Prepare the Grill
First – make sure the grill is clean. You don’t want to many ashes in the bottom and you want the grates clean.
Second – Brush oil onto the grate, just a thin layer.
photo credit: Chris Makarsky
Making the Grade
Q: What determines the grade?
A: The age of the animal and the marbling do.
Q: In order from top to bottom – how are they graded?
A: Prime, Choice, then select.
Fact: only 2.9% of beef is currently graded as prime
Photo by thereisnocat
Plan Ahead
- When it comes to grilling steaks timing really is everything. That’s why it’s important to plan ahead. You’re not just eating steak are you? Well, most of us aren’t. After you’ve decided on the other things you want to prepare – potatoes, fish, salad, etc. – you have to plan on how you’re going to execute everything so that all gets done at the same time. You don’t want to be waiting for the potatoes to finish baking while your rib-eye gets cold. Some simple preparation is all that’s necessary!
Photo by rpslee
Does Size Matter?
- Yes! The best steaks to grill are 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch thick. A thinner cut is more likely to get dried out.
Keep It Sharp
- Invest in a set of quality steak knives, then keep them sharp.
- What does this accomplish? When your dinner guests cut into their steaks a sharp knife will cut smoothly even through the toughest steak.
Photo by michael.paul
A Good Thermometer
- 10° can make all the difference in the world when grilling a steak. Maybe a very expert griller can determine the doneness by simple pressing on it but for most of us we need to know the temperature.
The answer – invest in a good thermometer. A good digital thermometer is fast, accurrate and easy to read. You shouldn’t need to spend more than $10 either.
Photo by timothysschenck
High Heat
- The hotter the better is a great motto to grill steaks by. High heat helps brown the outside of the steak without jeopardizing the texture of the steak on the inside. It locks in all that juicy goodness.
Photo by Another Print Please…
Keep it Simple
Keep your recipe simple when grilling steaks. You want to taste the meat, not mask it with too many flavors.
- unsalted butter or olive oil
- kosher salt
- coarse ground pepper
Photo by 27147
Direct vs. Indirect
Direct Grilling
- the meat goes on the grill rack directly over coals
- once coals are hot safely place them in a single layer
Indirect Grilling
- the coals are arranged around the food
- carefully move coals once hot around a drip pan
Desired Doneness
The first thing you must determine is what your desired doneness is. When grilling a steak there should be no guess-work. You know what you want, rare to medium rare – is there any other way? Well regardless the table below will show you at what temperature you should pull your steak off at to achieve your desired doneness!
Desired Doneness
Rare: 140°
Medium Rare: 145°
Medium: 160°
Medium Well: 165°
Well Done: Leave it on a bit longer.