By Culinary.net | Contributor
A sizzling steak is an unmistakable sign of summer, and the taste of a perfectly grilled one is hard to beat.
Before you get the grill going, keep these five fundamental tips in mind for cooking a steak worthy of any chef’s table:
Get Your Steak Ready
While personal preferences and costs may vary among different cuts like sirloins, ribeyes, and T-bones, your preparation method will likely remain consistent regardless of your choice. Trim your steaks to a thickness of 1/2 to 1 inch to cook them properly. Let the meat reach room temperature before grilling. Placing cold steak straight from the fridge onto hot grates isn’t ideal as it can lower the grill’s temperature and delay the cooking of the inner sections.
Season with Salt
Feel free to use any preferred spices, but a high-quality steak doesn’t require elaborate seasonings—just a dash of salt will do. Sprinkle salt on the steak anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours before grilling. This helps retain moisture and enhances flavor.
Opt for High Heat
Grilling a steak isn’t solely about having blazing flames. Employ a two-zone fire setup—one side of the grill should be hot (direct heat), and the other side should be less warm (indirect heat). This method allows you to sear the steak on direct heat before finishing it on indirect heat without burning it.
Sear then Shift
When searing, grill the steak over direct heat for 1-2 minutes per side to achieve the perfect crust. Depending on the steak’s thickness, check its doneness at this stage. If it hasn’t reached the desired temperature, move it to the indirect heat section for a final touch.
Here are general temperature guidelines for doneness: rare is 120-125 F, medium-rare is 130-135 F, medium is 140-145 F, medium-well is 150-155 F, and well done is 160-175 F.
Allow to Rest
As tempting as it might be to slice into the steak right away, resting it is crucial. Letting your steaks rest for 5-10 minutes, with or without foil, allows the flavors to distribute evenly and moisture to be retained within the meat.
Discover more cooking tips and recipes at Culinary.net. Photo courtesy of Getty Images.
