HOW TO GRILL STEAKS
by wikiHow |
Nothing beats a perfectly done steak grilled straight from your backyard. The key to making the best steaks in the world is how you cook it. The steaks should be perfectly seasoned to fit your discriminating taste.
Steps
Choose a nice cut of steak from the butcher or local supermarket; cuts from the tenderloin or rib are best. Excellent cuts include T-bone, rib eye, club, porterhouse, N.Y. Strip, Chateaubriand, and filet mignon. Choose the best grade you can afford: In the USA, that is: Prime (best), Choice (very good), Select (average). Prime grade can be difficult to find, so call several butchers to locate. Be prepared to pay at least USD$15 to USD$25 per pound for Prime. Aged Prime is superior, but aged meats aren't for everyone. Remove steak from refrigerator about 90 minutes before cooking. The steak should be at room temperature before it touches the grill. Peel a clove of garlic and crush lightly to release juices. Rub crushed garlic clove onto all sides of the steak. Coat each side of the steak with fresh ground black pepper and salt. Gently press spices into the flesh. For inexpensive cuts, squeeze the juice of half a lemon or lime on both sides of the steak. This will help tenderize the tougher steaks. A marinade can help less tender cuts, such as flank. It can improve the taste and tenderize select grade steaks as well. Do not marinate aged choice or prime beef, or you will ruin the steak! Preheat gas grill on high for 10 to 20 minutes. If you pay close attention, you will not overcook your steak. Be prepared to douse flare-ups with water. Grill steak on high for four minutes with lid closed. The key to a great steak is very high heat, so make sure your grill is on the highest setting possible. Flip steak using tongs or spatula, do not use a fork as you will lose juices. Grill on high for another four minutes with lid closed. Your steak will be about medium rare, depending on thickness. Remove steak from grill and immediately place on a warmed platter. Allow steak to rest for a full five minutes before cutting. This allows the juices and full flavors to develop.
Alternate Method
Use these ingredients instead: Fresh ground pepper, salt, lime, beer, and chili powder. Feel free to add more spices depending on your preference and taste. Transfer beer into a bowl (big enough to contain the steak) and season it with chili powder. Get half of the lime, squeeze some to the marinade sauce. Soak the beef in the marinade for around 30 minutes inside a refrigerator. Before setting it off to be grilled, give the steak a good rubbing of fresh ground pepper and salt. Let the steak sit in a prepared sauce some 20 minutes or even as long as 6 hours. This would ensure that all the good flavors of the ingredients would be absorbed by the meat.
Tips
Keep some freshly prepared marinade on the side if you're going to apply while cooking - Never allow marinade that has come in contact with raw meat to be applied during cooking - it not only increases unhealthy bacteria, but also tends to destroy the flavor of a good cut of meat.
If you have a small brush, apply the extra marinade from dish to steak while cooking or brush your steak with your favorite HP or Teriyaki sauce while cooking.
How do you know when your steak is done? Here are some tips using a 1" cut of meat as an example...
Rare (all red in the middle) 120-125 degrees, feels roughly like the flesh between the thumb and the forefinger of a relaxed hand
Medium Rare (all pink in the middle) 125-140 degrees
Medium / Medium Well (some pink in the middle/mostly gray) 145-155 degrees, feels roughly like the flesh between the thumb and the forefinger of a straightened hand
Well Done (all gray in middle), >160 degrees, feels roughly like the flesh between the thumb and the forefinger of a clenched hand
Fool-proof method for getting perfect medium steaks: Leave the steak to cook on one side (do not touch!). When you see blood rising on the upper side turn over and cook the other side for almost as long as the first side.
In a shallow dish, mix the following:
- 1 cup of olive oil with 1/2 cup of soy sauce or teriyaki sauce
- freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
- juice of 1/2 lemon
- 1 teaspoon of dijon mustard or chili sauce
- spices (i.e. 1 tsp cumin, 1 tbsp cilantro)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar and beer to taste
Marinate the steak for at least 3 hours to a full 24 hours.
Warnings: Do not overcook steak.
Optionally preheat for 5 minutes on high, all burners. Open grill and leave all burners on high! Add steak. Close grill lid. Cook on first side, depending on steak thickness and desired style (med rare, med, well) for 4 minutes, flip, and cook on the other side for 4 minutes.
Never, ever poke holes in your steak. It will lose valuable juices.
Things You'll Need
Steak - 100% Canadian "AAA" Beef if available, or USDA Prime or Choice U.S. beef or well trimmed Black Angus Garlic Clove Salt Olive Oil Soy sauce or Teriyaki sauce A Lemon or Lime Dijon mustard or Chili sauce Spices: Cumin, Cilantro, Salt, and Pepper Brown sugar Beer Black Pepper | | About the author: wikiHow is a carbon neutral website. All text shared under a Creative Commons License. Please visit the author's site if interested in more information. |
