Steak Grilling 101 
Posted by Angel at 2007-03-24 19:10:04
Meal: | Dinner |
Prep Time: 00:20
Difficulty: 2/4
Not Rated
Categories: | Beef |
Steaks have such a wonderful natural flavor. The quickest way to ruin one is to overdo it. Keep it simple, cook it right, and that's all you really need.
Ingredients:
-1 Steak
-1 Tbsp Olive, Canola, or Vegetable Oil
-Garlic Powder
-Ground Black Pepper
-Sea Salt
The ingredients listed are per steak. Pretty much any kind will work, although I'm not so sure about flank or skirt. So just pick your favorite cut.
If you're planning on cooking right away, get your grill fired up on high now. Pour 1/2 Tbsp oil on the steak and massage it evenly over the whole thing. Gently coat it with garlic powder, black pepper, and a sprinkling of sea salt. Do the same for the other side.
This would be a good time to prepare a glaze if you plan on using one. I'll just go ahead and suggest my Emergency Steak Glaze because it's awesome and easy to make.
There really is no necessary marination period here, so you can go straight to the grill from here. Toss the steaks on the grill, evenly spaced apart.
Let them sit for 4-5 minutes. DO NOT MOVE THEM DURING THIS TIME. This is very important! If you move them, they won't sear properly. It's probably also a good idea to not go inside to check on any side dishes you may have cooking, or you may come back to a gigantic inferno that you could have stopped by opening the grill cover and allowing it to air out. Oops.
A couple of charred edges from the colossal flames, but nothing that will ruin the steak. By this point they should be nice and brown. Flip them over and let them cook for another 3-4 minutes.
If you're going to use a glaze, this is the time to do it. The best way to do this is by brushing it on with a nice, long brush. Or you could do what I did and use a regular tablespoon to pour and rub it on and burn your hand in the process. Let them sit for another minute.
They should be cooked "medium" now, which is how steaks are supposed to be served. If you know your grill is flaky or just don't trust me, use a meat thermometer to check. The most common mistake made here is cutting into the meat to see how well done it is. Doing this releases a tons of juices, and as a result, flavor. So get yourself a meat thermometer. Or just cook a billion steaks so you know how different temperatures feel. A neat trick I learned (I can't seem to remember where I learned this from and wish I could credit the source) is to use the fat part of your hand under the thumb as a gauge. The way it feels when you make a very loose fist is how a steak feels when it's raw. Squeezing gently is medium. A tight fist is what it feels like when it's well done. You want the gentle squeeze. Ok that's enough of that. Just take your steak off the grill before it overcooks, alright?
If you used a glaze, you may want to slather on a bit more now. But hey, that's up to you. Enjoy your steak.
