So you think you’re ready to take on steaks?

If you think you’re ready, it is my honor, privilege, and sacred duty to teach you the best techniques and strategies for grilling juicy steaks. In my last blog, we ran through the basics of grilling and preparation for beef burgers, so I expect you to be familiar with these basics. In the BBQ world, it’s no secret that steak is a step up from burgers. If you haven’t checked out that blog, I recommend reading through it here to make sure you’re up to speed!

Now, before we start, it’s important to note that there are several different ways to cook a steak. There are also several different cuts and types of steaks you can use. However today we will only be going through the basics of grilling any steak. Some suggestions for good, less expensive steaks for grilling are flank, skirt, and tri-tip steaks.

Spicing the Steaks

Before we dive into grilling, we need to get the meat prepared. The good news about steaks compared to burgers, is the steaks are already shaped, so you don’t need to form the meat. However, with steaks, seasoning is much more of an essential task. This is mainly because steaks are much bigger and thicker, so they need more spices for flavor.

To start, you’re going to take a baking sheet and line it with aluminum foil. Then, lay your steaks on the sheet. For the best absorption of flavor, you’re going to press firmly on each of your steaks several times using 3-4 fingers on each hand. You’re going to do this to stretch your steak out because it opens the seams, allowing your seasonings to seep into the steak more.

Now, you’re going to sprinkle your variety of spices and seasonings onto your stretched-out steaks. You don’t have to go super crazy with different spices, especially if you’re a beginner. Salt & pepper is never a wrong answer when it comes to steaks. Put a small amount on top of all your steaks and press it into each one. Flip the steaks and make sure to get the other side too. Now, you need to get the sides of your steaks spiced up. So, pick up each steak and dab each side in the excess spices on the pan. Once you’ve gotten all surfaces of your steak spiced up, you’re going to undo the stretching process we did at the beginning. Push the steak back together and reform it as best you can.

Time to Grill

Now we head to the cockpit — the grill. Today, we’re going to want to get our grill pretty blazin’. We’re going to let our grill heat up to somewhere between 450 to 550 degrees before putting the steaks on.

I now grant you permission to cook. Once your grill has reached the desired temp, lay on your steaks. Lay them horizontally or vertically so you can get some juicy grill marks. Depending on how thick your steak cuts are, you will want to grill your steaks for about 10 minutes (5 minutes on each side). The general rule of thumb is to cook for 8-10 minutes for every 1 inch of thickness.

I feel like Nelly because it’s gettin' hot in here! Now, let your steaks grill for 5 minutes on each side. If you wish, you can rotate your steaks 45 degrees every 2 minutes and 30 seconds to get shiny diamond grill marks. After it’s been 8-10 minutes, we’re going to check and make sure our steak has gotten a nice cook.

For Internal Thermometer

If you are grilling a lot, I highly suggest investing in a meat thermometer. Internal thermometers are an inexpensive necessity that will be your best friend when preparing meats. If you have one, check the internal temperature of the steak. Depending on how you want your steak cooked, these are the temperatures you’re looking for:

Rare: 120-130°

Medium Rare: 130-140°

Medium: 140-145°

Medium Well: 145-155°

Well Done: 155-165°

If it still isn’t as hot as you’d like, keep the steaks on the grill for another minute or two. You’ll develop a sixth sense the more you grill, but keep in mind that the steak continues to cook itself for up to a few minutes after being removed from direct heat.

Otherwise

If you don’t have an internal thermometer, no worries at all, my friend. We’re just going to have to ballpark a little more. You’ll develop more of an eye the more times you grill. If you don’t trust your eye yet, the best thing to do to make sure you aren’t serving anything that’s undercooked is to take off one of your steaks and slice it right down the middle with a knife. These are the colors of the center you’re looking for, depending on your desired cook.

Rare: Deep red center, extremely juicy

Medium Rare: Red center with pink edges

Medium: Pink center, lighter pink edges

Medium Well: Only pink in the center, little to no color on the outside

Well Done: No pink center

If you believe it’s still underdone, throw it back on the grill for another minute or two. Just remember, you can keep grilling and grilling but you can’t uncook a steak.

Plate it Up

After letting the steaks cool down for 5-10 mins, it’s time to serve those craving the meats. Let the group know that dinner is about to be ready! Now, as the troops start trickling to the table, what you do from here is really up to you. You could load the steaks up, or leave them as they are. The steaks are the star of the show, so there are no wrong answers. I like to throw a thick pad of butter on all my steaks to give them some final extra flavor. If you want to do a little extra, you can’t go wrong with a scoop of mashed potatoes on top, but if this is your first time grilling steaks, I would save that and more toppings for next time.

Get to grillin’!

Be Well, Auburn!