Grilling a Great Steak: How to Do It Like a Pro

Does the idea of a juicy steak, grilled to glistening, sizzling perfection make your mouth water?  Luckily for you, you can achieve professional results at home, without a whole lot of effort.  Following, you’ll find tips for grilling the perfect steak – no matter how you like it.

Cut Matters

While it’s true that just about anything cooked in the great outdoors with the help of a barbecue grill seems to taste a whole lot better than most foods prepared indoors, steak is one of those things that really is better when prepared over open flames.  To get outstanding results, though, it’s best if you select the best possible cut of meat.  Supermarkets often do what they can to help you make a good choice, often marking steaks best suited to grilling with stickers proclaiming their wares to be “Great on the Grill!”  or “Perfect for Barbecue.”  Some steaks to try grilling if you’re new to the game include:

• T-Bone
• Rib Eye
• Flank Steak
• New York Strip (aka Delmonico)
• Filet Mignon

When selecting one of these steaks, look for cuts that have fine streaks of fat running throughout the muscle fibers.  This fat essentially bastes your meat from the inside out, carrying the flavors of the spices or marinades you have selected throughout the steak.  If you want to use lean cuts of beef, steaks such as eye of round, top round, sirloin tip, and top sirloin will do the trick; these usually turn out best if they’re marinated for at least a few hours prior to being grilled.  The acids in the marinade help soften tough muscle fibers, making the meat easier to chew.

Marinating Makes a Difference

Some die-hard steak aficionados grill their steaks with a little bit of salt and pepper, and nothing else.  Most people, though, appreciate the extra flavor marinades offer.  You can either choose a commercially prepared marinade, or you can easily make a simple marinade of your own.  A great one to try:

Blend 1/2 cup of soy sauce, 2 Tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil, 2 Teaspoons of catsup, and one teaspoon each of minced garlic, crumbled oregano, and black pepper together.  Place your steaks in a dish with high sides (a baking pan works well) then pour the marinade on top.  Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about three hours, turning the steaks over frequently as they are marinating.

Grilling to Perfection

If you’re brand new to grilling, you might feel tempted to rush things and get your steaks onto the grill as soon as the flames are jumping.  While you can do this if you’re using a gas grill, then drop the heat once the steaks have been seared, you want to wait until the flames have gone out and you have red hot coals if you’re using a charcoal grill.  The waiting may seem painful, but the rewards are definitely well worth the wait.

Be sure to follow a guide that helps you determine whether your steaks will be ready or not.  Thickness and desired doneness are two important factors to consider, as is the steak’s interior temperature.  Keep in mind that a thin steak done rare needs to cook only for about two minutes on each side; a two inch thick steak cooked to well done will need to be grilled for about 13 minutes on the first side and 11 minutes on the second side.  A barbecue fork with a doneness meter on it, or even a simple meat thermometer can help you determine how well done your meat is; in general, you’ll need to follow the following interior temperature guide:

• Rare – 120-130 degrees
• Medium Rare – 130-140 degrees
• Medium – 140-150 degrees
• Medium Well – 150-160 degrees
• Well Done – 160-170 degrees

In the absence of a thermometer, you can cut the steak open to see whether it looks right or not; watch carefully to be sure you don’t overcook it if you have no way to gauge the temperature.

Let it Rest

Finally, let your steak rest for about five minutes before sitting down to enjoy it.  Tempting as it may be to dig right in, the flavor and texture will improve over those last few minutes you spend waiting.  Didn’t get it right the first time?  As with all things, practice makes perfect.  Keep on grilling, and you’ll discover your steaks come out better and better each time.

Debbie Phillips provides great cooking tips for all at OutdoorCookingDepot.com. Visit for more information on turkey fryers, outdoor woks and other cooking accessories.