Grilling the Perfect Steak

There is nothing I love more than a good steak, especially from the grill. I have been doing plenty of research to try and find tips and tricks to grill the perfect steak every time, so here are a few tips to get that perfect steak.

1-Bring to Room Temperature

Take the steak out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking to bring it to room temperature. It will brown better and cook faster and more evenly. Plus, a rare steak won’t end up cold in the center.

2- Salt the Meat and Pat Dry

Salt sprinkled on a raw steak draws out the juices and makes the surface of the meat moist, which in turn makes it difficult to brown. To avoid this, salt the meat when you start to bring it to room temperature, and pat it dry with a paper towel just before you put it on the grill. This allows the salt to seep into the steak and eliminates water drawn out by the salt.

3-Distance From Heat

People definitely have their preferences whether a charcoal grill or gas grill creates the best tasting food. While each have their benefits with grilling steak, the important thing is actually having a grill that allows you to adjust the distance of the rack from the heat. Set the distance between the heat and the steak according to the thickness of the meat—three inches or less for a steak thinner than an inch, three to six inches for thicker steaks. Thinner steaks require intense heat to form a desirable crust before the heat has a chance to penetrate and overcook the meat, whereas thicker cuts need less heat and longer time to allow the middle to cook without burning the exterior. While the grill is preheating, let the steak come to room temperature before cooking, which helps ensure the meat cooks evenly.

4-Determine Doneness

Here are a couple ways to determine doneness in a steak:

· Cut into the steak in an unobtrusive place, and examine the interior to check the doneness.

· Slide an instant-read thermometer through the side of the steak into the center to check the temperature. Keep in mind that the temperature of meat will increase five to ten degrees after resting.

· Look for juices on the steak’s surface. A rare steak doesn’t release any juices. As the steak approaches medium rare, you’ll begin to see red juices formking on the surface (you might also hear them sizzle as they drip over the coals). As the steak approaches medium, it releases more juices. As it approaches medium well and well, the juices will then turn brown.

Remember, you can always throw a steak back on the grill if it’s too rare, but you cannot uncook a well-done steak. It’s always best to stay on the side of undercooked.

5- Let the Meat Rest

“Resting” after cooking allows the meat to reabsorb its flavorful juices. If you serve the steak right away, those tasty juices will spill out onto the plate as soon as you cut into the meat.

After the steak is done, transfer it from the grill to a platter, and loosely cover with foil. (Don’t cover tightly or stack steaks, or they’ll overcook.) Let rest for five minutes per inch of thickness. Residual heat will cook steaks five to ten degrees more during resting.