Best Cooking Tips: 5 Tips to Grilling A Perfect Steak

Grilling the perfect steak, indoors or otherwise, can be easily done if you have a couple of pro pointers and tips to help. There is no reason why you can’t have steakhouse-style steaks at home, and here is how you can do it.

Preparation Is Everything

Take your steaks out, pat them dry, and let them come to room temperature. You only need about 20-30 minutes for them to get to the optimal temperature. Doing so will allow your steaks to cook more quickly as well as be juicier when they are done. While they are setting, clean your grill and ensure you have your grates well-oiled. Then pre-heating it to a high temperature is the next step.

If you have been hesitant to salt meat and let it set before you cook it, there is truth to that. But if you salt and season your steaks well 20-30 minutes before you grill them you will reap the benefits. Taking this step allows you to sear them and obtain that perfect, savory crust which will add tons of flavor and texture.

Searing Makes All The Difference

Using high heat, put your steaks on the grill and allow them the time to sear. This means not moving them before they are done. Professional chefs are not going to be flipping and moving their steaks around during the grilling process because it interferes with the development of flavor and the intensity of their aromas. It is the combination of senses that makes a really delicious steak. When you can smell and taste the deep layers of flavors in your steak you will enjoy it that much more.

You will know when your steaks have developed that sought after sear because as the crust progresses through the cooking process, this dark brown surface will release the meat from the grate naturally. After that happens on one side, you can use tongs to turn your steak to the other side for searing. It is very important not to poke or pierce your meat when you are grilling because that causes damage. It will drain those juices and the outcome will be a less tasty, and less tender product.

Keep The Grill Cover Closed

Keeping your grill cover closed will ensure a balanced and consistent temperature that you want to be around 450 degrees F. This makes for steady cooking and a reduction in flare-ups which will also help to increase flavor.

Before you start grilling determine the amount of doneness you want in your steak. There are many charts that can give you the exact amount of time necessary for the thickness of the steak you are grilling. Keeping a timer on hand is a good way not to overcook your steak. In general, when you begin grilling, the first side of the steak should be on the grill for 60% of the time while the second side should stay on for the remaining 40% to ensure it is evenly cooked.

Very thick steaks can be difficult for beginners to cook correctly to the doneness preferred. There is a method that is often utilized by the pros called the “sear and slide.” When you have a very thick steak, one that is more than an inch, first sear both sides of your steak over high heat, then after both sides have been delivered those beautiful darkened grate marks, slide the steak to an area of the grill where there is less heat. Putting them in a position with indirect heat will continue to cook them without the risk of burning them.

Allow The Steaks To Sit

You will be grilling over high heat and as a result, all the fats are going to be liquified and the juices will be flowing out of the meat. The loss of this moisture will continue if you leave your steaks on the grill for too long. That is why having a timer on hand to ensure you aren’t overdoing is very important to keeping a tender piece of meat. The thing to remember is it doesn’t take much time at all for you to go from one level right to the next. In as little as a minute’s time, you can take a steak from medium-rare to medium, and so on.

Don’t leave the grill when you are grilling your steaks to avoid overcooking. And if you are unsure about when to pull them, it is always better to pull them earlier rather than later. You can always put a steak that is underdone back on the grill, but you can’t add any rareness to a steak that is overcooked.

When your steaks are done, putting them on a clean plate and allowing them to rest will redistribute the juices. Remember for safety purposes, never use the same plate that you had your raw steaks on before you began grilling. When you let your steaks sit for a couple of minutes, you are going to have a better tasting outcome. It only takes about 3-5 minutes for this to happen, so don’t worry, you won’t be salivating over them for too long!

Some Other Important Facts About Steaks

If you like your steaks fairly rare, understand that even when you take your steaks off of the grill they will still be cooking. While off of the grill, it will still rise in temperature. Generally, you will see a 5-degree increase so account for this by taking your steak off when it is 5 degrees less than you want your final temperature to be.

If you are equipped with the right tools you will have a more accurate outcome for your preferences. These means have a timer on hand to keep accurate watch of your cooking duration and then using a quality digital thermometer will give you a quick measurement of what the internal temperature of your meat is. When you have both time and temperature on your side you improve your ability to perfectly cook the steak you want on your plate. Remember, when you are using a thermometer to insert it at the thickest portion of the meat. Don’t put it through to the bottom, keep it in the middle of the thickest part. Also avoid allowing the thermometer to touch bone because you will have a higher temperature than the meat actually is as bone conducts heat.

Resources: Official Weber Website, Omaha Steaks,