focus on the most traditional backyard bbq steaks. My personal favorites for grilling are Rib Eye and NY Strip, so Ill show those in my photos. If I had to go for just one, Id pick a rib eye every time.

*If you are working with a less-expensive cut of meat, check out this cool method of salting. Jaden of Steamy Kitchen has a fantastic explanation of how to turn cheap choice steak into Gucci prime steak

5. Finish Cooking

7. Embrace your carnivorous side.

What Is The Maillard Reaction

The cornstarch and salt mixture, along with the sprinkle of pepper right before you begin grilling will help perfect your maillard effect. The maillard effect refers to the unique caramelization of these ingredients on the meat. The smell and taste of the meat and seasonings simply defies description which is I am sure why the French were compelled to create a word for it.

The key to creating a perfect maillard reaction is making sure your meat is well seasoned and your cooking heat is nice and high.

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Grilling The Best Steak

I wanted a juicy steak with a nice crust that was big enough to slice and serve family style, and that had a little finesse.

While cooking, I basted the steak in an herbed butter sauce. The sauce added a fresh, light flavor that balanced the richness of the meat. In the end, I had a steak everyone raved about, and that felt special but not overly fussy. It was the perfect main course for my Fourth of July party plans.

Use Temperature To Check For The Perfect Steak Doneness

This is where your thermometer becomes the rock star. You leave your steak on this indirect or cool side until you reach your desired temperature. The temps I provide here are a little below the normal doneness temps, but since were going to go back to the hot side, Id rather be under than over done! Here are the temps you need to look for:

• RARE 118f
• MEDIUM RARE 125f
• MEDIUM 135f

If you like your steak well done, you can actually skip this entire two zone thing. Just keep flipping over the direct heat until your steak registers at least 150f internal temperature.

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