I seriously cannot grill a steak without destroying it!

[auntdot]

gl, sorry if I missed it but how thick are your steaks?

To me it is hard to essentially impossible to do a steak less than one inch thick to perfection.

If you have gotten to medium try one step rarer, medium rare. To me the closer the cow is to mooing the tastier the steak.

Don't use a thermometer on steak, OK rarely do, but they can be very helpful if you get a realiable thermometer.

[Jeekinz]

Originally Posted by GB

I have to disagree. I agree with the rest of your post Jeekinz and think your advice to the OP is good advice, however my gas grill is heated and ready in 5 minutes. I have never seen charcoal grills be ready that fast.

Using lump not briquettes. It also depends on the grill size and weather conditions. My large SS grill can take 10-15 minutes to reach 350. I usually pull the steaks/meat from the fridge and start the charcoal in the chiney at the same time. Maybe it's my scenario.

[gingerlaurie]

Jeekinz, I've heard the "only flip once" rule. A friend of mine is SUCH a follower...I am more of a "turn over and peek" kind of girl. LOL. I will have to practice restraint! Is there anything one could put ON/IN the gas BBQ to achieve what the coals would do...? I'm super-limited in space where it is. But it sounds tempting..

Grillingfool, I never really considered the resting time as cooking time. Great tip!!

Inch thick steaks are traditionally what I use. Question, though...has anyone used any type of "tenderizer" on steaks/beef? If so, what?

[Jeekinz]

Not sure what you could add.....if there was such a thing, I would love to know about it. Honestly, I would pick up a small charcoal grill and a bag of Cowboy lump from Lowe's and have a go at it. I really think you would be happy with the results.

-Jay

[pacanis]

I think grilling a steak requires a feel. You buy a new grill, you cook out at a friend's house on his grill, you use propane one time and a campfire the next..... I've never been a big follower of the, so many minutes per side and only flip once philosophy..... But that's just me. And I've boughten steaks in varying markets, in cities, in dink towns and never paid attention to the prime/choice/select rating, though I know I really should. I couldn't even tell you what the cuts of ribeye in my freezer are, as I purchased them from a meat market who grows and slaughters their own beef.
I know all these little nuances add up to the perfect steak, but ultimately, it's the person standing in front of the grill.

I wish I could go back and re-read your post, gingerlaurie, but I seem to remember you naming a few types of steaks and saying you preferred sirloin..... in my opinion, that isn't a very forgiving steak to cook. Not too much fat or marbling, so it will come out tough and dry if overcooked even slightly. I think you need to work on your technique as you said, but maybe try a different cut. If you don't want to splurge on a ribeye (my favorite ), only to have it turn out tough, look for something called a chuck eye steak, which are like small ribeyes, but pretty cost effective. They have some nice fat to add juiceiness and a pretty good flavor, even if cooked well done.

And even though it's taboo while you are learning and getting a feel for you new SS outdoor kitchen, cut the steak open a bit and take a peek
Why do you think they make some flippers with a serrated edge

[buckytom]

auntdot, i've recently been able to cook some very thin steaks really well, umm, i mean actually rare to medium rare.

i bought a gas grill last year with a searing burner. i wasn't sure i'd like giving up a standard burner and grill space for it, but the few times that i cooked thin steaks and pork chops on it made it all the worthwhile.
it's sorta looks like a rectangular catalytic converter, and burns very hot so if you time it right (about half or less of the time needed for 1" or bigger), it comes out to perfection. slight char on the outside, with the doneness gradiating inwards to rare.

pacanis, i'm a flip 3x kinda guy, trying to get a matrix effect of grill marks on the steak. it's a little tricker not to overcook them with 2 flips per side

[pacanis]

Originally Posted by buckytom

pacanis, i'm a flip 3x kinda guy, trying to get a matrix effect of grill marks on the steak. it's a little tricker not to overcook them with 2 flips per side

Hey, it just wouldn't be fun grillin' if all you are going to do is stand there and wait for your food to cook
I don't own a spatula. I own a flipper!

[GB]

Originally Posted by pacanis

Hey, it just wouldn't be fun grillin' if all you are going to do is stand there and wait for your food to cook

Well that is your problem. You are not just supposed to stand there and wait. You are supposed to stand there and drink beer

[pacanis]

Oh that's a given, GB.
Gotta have something to fuss with with the other hand, though.

[RPCookin]

Originally Posted by gingerlaurie

I'm growing up gradually, so I no longer like my meat "well done". LOL!

Medium well is where I'm at now...leaning towards medium.

I've remembered to "rest" the meat after grilling so the juices don't flow...buckytom, I've never thought of using dill! Sounds wonderful!

Proper temperature is key, obviously, so Jeekinz, if I'm liking it medium well, how long per side at med-high heat...? I have to admit that I like the "charcoal" edges...I'm one of those odd people that pretty much love oddly burned things...cookies, toast, etc.

As I said, I'm growing. Up. :oD

(Or at least I'm trying to!)

I have to tell you that cut for cut, the longer you grill a steak the less tender it will tend to be. That is why most decent steakhouses won't guarantee a steak cooked beyond medium rare. Some won't even offer a steak beyond that temp. I never cook one to more than about a 135° internal reading while still on the grill. It will continue to cook to about 140° while it rests, and that is just about medium rare. It is very difficult to grill a steak to anything past medium and end up with a good piece of meat.

I'm sure that some will contest this, but I've been grilling steaks for many years, and I've had my share of failures, most of those disasters came from overcooking. When I invite someone over for a cookout, I usually ask how everyone likes their steaks. If they say anything past medium, I plan something else for the main course.

[west coast smoker]

Wow cooking a good steak past medium is going to make it tougher. The longer you cook it the tighter the steak fibers get. Also a 1" thick steak should not take to long to cook. The biggest problem is gas burners are not all the same and some cook hotter than others.

Some one mentioned the time to cook to medium I think it was 3-4 minutes per side. I would agree with them, also leave the grill on high for both sides, for that charcoal edge you like. I found the more steaks I have cooked the better I have gotten at it, so experience counts.

My one rule is I would rather put an undercooked steak back on the grill rather than eat an overcooked steak.

[gingerlaurie]

You all are making me feel like I should attempt a "medium rare" steak!

I have a serious aversion to "bloody" meat...it has taken many years to even get me to medium well. LOL.

Maybe....maybe I'm searching for the impossible? A lovely, tender, almost-cooked steak! LOL.

I'll stick to chicken.

[love2"Q"]

med rare is not bloody ..
try marinating a london broil ..
cook to medium or a little more if you
must .. then slice really thin against the grain ..
you will have a nice tender steak ..

[GotGarlic]

Originally Posted by gingerlaurie

You all are making me feel like I should attempt a "medium rare" steak!

I have a serious aversion to "bloody" meat...it has taken many years to even get me to medium well. LOL.

Maybe....maybe I'm searching for the impossible? A lovely, tender, almost-cooked steak! LOL.

I'll stick to chicken.

Think of it as rosy, not bloody It's the tenderness you're after ...

[Fisher's Mom]

Originally Posted by gingerlaurie

You all are making me feel like I should attempt a "medium rare" steak!

I have a serious aversion to "bloody" meat...it has taken many years to even get me to medium well. LOL.

Maybe....maybe I'm searching for the impossible? A lovely, tender, almost-cooked steak! LOL.

I'll stick to chicken.

I wouldn't hold out too much hope for getting over your aversion. I have the same one. It's taken me forever to get to where I can eat a steak with any "rosiness". And to even eat that, I have to make a red wine sauce to pour over it.

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I found two of the most gorgeous bone-in rib-steaks at a local meat shop yesterday. They are perfectly marbles and dry aged to perfection. Those babies are in the freezer, double wrapped in freezer paper, and then inside vacuum-sealed plastic bag. They're waiting for that just right day of summer. Hate to do this to all of you, but I'm not sharing these ones. Just once in a while you gotta keep the best for yourself. I've given great steaks to so many of my family at this cookout, or that get-together. It's my turn, one for me, and one for my wife. Everybody else gets what they get.

Seeeeeeya; Goodweed of the North

[Wart]

Originally Posted by gingerlaurie

Medium well is where I'm at now...leaning towards medium.

We call this Twice Killed Meat.

Killed the first time by the 'butcher'.

Killed the second time by the 'cook' when taken to medium +.

A well done steak is called Thrice Killed.

[ErikC]

The temperature at which you cook will be important too, especially when you take different thicknesses into account, and the intended doneness.

Thicker steaks require a lower heat, otherwise the outside is overcooked before you get any significant heat to the center. But even thinner steaks (half inch and less) still need to be cooked at a lower temperature than you might think.

The general rule of thumb to follow is to be able to hold your hand just above the grill for 3 seconds for thin steaks (half inch), 4 seconds for 3/4 to 1 inch, and 5 seconds for thicker steaks before you have to pull your hand away due to the heat. If you cannot hold your hand there that long, then the grill is too hot.

Also, if you prefer your meat more toward the well-done end of the spectrum, then you need to add a second to each of those counts.

[BBQ Mikey]

The best steak you can make is pan seared, 3-5 minutes per side. On the grill is still classic as well, normally cooking 5 minutes on each side for a medium well on high heat. This is what I would do with a normal 1.5" steak. I also do not believe in marinading a steak unless its for fajitas or something of that nature.

[Jeekinz]

Originally Posted by love2"Q"

med rare is not bloody

I disagree with that. Anything medium and on tends to not be bloody.