Cooking Steak Your Way

Everybody likes their steak cooked a certain way. The trick is to be able to cook steaks identically every time you grill. One key to this puzzle is to use a temperature probe so that you know exactly what the internal temperature of the meat is. Another key is to know how hot your grill is. Yet another important factor is timing.

You should be asking yourself these key questions during a grilling session:

• How Hot is my Grill?
• How Long Should I Cook the Steak?
• What is the Internal Temperature of the Meat?

How Hot is My Grill?

An important factor is knowing how hot your grill is. It's impossible to say, "Cook for four minutes on each side to make a medium-rare steak." The temperature of the grill decides how long to cook the steak. When working with charcoal, there can be a lot of variance in temperature. For example, when you add foods to the grill, the foods will absorb much of the heat and the temperature will drop.

The most basic way of determining the heat level is to hold your hand about six inches above the grate. If have to move your hand right away, that is a very hot fire. If can leave your hand for a few seconds, that is a hot fire. If you can leave it there for six seconds, we'll call it a medium fire. If you can leave it there for ten or more seconds, it's a warm fire.

An easier way to gauge heat is with, well, a gauge! With a gauge you won't get an exact temperature due to factors affecting the temperature gauge (such as the grill exterior adding heat to the thermometer,) but it will tell you the level of heat. The more you use your grill, the more you will become dependant on knowing what that level is. See Installing a Thermometer on a Charcoal Grill for detailed information.

How Long Should I Cook the Steak?

The first step to cooking a "perfect" steak is to know what internal temperature the steak should be for desired doneness. The following chart illustrates what temperatures coincide with different levels of doneness:

Once you have decided what temperature you want your steak to be, you can begin the cooking process. It's difficult or impossible to give an exact time to cook a steak to a certain doneness. You can, however, time how long you cook the first side. To get a steak to medium-rare, you want to cook it for approximately 4 minutes on each side. The first side is easy. Set a timer for exactly four minutes and flip the steak at that time. For the second side, time it for four minutes again. Then you can check it with a temperature probe to see where you really are. You may even want to check it earlier to be sure that you are not over cooking the meat.

What is the Internal Temperature of the Meat?

The solution to this problem is easy. Get a temperature probe. Probes are anywhere from cheap to expensive, but they all serve the same purpose. Be sure to follow the manufacturers suggestions. Several companies are making wireless probes that will page you when the desired temperature is reached. There are also wired versions that perform the same functionality except the probe is attached to a unit outside the grill. This way, you don't have to open the grill (and lose heat) to get a temperature reading. The cheapest solution is to get a dial gauge that you insert into the meat to get a reading. These can't stay in the meat during cooking, but it will work just as well as anything else to give you a temperature reading. Digital gauges are also a nice tool to have around.

Searing the Steak

One thing many people like to do is sear the outside of the steak. This will form a nice crust on the outside of the steak. To sear the steak, simply leave the cover off of the grill and allow the coals to flare up. The fire will sear the outside of the steak. Once seared as desired, put the lid back on the grill. Repeat this step for the other side. Searing "counts" for the total cooking time.

Rubs

The most simple rub is salt and pepper. What more does a good steak need? For a twist, use seasoned salt instead of regular salt. To add some spiciness, rub some hot sauce on the steak after adding the salt and pepper. There are a number popular rubs that include other ingredients. See the Recipe Vault for rubs with different ingredients.

Back to the Basics | Back to the How To Guides