Getting ready for summer means buying too many beach towels, finding a friend with a pool, and learning how to grill meat the right way. (The latter is, of course, the most important.) A perfectly cooked steak is the pinnacle of achievement in the world of grilling, but it’s easy to go wrong if you don’t know what you’re doing. Take these 10 rules to heart, and you won’t have to rely on your watch or even a recipe anymore. The skill of grilling will be in your bones forever.
1. Let it heat up
Remove steak from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature about an hour before cooking. Skip this step and the result will disappoint you. As Rob Levitt of Chicago’s The Butcher & Larder puts it, “The exterior will be charred and the interior will be mostly gray meat with a small red speck in the center.”
2. Consider the thickness
An inch and a half to an inch is not an arbitrary size when it comes to large cuts like rib eye or New York strip. On the contrary, this thickness ensures that your steak is perfectly charred on the outside, just when the interior reaches the ideal temperature.
3. Salt, salt and more salt
Sprinkle both sides of the steak lightly with salt a few hours before grilling; place on a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet. Salt helps cells retain water, ensuring juicy meat. Before putting it on the grill, pat it dry with paper towels and generously salt and pepper the meat again. (Use kosher salt; larger grains make a top crust.) Finally, give some fleur de sel at the table to sprinkle over the sliced steak for added flavor.
4. Crack your own pepper
Pepper not only adds a spicy element to the steak, it also makes it crispy. You want a mix of thin, medium, and large pieces. To achieve this, pour whole peppercorns into a resealable plastic bag and crush with a heavy skillet.
5. Build a two-zone fire
You want a hot side to brown the meat and a cool side to finish cooking. If you have a gas grill, it’s easy: keep one burner on low while the others are on full. If you’re cooking over coals, use your tongs to build a ramp of coals up the side of the grill to create high-low control.
6. Feel the heat
How do you know when the coals are ready? Once the flames are out and the coals are glowing orange, use the 2-2 rule: Place your hand two inches above the hottest part of the coals. If you can hold it there for two seconds, no more, no less, you’re ready to grill.
7. Control breakouts
Dripping fat + embers = burnt, carcinogenic steak. Do not use a spray water bottle to extinguish the flames, as you will stir up the ashes. And with the lid on the grill, the fire doesn’t go out fast enough. To get that rib out of the way, gently slide it with a pair of pliers to a flare-free area until the fire dies down. (Moving the meat will shake off more fat and start a new fire.)
8. Use real charcoal
Hardwood charcoal logs burn faster and hotter than manufactured briquettes. It doesn’t matter if you use oak or mesquite, as long as it looks like it’s coming from a tree and not construction debris. You want your steak to taste a bit like smoke, not chemicals.
9. No guessing: use a thermometer
A temperature of 125 degrees means medium-rare. Instant-read thermometers guarantee you’ll get it right. We recommend the ThermoWorks ChefAlarm ($59).
10. Let the meat rest
Resting for ten minutes works wonders for a steak, no need for a foil tent. Relaxes the fibers. Scattered juices. Colors are recalibrated and flavors are preserved. Think of it like a disco nap for protein. Remember, patience is a virtue. You have come this far; Don’t waste porterhouse perfection.
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