Perfect steak. Every time. It’s every grillmaster’s dream come true! A steak is a classic American protein. It’s on the menu at all the finest restaurants, it’s appropriate for every occasion, and it’s impressive to look at…when it’s done right!
I love steaks. I eat them more than just hot off the grill. In fact, I often make an extra, slice it thin, and make steak salads to carry to my job all week long over salad. It’s a delicious step up from fast food!
This is a fantastic idea for the romantic date night at home. You know. We all have those weeks when we are just too tired to head out of the house. A dinner for two in the comfort of home is sometimes just the right way to spend quiet time with your partner.
Anyhoo…
Some people think it’s really hard to grill a perfect, juicy steak. But it really is easy once you know the secrets.
HOW TO GRILL STEAKS
CHOOSE THE RIGHT CUT OF MEAT
There are many cuts of steaks. To get a great grilled steak, choose a ribeye, strip , or filet mignon. I like my meats cut from 1/2″ to 1″ in thickness. Any thinner, and they cook too quickly.
Find a piece with even marbling of the fat. The fat melts into the steak and tenderizes it and keeps it moist from within during the cooking process.
By the way, I am assuming that you’ll cook your steak to medium-rare to medium for the purposes of this article. This leaves a little pink and a lot of juice, but it’s cooked through slightly so that it isn’t raw in the middle.
SET THE STEAK OUT
Before you toss a cold steak on a hot grill, let it come up closer to room temperature for 15 minutes. This prevents you from shocking the meat when you toss it on the grill. Shocking the steak will release all those yummy juices and make the steak tough.
Don’t leave the steak out for longer than that 15-minute time frame. You will get nasty bacteria that will make you sick.
So be sure to set the steak out, season it, then head out to pre-heat the grill.
SEASON THE STEAK
Season the beef with whatever flavors you love. The classic combo for steaks is salt, black pepper, and garlic powder. I’m on a lowered-sodium diet, so I use sea salt instead of table salt.
You can add other seasonings if you wish. I, however, prefer the simplicity of this very simple flavor profile. It really lets the steak be the star of the show.
PRE-HEAT THE GRILL
Get your grill fired up to around 500 degrees. Turn it on, scrape your grates if needed, and close the lid. Don’t lift the lid, peek, or cheat because it causes heat loss. Let it get screaming hot so that you get a good sear on the steak.
GRILLING THE STEAKS AND HOW TO GET A CROSSHATCH PATTERN ON MEAT
Put your steaks on the grill and close the lid. Leave them for about 3 minutes. Again, no peeking! After 3 minutes, you will have pretty grill marks. Take the steak and turn it 45 degrees ;(don’t flip it!).
Let another three minutes pass, then you may flip it over. Repeat the three minute wait time followed by the 45-degree turn.
This creates those perfect crosshatches on the steak that you see at restaurants. You can use this method for any time that you want this grill mark pattern on your meat, chicken, or fish.
REMOVE, LET IT REST!
When you remove the beef from the grill, it will be tempting to cut into it to check it out. Don’t do it! Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes. The heat will continue to distribute inside the meat and I promise you it won’t get cold!
However, the juices are also leveling out inside the steak so that you have that nice, juicy beef flavor that you’ve craved!
At this point, you can also slice the meat into thin strips for fajitas – a delcious way to stretch your family’s grocery budget!
Once you’ve mastered this grilling technique, you will be able to impress anyone who visits your home. Maybe even your mother-in-law will be stunned by your grill skill when you present this steak! Want other grilling inspiration? Check out our grilled pizza recipe.
She has a B.S.Ed. in Secondary Education/English and a Spanish Minor. In addition, she holds a Certificates in Natural Health and Herbology from accredited programs. She pursued these natural wellness certifications due to her love for herb gardening.
Despite freelancing to make a living, her love is "all things home."
Deborah grew up in a family that grew a large vegetable garden and a fruit orchard, helping her parents pull weeds and can home-grown foods as part of her childhood. In fact, she had no idea that she could purchase veggies and fruits in pre-packed steel cans until she went to college and made a food run.
Today, she lives in Bertie County, North Carolina, an agricultural rural area with more chickens than people. She lives with her husband and two rescue pets a sweet toy fox terrier and a cat who showed up one day and moved into the house. Together, they enjoy DIY projects, furniture refinishing, gardening, and canning.
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