How to Grill a Steak

For grilling a steak, apart from the cut of steak, there are other factors which also come into play. If you have already marinated steak, then you can immediately skip the explanation and move over to the grilling procedure. Else you can make use of easy to make steak marinades and marinate steak before grilling it. Steak marinades make use of a number of different herbs and spices along with wine, vinegar, etc. These ingredients not only add flavor to steak, but they also help in tenderizing the meat. Natural flavors and juices from the steak are also brought out by the marinades. Marinating steak also ensures improved texture and moistness, but the natural flavors of the meat are not compromised upon. One can make use of either wet or dry marinades. Just a word of caution, too many ingredients should not be used in the marinade, lest the natural flavors of meat are lost. Now we will get to know the process to grill a steak. Grilling a steak can be done in various ways. You can choose to grill a steak on a gas grill or on a charcoal grill as well.

How to Grill a Steak

- Perfect Steak

As far as possible, avoid storing steak in the freezer. Buy fresh steak on the day you would want to grill it. If you do store it, then ensure you defrost it completely. Before you start grilling a steak, it should come down to room temperature. Depending on the thickness of the steak, the time required for defrosting will vary. The grill should be preheated before steak pieces are placed on it. If you are going to use a charcoal grill, then coals should be gray ash in color. This is a sign that the grill is ready. On the other hand, if you are going to use gas grill, then let it preheat for approximately for 20 to 25 minutes.

On a Gas Grill

To grill a perfect steak is not the hardest thing to do, but one must be aware of the finer nuances, so that one does not make mistakes. Having said that, let's turn our attention to the steps for grilling a steak on a gas grill.

• When you want to grill a steak, steaks should be 1 to 1½ inches in thickness.
• Make a line into the steak at a distance of an inch. This will ensure that the steak is flat when you are grilling it. At the same time, it will also ensure that meat is cooked well.
• Start the grill and let it heat up for 20 to 25 minutes, so that the grill is at its maximum hotness. This is an important trick when you are using a gas grill.
• If you did trim the steak off its fat, use the same to rub on the grill bars. Else any other oil for steak recipes can also be used. Take care when you do this, as grill will be very hot at this point.
• Rub your favorite steak marinade recipe on the steak.
• Now place steak on the gas grill on the hottest part, yet not above metal shields.
• After about a minute or so, flip steak over. The time for grilling will depend on how much you want the meat to be cooked.
• When you remove steak from grill, keep it aside for about 5 to 7 minutes, so that juices work their way through entire steak and make it juicy.

On a Charcoal Grill

Although grilling a steak on charcoal grill is not very different than grilling steak on gas grill, we will read on grilling a steak on charcoal grill, so that you do not make any mistake when you use a charcoal grill.

• After the steak comes down to room temperature, let the steak marinate for sometime.
• Place charcoal in a single layer in the grill. Light the charcoal, and let it burn till they turn ash gray in color.
• Using a brush, oil the grill, so that the steak does not stick to it.
• Now place the steak on the grill and cover it with a lid. Keep the lid for approximately a minute or so and then flip it over.
• Cover it again and keep the lid again for a minute.
• Then turn over and let it grill for about 2½ to 3 minutes on both the sides.
• Depending on the thickness of the steak, you may have to repeat the process again.
• After it is done, let it rest for 5 to 7 minutes before you serve it.

If you do not have a gas grill or a charcoal grill, then you may want to try cooking steak in the oven. According to some people broiling steak is better than grilling steak. It is up to you to decide which is the best method according to you. I hope the write-up has answered your question how to grill a steak. If you are not comfortable of using the time method, then you can also make use of meat thermometer to know whether the steak is grilled to perfection. Remember, practice makes man perfect. Therefore, you will have your own trial and error moments before you become perfect at it.