Seven steps to a perfect steak
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In the spring, a grillmeister's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of sirloins, rib-eyes and T-bones. It's getting to be that time of year. Time to take the cover off the old grill, scrub the tongs and buy the bag of charcoal briquettes. Here are Seven Steps to a Perfect Steak, courtesy of About.com's BBQ & Grilling Guide, Derrick Riches.
1. Let your steak reach room temperature before grilling. Some people might tell you that this isn't necessary, but this helps the steak grill faster and more evenly.
2. Trim the steak of excess fat. Any strips of fat left on the steak should be about 1/4 inch thick. Cut through the fat strip about every 1 1/2 inches, because fat shrinks faster than meat, and it can cause your steaks to curl while on the grill.
3. Season your steak. A light brushing of olive oil and maybe some fresh cracked pepper is all you should need. Preheat the grill -- hot as it will go for a gas grill or a single layer of ashy white coals for a charcoal grill.
4. Oil the grate. An easy way to do this is to hold a piece of trimmed fat tightly in a pair of tongs and rub it along the hot grate.
5. Grill the steak. Place each steak on the grill for one minute. Turn and grill on the other side for an additional minute. Then turn and rotate 45 degrees and grill for half the remaining cooking time (note: cooking time varies). Turn again. If you do this right you will get a nice diamond pattern of grill marks.
6. Test the steak. When you are getting close to having a finished steak, press it with your index finger or with the flat side of a grilling fork to get a feel for it. A rare steak will be soft, a medium steak will be firm but yielding and a well-done steak will be firm.
7. Remove the steak. Let the steaks rest for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. This will let the juices flow out from the center so the whole steak is nice and juicy.
For more advice and information about BBQ & Grilling, visit bbq.about.com.
-- L.A. Johnson, Post-Gazette staff writer
First Published May 1, 2007 6:50 pm
