The Best Steaks For Grilling
There is no one best cut for grilled steak its all about personal preference. Good cuts for grilling range from leaner, more tender cuts, to cuts that pack fat and flavor.
Filet mignon or tenderloin: The most tender cut of steak, its ideal for those who prefer their meat rare. A smaller cut so it cooks fast.
Flank steak: A thin, inexpensive cut. Flank steak doesnt have as much fat or natural flavor as some of the other cuts, so it should be marinated before cooking to add flavor and tenderize the meat. Because it is thin, it cooks fast over high heat. Learn more in our Flank Steak Cooking Guide.
Hanger steak: A flat steak, similar to flank steak, but usually with more fat content throughout. Hanger can be marinated before cooking but will also be tasty with a simple salt and pepper seasoning. Cooks fast over direct heat and should not be overcooked.
New York strip: A leaner cut that is relatively thick and firm like ribeye, but with less fat. Does not need to be marinated. A good candidate for reverse searing.
Porterhouse: A massive cut thats actually two steaks in one. A filet mignon and a New York strip. The Porterhouse tends to contain more of the tenderloin than its cousin cut, the T-bone. Porterhouse is usually cut quite thick, so reverse-searing can help you avoid an overcooked exterior and raw middle. Theres no need to marinate before cooking. Salt and pepper is all you need.
Cooking Steak On The Stove/oven
If youre cooking a steak indoors, the best method is one that has gained popularity over the last few years the reverse sear. The reverse sear is when you cook the steak rather slowly in the oven, then finish by searing it on the stovetop. The benefit of this method is that youre less likely to overcook the steak, and you have more control over the sear.
Preheat your oven to 225 degrees Fahrenheit, and put the steaks in the oven on a baking sheet. Cook them until the internal temperature is 110 degrees Fahrenheit which will take about an hour.
Just before you take the steaks out, drizzle oil in your heaviest skillet and set it over high heat. Take the steaks out, and put them in the pan. Sear them on both sides and finish by searing the edges.
You can also do the searing process outside on the grill but then, why would you want to miss out on the ease, consistency, and wood fired taste of cooking your steak on a pellet grill? Makes no sense.
Dont Miss: Kansas City Steaks Phone Number
Grilling The Perfect Steak: A Simple Grilled Steak Recipe
Want a recipe for grilling the perfect steak that you can try out for dinner tonight? You can do this with rib eye, porterhouse steaks, boneless strip, or whatever other cut delights you the most. You can also use a steak marinade overnight and grill the steaks the next day. This recipe serves four.
Read Also: How To Make A Good Steak
How To Tell When A Steak Is Perfectly Done: Meat Thermometers And The Hand Test
Experts agree that using a good meat thermometer is always the right thing to do when it comes to checking for steak doneness levels.
OK, with your super-thin steaks, fine, you get a pass, but with everything else, a good meat thermometer is the only reliable way to ensure perfect and saferesults every time.
Click here to read why it is so important to use a meat thermometer if you dont already know.
You can also get an instant-read, albeit an inexact one, from the hand test.
Heres how it works: When you think youre close to show-time, prod the steak gently with a clean finger and compare to the feel of your own hand as follows:
| If the steak feels like the soft pad below your thumb when: | |
|---|---|
| Your pinky finger and thumb are touching | It’s well done |
Now obviously you can also cut into a steak, and see with your own eyes whether its done. But you want to minimize how many times you do this as youll be letting precious juices escape with every cut.
In the end, after Ive gone through all my sensory tests , I still turn to my thermometer for the final confirmation of readiness!
How To Grill Ribeye Steak :
- For the perfect medium-rare degree of doneness, your Ribeye steak grill time should be 912 minutes for a 1-inch steak, and 1215 minutes for a 1& frac12 inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise about 5°F during this time . The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak is important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
- To check the degree of doneness, use a meat thermometer to measure the internal temperature of your steak.
Don’t Miss: Dry Aging Steaks In Fridge
How To Prepare Your Steak
When you’re cooking a steak, you’re doing two things:
Searing the surface of the steak which you want to get up to at least 285 degrees Fahrenheit, and heating the inside of the steak which you want to keep much cooler.
To get the perfect sear, you need to get the surface of your steak up to 285 degrees Fahrenheit. This will initiate the Maillard reaction, giving your meat a pleasing color.
Whats The Best Steak For Grilling
Honestly, when it comes to cooking a steak on the grill, you cant really go wrong with any cut you choose. However, getting a perfectly cooked steak from a grill can be tricky if youre new to steak cooking or using a grill. Each cut of steak is a different size, thickness, and texture, so itll be a different process to grill ribeye steak than it would be to grill a much thicker steak, like a filet mignon.
Another issue you might have with the grill lies in the fat content of steak. Although steaks with more fat tend to be more flavorful and tender , they also can be more dangerous to cook on the grill. As fat drips off cut steaks, grill flare-ups can happen. This is especially common with cuts like the rib eye, which are known for their marbling.
That doesnt mean you cant grill them, but youll definitely need to take extra precautions when doing so. Whether you want to cook a rib steak, a T-bone, or flat iron on the grill, you can learn to do it by following our helpful grilling tips for steak.
Also Check: Best Steak Dinner In Vegas
Temps And Times For Sous Vide Strip Ribeye Porterhouse/t
Highly marbled cuts, like a grain-finished, prime-grade ribeye or strip, should be cooked a few degrees Fahrenheit higher than leaner steaks like tenderloin, since their copious intramuscular fat helps keep them moist while delivering plenty of flavor. I prefer ribeyes and strip steaks cooked medium-rare to medium, around 129°F to 135°F . Fattier steaks also have natural insulation, which means theyll take slightly longer to reach the correct internal temperature.
Porterhouse and T-bone steaks contain a large section of strip and a smaller section of tenderloin. Since both sides must be cooked together, its better to select a temperature and time based on the side you like to eat better. Personally, I like to optimize cooking time and temperature for the strip. It means my tenderloin comes out slightly more cooked than I generally prefer, but the insulating bone helps it stay plenty moist and juicy.
Timings are all given for steaks one and a half to two inches thick. For steaks one inch thick or less, initial cooking time can be shortened to 40 minutes. Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than two and a half hours at a time, for food-safety reasons.
Also Check: How To Cook Steak On George Foreman Grill
Preheat The Grill To A High Temperature
Some users prefer cooking a steak at a temperature of no more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit. I dont see it this way. I prefer my grill to be blazing hot. If the steak is thicker than 1.5 inches, finish cooking it on medium heat for a few minutes after charring both sides.
It will take 10-15 minutes for your grill to heat up. Start after the grill has been preheated.
Before you heat the grill, clean it and spray it with oil. Alternatively, a paper towel dipped in oil can be used to grease the grill.
You May Like: Shun Classic Steak Knife Set
How Hot Should The Grill Be For Steak
Raichlen recommends establishing two cooking zones in your charcoal grill: one thats very hot for searing the steak, and one thats medium for finishing the steak and cooking it through.
On a gas grill, heat the grill to 450°F with two burners going, which should only take about 10 minutes, then turn one of the burners down to medium to create two cooking zones.
Not sure if the grill is hot enough? Raichlens tip is to hold your hand 3 inches above the grill grate and count 1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi If you can only hold it there for a second or two, the grill is hot and youre ready to cook.
I followed Raichlens advice, and started my steak in the hot zone, then moved it to the medium zone to finish cooking. It worked like a charm.
Customize To Your Desires To Grill 3/4 Inch Steak
I like my steak salted and peppered with a pinch of garlic powder, but you may experiment with additional seasonings like chili powder, thyme, and so on.
Toppings: This is where you may be as creative as you want. Sauted mushrooms with balsamic vinegar and garlic melted butter, parsley , and thyme
lemon-herb compound butter chimichurri
Dare I say steak sauce with gremolata
Recommended Reading: Kansas City Steak Company Phone Number
How Do You Grill A Rare Steak
125°F), which will be the pinkest and not heated all the way through, should be grilled for 6-8 minutes for a rare steak. A medium rare steak will be quite pink on the outside and warm in the center after 7-10 minutes on the grill. Medium steak should be grilled for 10-12 minutes on each side, until it is slightly pink and yet extremely juicy.
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.
Recommended Reading: Alain Saint Joanis Steak Knives
Moisture Is The Enemy
The Maillard reaction gives grilled steak its irresistible aroma.
Thats why we cook it over fire rather than boiling it something thats boiling in water can never get over 212 degrees Fahrenheit, because thats the highest possible temperature of the water.
But some people do effectively boil their steaks on the grill by throwing them on when the surface of the meat is moist with condensation or a marinade.
GRILLING WET STEAK IS LIKE STARTING A RACE GOING UPHILL.
Grilling wet steak is like starting a race going uphill. Your grill cant cook your steak until it first evaporates the water which takes a lot of energy. Your steak cant get past the 212 Fahrenheit marker and toward Maillard levels, until all that water is gone. Meanwhile, the internal temperature of the steak is rising because of the ambient heat around it.
You can end up with the worst of both worlds no browning on the surface of the steak, and overcooked meat within it.
Here are a few ways to banish moisture from your steak:
Ideal Thickness For Sous Vide Steak
The thickness of a steak is not just about portion control. Without an adequately thick steak, its very difficult to get that perfect contrast between exterior and interior. Very thin steaks will tend to overcook before they can finish developing a nice crust, even over the hottest fire you can build. With sous vide in particular, using a thicker steak will help you maintain more of that perfectly cooked interior during the searing process.
I try to get steaks that are at least an inch and a half thick, if not a full two inches. This does mean that each steak ends up weighing between 12 ounces and a poundâthats big, even for someone with a healthy appetite for red meat. But remember this: Its better to cook one large steak for every two people than to cook two smaller steaks. Learn how to share.
Also Check: Grand Western Steaks Promo Code
Is It Important To Let The Steaks Rest
Yes. The steak actually continues to cook during those few minutes. This continuation of cooking is great because it doesnt dry out the steak, as it would by simply leaving it on the grill longer. Cutting into the steak interrupts that last little period of cooking by releasing the heat inside the steak. Trust me, let it rest a few minutes and your steak will turn out perfect.
If you like this recipe, you may also be interested in these other delicious grilling recipes:
Getting Rid Of The Moisture
Angry BBQs favorite : Salt!
We prefer to pull our steaks out of the refrigerator about 1 hour before grilling and generously salt the steak on both sides. It is important not to salt the steaks right before grilling. The salt needs that hour to absorb the extra moisture. With our method, we also prefer to allow the steaks to come up to room temperature before grilling. So typically, once salted they will sit in the refrigerator for ½ hour and then on the counter for ½ hour. There seem to be varying differences on whether it is necessary to bring the steak to room temperature before grilling. We have just found better results with the latter so it is our personal preference.
Other Methods to Remove Moisture :
- About 24 hours prior to grilling, pull all the wrapping off the steaks, place them on a plate, and put back into the refrigerator. The refrigerator has a low humidity and will allow for the moisture to slowly evaporate.
- Prior to grilling, take a paper towel and blot the steaks to soak up any remaining moisture.
Don’t Miss: Matador Prime Beef Hanger Steak
Specialty Methods For Cooking Top Sirloin Steak
A quality Top Sirloin can be prepared in a variety of ways. While traditional methods like grilling and oven baking are tried and true, there are also several wonderful alternatives. With each method, your steak should be completely thawed in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Remove the Top Sirloin steak from the refrigerator 3040 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Season your steaks to your liking we recommend using our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
Here is the best way to prepare and cook reverse-seared Sirloin steak:
How Long To Cook Steak On A Grill
Always start with a hot grill. Preheat the grill over high heat and have the hot grill waiting for you to place the steaks on the grates.
Dry the surface of your steaks with a paper towel and let the steaks come to room temperature. A cold steak removed from the refrigerator and placed directly on the grill will not allow for the internal temperature of the steak to reach the a safe temperature before the outside of the steak begins to overcook. Season steak generously with kosher salt and pepper.
Adjust your gas grill or briquettes to create a hot zone and a cooler zone for adjusting the cooking temperatures while cooking. Grill steak over direct heat on the first side over direct heat and then move to indirect heat to finish the cooking time and desired doneness.
A general guide for grilling times for steak? Place the steaks on the grill and cook until lightly charred for about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn over and continue to grill.
Doneness Guide:
- 3 to 4 minutes for rare
- 4 to 5 minutes for medium rare
- 5 to 6 minutes for medium
- 7 to 8 minutes for medium-well
- 8 to 10 minutes for well done
Pro tip: Have a meat thermometer on hand to help you monitor the internal temperature of the meat.
Related: 25 Juicy Steak Dinner Recipes That Are 100% Keto and Far From Bland
Read Also: Steak Restaurants In Scottsdale Az
What Temperature Do You Cook Steak On A Gas Grill
For a gas grill, the ideal temperature for cooking a steak ranges between 450°F to 500°F. The duration of the cooking time depends on the thickness of the steak. However, make sure to close the lid of the grill once you have added the meat to it. Open the lid after a few minutes, flip the meat, and then close the lid again.