How to Grill Great Steaks

How to Grill Great Steaks

Most steak lovers will agree that one of the best way to cook a steak is on the grill. Old (and not so old) pros can turn out a steak that will make your knees weak when you eat it. It is not quite that easy for the rest of us. Often the steaks of the uninitiated resemble something better placed in an uncomfortable shoe. How do we move from footwear to feast? It's simple if you follow these tips and hints.

It begins with your choice of meat. Steaks should be at least 1-inch to 1 1/2-inches thick or more. Sirloin, porterhouse, or filet mignon are some of the best cuts to choose. If you purchase a less expensive cut, be sure to marinade it well before cooking. I can find some very good deals in our market on what they call 'marinating steak'. It's pretty brutal to eat unless it's been very well marinated. If cooked properly it is quite good. Always trim the excess fat from your steak. This helps prevent flare-ups and, of course, we don't really need to eat the extra fat now do we? Slash any remaining fat on the steak to prevent curling. (Although, as we just said, we did cut of all that extra fat didn't we?) Before heating the grill be sure to spray oil or non-stick kitchen spray on it to prevent the steaks from sticking.

Preheat the grill to cooking temperature before you place the steaks on the grill. This will also help prevent sticking and will assure good grill marks (the badge of an expert griller!)

I'M DONE BUT ARE THE STEAKS
Call me paranoid, but I'm one of those people who carry an instant read digital thermometer in his pocket during cookouts. In my humble opinion, it is the only way to be sure that your steak is not only cooked, but safe to eat. Grilling purists are often offended by my reliance on this little bit of technology so I will include a 'tried and true' Touch Test to estimate doneness. I have also included the temperature for those of you who choose to honor my paranoia with a well placed meat thermometer.

THE TOUCH TEST
NOTE: This test requires touching the steak with a spoon or bare finger. If you choose to use your finger, please keep in mind you are sticking it on a VERY hot steak, therefore it will probably hurt if you are not VERY careful -- you may wish to wet your finger first. Be warned, if you are not accustomed to touching hot objects (many cooks and chefs are) then use a spoon.

Doneness Appearance/Feel Temperature
Rare Meat gives easily when touched, no juices appear on surface. 150° F.
Medium Meat feels firm but slightly springy, and juices begin to appear on the surface. 160° F.

Well Done Meat is covered with juices and does not yield to pressure. 170° F.

simple steps to grill a Great Steak

These are simple steps to grill a Great Steak,

For many people the sound and smell of steaks cooking on the grill is one of life's sublime joys. Getting great results is fairly straightforward: Choose top-quality meat, season it boldly, and use a carefully tended red-hot fire.

Step1
Start with the highest-quality steaks you can find.

Step2
For best results, make sure the steaks are no thicker than 1 1/2 inches. Steaks that are best for grilling have thin streaks of fat running through them. This soft internal fat partially melts during cooking and keeps the steak from drying out.

Step3
Start a hot grill fire. If using a gas grill, turn the gas as hot as it will go. If using charcoal, let the charcoal heat up until it is coated with ash, then spread it out so you have an evenly hot bed of coals.
Step4
Season the steaks on both sides with kosher (uniodized) salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Let the seasoned raw steaks rest for a few minutes.
Step5
Place the steaks on the hot grill. The grill should be hot enough for you to hear a sizzle when the steaks touch the grill grate.

Step6
Cook for 3 to 5 minutes per side. To create attractive cross-hatched grill marks, give the steaks a quarter-turn halfway through cooking on each side.

Step7 For best results, move the steaks to other parts of the grill if flame-ups occur.

Step8
See Tips for testing for doneness. When done, allow the steaks to rest for a few minutes before cutting them. This helps them retain those great juices.


Tips & Warnings

* Testing for doneness will take some practice. For beginners, there's nothing wrong with using a small knife to make a little cut in the steak to peek inside. You can also use an instant-read food thermometer. Insert the thermometer sideways into the deepest part of the steak. Rare beef is about 115 to 120 degrees F, medium rare is 125 degrees F, and medium is 135 to 140 degrees F. These temperatures are lower than they would be for larger roasts because the effect of residual heat is greater.

* Accomplished cooks test for doneness using a simple finger test. They press down on the meat during cooking to gauge how deeply the heat has penetrated. This is less complicated than it sounds. The meat will feel more firm as it cooks. You can begin to learn this by squeezing the meat when raw, and pressing it often during cooking.