how to grill steak

[thetieguy]

I need some help on how to grill some steaks. I have some New York strips I want to cook on a charcoal grill. How do I prepare them? Do I need a lot of heat for them? I was thinking I could put some butter and grind some salt and pepper on it. I appreciate the help.

 

[Gus]

Here you go: Rub a little garlic salt and fresh course ground pepper into both sides and let sit until about room temp. Get the grill hot and then let it burn down a bit so there is no flame and the coals are gray. (don't butter the steaks before cooking it will only encourage flameups) Cook for 3 minutes a side then take off and let sit for 2-3 minutes (cover with aluminum foil if you have it. It helps hold in heat and juices) Don't over cook. It also continues to cook while sitting. Serve with a lettuce salad with tomato and red onion and balsamic dressing (Newman's Own is hard to beat. Get a nice loaf of french bread and a bottle of wine and you are ready freddy. My friends and wife love it when I also do the above but then slice the meat at an angle , fan out on the plate and sprinkle with shavings of parmasian cheese and sometimes a little drizzle of white truffle oil...mmmmmmm baby! Have fun. PS- just use this, it is the very best and fresh course ground pepper http://www.lawrysfoods.com/lawgarsalwpa.html

 

[DNW]

The key to cooking a steak is to get a good sear on the outside. Thus, you must have high heat. Once it's on the grill, do not move it until you have a good crust on the outside. Flip it over, do the same thing. Then turn down the heat, if you can, and cook until the desired doneness. Cook until a little less done than how you want it, then let the steak rest and the internal temperature will rise slightly.

As for seasoning, I only put kosher salt and copious amount of freshly cracked pepper on mine. Nothing else is needed on a good aged steak.

If you want to go fancy, make a sauce. One of the simplest is a merlot reduction, add in a little mushrooms and you're golden.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by DarkNWorn

The key to cooking a steak is to get a good sear on the outside. Thus, you must have high heat. Once it's on the grill, do not move it until you have a good crust on the outside. Flip it over, do the same thing. Then turn down the heat, if you can, and cook until the desired doneness. Cook until a little less done than how you want it, then let the steak rest and the internal temperature will rise slightly.

As for seasoning, I only put kosher salt and copious amount of freshly cracked pepper on mine. Nothing else needed on a good aged steak.

If you want to go fancy, make a sauce. One of the simplest is a merlot reduction, add in a little mushrooms and you're golden.


Yep-- mushroom & merlot reduction goes perfect with a well cooked steak. Plus, I think this is the best way to grill them also.

 

[Gus]

If you have a good steak, properly cooked, you don't need a sauce.

 

[kwilkinson]

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

If you have a good steak, properly cooked, you don't need a sauce.

Yeah people say that all the time. Who gives a **** if you need one or don't need one. I know how to grill a steak, and I like the flavor and complexity that the merlot reduction adds. It has nothing to do with "need", but personal preferences.

 

[grimslade]

Merlot reduction with shallots stedda shrooms is good too.

Otherwise, lots of chunky salt and cracked peppercorns pressed into the steak and then cooked at a high enough temperature to achieve a sear is key.

I had the saddest grey, chewy stake at a friend's house the other night. I felt sorry for them, but I didn't know how to intervene with tact, so I kept my mouth shut and chewed. And chewed.

 

[poly800rock]

I think another important step is to make sure you undercook it a bit before you take it off. Then leave it sitting for about 10 minutes (the meat will cook on it's own). That's the juciest steak. I haven't eaten steak in a few months and now I'm craving one

 

[Dmax]

All excellent suggestions so far. My 2 cents:

- Start with steak at room temperature.
- For your first steak just use salt and peper on both sides of the steak about 10- 20 minutes before grilling.
- Get the grill very hot and try not to flip/move the steak more than once.
- When in doubt undercook as oppose to overcook. You can always finish it under a broiler if it's still too rare for you but once it overcooks it will toughen up and taste like shoe leather.
- Let the steak sit for 10 minutes on a warmed plate after finishing grilling before you slice into it.

 

[juicemakesugar]

Originally Posted by pocketsquareguy

Here you go: Cook for 3 minutes a side then take off and let sit for 2-3 minutes (cover with aluminum foil if you have it. It helps hold in heat and juices)
Lil' bugger needs to "rest", it's tired. BTW, I think a 10 minute rest time is overdoing it.

 

[Dmax]

Alton Brown reccomends a rest time of 15 minutes.

Bobby Flay 5 or 10 minutes depending on the recipe.

I am sure everyone has their own methodology they eventually work out.

 

[WestIndianArchie]

If you want to do it inside

Tools
- stove with oven (gas is nice)
- pan (a seasoned cast iron is best, stainless steel works to)
- wet rag to put over your fire alarm
- tongs (to flip over steak)

ingredients
- steak (thick is GREAT)
- salt
- pepper
- olive oil

Directions
1) turn off/disable your fire alarm
2) turn on your oven (450 on bake, not broil)
3) unwrap steak, let it come to room temperatrue
4) rub (with your hands) some olive oil onto the both sides steak
5) salt the steak on both sides
6) put pan on stove
8) turn on stove to medium (gas), or medium high (electric)
9) wait for pan to get HOT!
10) use tongs to take room temperature and salt/olive oil rubbed steak and put it in the pan
11) If your steak is about 1-1.5 inches thick, let it sear on one side for 4 minutes. Do not move it, or check to see if it's brown
12) @ the end of 4 minutes, the steak should have seared and move on it's own (ideally)
13) flip steak over on to other side
14 )let cook another 4 minutes

15 )Now both sides should be seared, and if you like it rare, I can usually stop @ this point.

or

16)But if you want to go to medium, take your cast iron pan and put it in the 450 oven for about 5 minutes

17 ) in either case, rare-med-rare-med, after you finish cooking, DO NOT CUT INTO THE STEAK. let it rest for 5 minutes.

18) eat steak

Once you get used to your stove, pan, and cut of meat, the above method is fool proof.

 

[hi-val]

Tips:

-use cast iron.

-oil the steaks, not the pan. This prevents the excess oil from smoking and making a big stinking cloud. Took awhile for me to learn this one.

-let your pan heat up. I don't think you can actually get cast iron too hot for a steak on a range; you can always turn the temp down, but you can't add heat into the pan as quickly.

-The steakhouse secret is to put a pat of butter on top of it while it rests.

-the search function will reveal plenty more info.

-touch your steaks when you cook them. Touch them when you flip them. Over time, you'll develop a sense of what a steak should feel like at doneness levels. Get to this point--cooking with a timer is not as good as cooking to touch, as it is not as specific.

 

[Kingfish]

great recipe

 

[Teacher]

Garlic salt (along with garlic powder/granulated garlic) make up the Devil's Seasoning. None for me, thanks.