Perfectly Grilled Steak - Every Time!

Every Oklahoma boy is raised to love his beef and is expected to learn how to cook it right or forever suffer the indignities of being a severe disappointment to his family. We braise it, roast it, broil it, stew it, stir-fry it, smoke it, and barbeque it. We even Sou Vie it (more on that in a future blog post). But the absolute best way to cook a steak is to grill it in the great outdoors.

When I started learning how to cook, one of the first things I wanted to master was how to consistently grill a steak to the perfect temperature (by “steak” here, I mean the classic cuts – NY Strip, Ribeye, T-bone, Porterhouse, Sirloin, or Fillet). My past efforts to do so were decidedly mixed and largely unsuccessful. More often than not I overcooked my steaks into a charred, dry, grey-colored lump of meat (just how my dad liked it!). Over time, with a lot of practice and experimentation I learned the seven keys to cooking a perfectly grilled steak – every time. Here they are:

• Always buy a high-quality grade steak, preferably USDA Prime. A necessary condition for a perfectly cooked steak is a high-quality cut of meat that is well-marbled with fat. USDA Prime is the top grade of beef so if you can find it and afford it (it’s usually at least $20/lb.) go with that. Even better, a Prime Dry-Aged steak will never disappoint! USDA Choice is the next best and is widely available in most supermarkets. Avoid USDA Select (the lowest grade) for grilling – better to just make hamburgers with that!

• Cut steaks to a thickness of 1½ - 2 inches. I always look for steaks that are at least 1½ inches thick and preferably 2 inches thick for grilling. In addition to reducing the number of steaks you have to manage on the grill, cutting them thicker makes them easier to cook to the right temperature since a thicker cut heats up more slowly which ensures the heat won’t get away from you. If you can’t find any that thick in the meat case, ask the butcher behind the counter to cut them to order for you.

• Season your steak with kosher salt before grilling, and fresh ground pepper after. A high-quality steak only needs some kosher salt and fresh ground pepper to season it perfectly. I season the steak with salt 30 minutes before grilling to allow the salt to penetrate the steak and then wait to pepper until I’m done grilling to avoid burning the pepper which can turn bitter. You can certainly use other steak seasoning mixes and I do from time to time (some of my favorites are made by Borsari and are available at Whole Foods markets), but I find the best grilled steaks are the ones that are simply seasoned with salt and pepper.

• Use a combination of direct and indirect heat. Always leave one burner turned off when you are heating your grill to create two cooking zones – one for indirect and one for direct grilling. After searing the steak over direct heat, cooking the steak over indirect heat for the remainder of the time will ensure a juicy interior with a crisp (but not burned) exterior.

• Buy a good thermometer. There is no better or more reliable method for grilling steaks to the right temperature than using a good meat thermometer (Redi-chek and ThermoPro are two reliable brands) to measure doneness. Five degrees can make the difference between a perfectly cooked and an overcooked steak, so a bit of precision is necessary to grill a steak correctly. Some swear by the “touch method” where you assess doneness of the steak by pressing on it to measure resistance, but I find that method extremely imprecise. Inserting the thermometer into the short side of the steak and halfway through the length of the steak will ensure proper positioning of the thermometer for the most accurate temperature. Also, wait to insert the thermometer until you are done searing the steak – I have destroyed too many thermometers (even ones designed for high heat) using them when direct grilling so save yourself some money by waiting to use the thermometer until you are grilling over indirect heat.

• Take your steak off the grill before it reaches the correct temperature. Your steak will continue cooking once you take it off the grill, so removing the steak from the heat when it’s about 5 degrees below your target temperature will help ensure a perfectly grilled steak. That means taking your steak of the grill when it reaches about 110 degrees for rare, 115 for medium rare, 125 degrees for medium, and 135 for medium well. For me, a perfectly grilled steak temperature is somewhere between medium rare and medium, so I always take mine of the grill at 120 degrees.

• Let your steak rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing. Finally, it’s important to let your steak rest so the juices have time to redistribute before slicing for serving. Cover the steak loosely in foil and let stand for 10 minutes before slicing or serving to ensure a juicy moist steak.

In my next post, I’ll provide my recipe for a classic weeknight dinner that includes perfectly grilled steak, along with two perfect sides (grilled asparagus and crisp & creamy roasted potatoes) for a delicious meal that can be made in 60 minutes. In the meantime, let me know what your time-tested secrets are to perfectly grilled steaks!