I’m frequently asked how to grill a steak. Grilling a steak is easy! For some reason, people think there is more to it than there is. Place the steak on a grill grate over hot coals or gas. Grill for a few minutes, turn it, grill it some more. Then, remove from the grill, let it sit for a few minutes, and eat it!
The key to a tasty steak begins before you light your grill.
Want to know how to Grill a Steak? Forget About Grilling… For Now…
For now – forget about grilling your steaks. Every cut of beef is not right for grilling – use this rule of thumb.
“A tender grilled steak starts with a tender cut of steak.”
Not all cuts of steak are the same. Think about it. A restaurant steak menu will have these familiar items. Rib Eye, New York Strip, T-bone, Top Loin, and a few others.
Some cuts are tender, perfect for grilling. Some benefit from marinades and tenderization. Some cuts are not tender at all and lend themselves to slow cooking, crock pots, and stew. Here’s how that breaks down.
Best Steaks for Grilling: Ribeye steak, Top Loin steak, T-bone steak, Top Sirloin steak, Tenderloin, Top Blade steak, kabobs, and ground steak for patties.
Source: National Cattleman’s Association.
Steaks for Grilling if Marinated: Flank steak, Shoulder steak, Blade steak (7-bone steak), and Skirt steak.”
Source: National Cattleman’s Association.
Quality of Cut
Now that you know which cuts are best for grilling, it’s time to consider the quality of the cut. According to the USDA, there are eight beef quality grades measured by two main criteria. First, the degree of marbling -aka intramuscular fat – in the beef. The second is maturity – the estimated age of the animal at slaughter.
Eight grades are a lot. But, when it comes to grilling, there are only three to worry about. These are the three you would see as a consumer looking for something to grill.
PRIME: Prime beef is produced from young, well-fed cattle. It has abundant marbling, is produced in smaller quantities than other grades, and is often sold in hotels and restaurants. Prime roasts and steaks are excellent for roasting, grilling, or broiling.
CHOICE – Most common in your grocery store: Choice beef is high quality and produced in the highest quantity, but has less marbling than Prime. Choice roasts and steaks, especially from the rib and loin, will be very tender, juicy, and flavorful. They are suited for roasting, grilling, and broiling. Less tender cuts are perfect for slow-cooking.
SELECT: Select beef is slightly leaner than Prime and Choice because it has less marbling. It can lack some tenderness, flavor, and juiciness as compared to the higher grades. Select grade beef often benefits from slow-cooking or marination before grilling or broiling.
Source: National Cattleman’s Association.
The remaining grades are mostly used in commercial cooking so no need to worry about those here.
The Basic Grilled Steak
Ok, now you know what to look for when selecting a steak for grilling. Start with a tender cut at one of the top-three grades with Choice probably being the most common. Then remember what I said above. Toss the steak on the grill, turn after a few minutes, grill some more on that side, remove, rest, and eat!
Here’s some more detail.
- Start with a hot grill – I use the Weber Grill index because that’s what my dad, an old school back yard grill-master, used. Which means a hot grill has coals or gas burning around 450 to 500 degrees.
- Place the steak on the heated grill grates – Cook on one side for 4 to 5 minutes, then turn and cook on the other side for the same amount of time. Each side should be brown and golden with a slightly charred look. You should have a medium-rare steak.
Determining Doneness – Reduce or increase the number of minutes per side to move from rare to well done. There are two quick ways to determine doneness – internal temperature and firmness test.
- Internal temperature using an instant-read digital thermometer.
Medium-Rare – an internal temperature of 135 degrees F.
Medium – an internal temperature of 140 degrees F.
Medium-Well – an internal temperature of 150 degrees F. - Firmness Test; Make a fist. The soft area of your hand between your thumb and forefinger is soft. A relaxed fist resembles how a rare steak would feel if press with tongs. A slightly clench your fist is a little firmer representing medium doneness. A tightly clenched fist indicates a well-done steak.
Remove the steak when grilled to the desired doneness, allow to rest for a few minutes, and serve.
Grilling a steak is not hard, the above information should help you get started. Now the fun begins! You can play with marinades, seasonings, and other flavor boosters such as flavored steak butter!
Author Bio: Kent Whitaker, also known as “The Deck Chef,” is an award-winning culinary writer and cookbook author. He’s also penned Young Reader, NASCAR, and History titles. The former winner of the Emeril Live Food Network Barbecue Contest also covers football, motorsports, and bass fishing. Kent currently lives in East Tennessee with his wife, son, and a couple of dogs that love when he fires up the smoker or grill. You can reach out to Kent at www.thedeckchef.com, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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