How to grill a steak

[BigTex]

I am no expert, and I am told that my steaks are pretty good. But I would love to try and improve upon what I do.

1. rub down with a little lemon pepper , garlic and a dash of worchestershire . I dont use too much. Too much and you taste more seasoning and not enough of the meat.

2. I prefer ribeye. Boneless. Some folks prefer bone in , but not me. What do you gain by having bone in ?

3, charcoal only. no gas

4. I like a little smoke flavor to it. I soak hickory or mesquite chips in water for a few hours before and put those on about 5 min's before the coals are at their peak.

5. Put the steaks as close as possible to the hottest part of the fire.

6. Turn the steak with tongs only. You poke a hole in a steak and the juice runs out . Taking taste and tenderness with it.

7. I dont judge a steaks doneness by time, I press against it with the tongs. Depending on how much " give " is in the meat, I take it off or let it cook depending on who is eating it. Me, I prefer medium to medium rare.

8. I have heard people say dont turn a steak but once. I might turn it it two to three times and it seems to have no ill effect on the meat.

9, A steak will continue to cook for a few minutes after you take it off the fire. Keep that in mind for doneness.

10. I have had steaks in a restaurant before that will put a pat of some type of butter on the steak before they serve it to you. What is that all about ?

11. Add your baked potato, with butter cheese and pepper. I dont drink anymore, but I would love to add a glass of Stags Leap Cabernet

These are mine. Can I do anything to improve ?

 

[BAMAFAN IN NY]

I mix cayenne powder, chipotle powder, finely chopped garlic, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a little brown sugar together with a little olive oil, to make a paste to rub on steaks. I use a gas grill. I have a little metal smoker box that I put wood chips in that I soak in water mixed with a little liquid smoke. (just started doing the liquid smoke, havent decided if it adds anything or not yet). I dont flip the steaks more than once. I too use the "touch method" to tell when the steaks are done.

I saute mushrooms and onions in butter, and pour it over the steak.

 

[bayoutider]

1,000 people will cook a steak 999 different ways. I'll just make a few comments and answer a couple of your questions.

Season the meat however you like it. No one is going to eat it but you so satisfy yourself. If other people like your steak then you are doing a good job. I season with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and garlic powder before I build the fire. People who say salting your meat will dry it out are somewhere between stupid and plumb crazy. Meat will not dry out when salted 20 minutes ahead of time. I don't add Worchestershire but I know someone who does. I let everyone choose the sauce they prefer and I do not take it as an insult if someone asks for A-1, Worchestershire or 57 Sauce.

Bone-in steaks will have more flavor. There is an old saying "The closer the bone the sweeter the meat". Bones add a layer of flavor missing from boneless. Save the bones to gnaw on later, make soup stock from later or Fido might like one for a treat. A lot of times butchers charge extra to remove the bone. They aren't doing you a favor and I ask for bone in ribeyes. They don't make boneless T-bone or porterhouse steaks

I hate mesquite but that is personal. I will say this about mesquite, it is the hottest burning wood and you can build an extremely hot fire with it. I just have a personal dislike of the smell and taste. I think it is usually too strong and I prefer oak, pecan or hickory in moderation for my steaks.

You are right on with the temperature. I like to cook a steak as hot as I can get the fire which is usually around 750F. You are also on the mark using tongs so you don't let the juices out. I know someone who cuts into each steak with a knife to see if they are done. I would like to cut into his skull with a knife to see how empty it is.

Turning a steak once keeps the steak more juicy. I let sit on the grill for a minute or so then turn 90 degrees to make grill marks and do the same thing after I flip it. Mashing down with tongs is close to mashing a burger with a spatula. You are mashing the juices out of the meat. Matt does it right use your finger to test doneness the finger is more sensitive than a pair of tongs. Read this to learn the open hand testing method

Yep once you remove the steak from the fire it should rest about 10 minutes and it will keep cooking because it is hot and heat is what cooks meat. Cutting any earlier and the juices will run out like they do my friend who cuts his steaks on the grill.

A pat of butter or herbed butter is a way to add another layer of flavor. Flavor in meat comes from fat. Butter is a type of fat so if the meat is on the lean side some butter will help the steak out. Try mushroom butter, garlic butter or shallot butter sometime it's really good. Just ask or search google to learn about compound butters.

You are doing more right than wrong and you like what you do so keep up the good work.

 

[bayoutider]

I mix cayenne powder, chipotle powder, finely chopped garlic, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a little brown sugar together with a little olive oil, to make a paste to rub on steaks. I use a gas grill. I have a little metal smoker box that I put wood chips in that I soak in water mixed with a little liquid smoke. (just started doing the liquid smoke, havent decided if it adds anything or not yet). I dont flip the steaks more than once. I too use the "touch method" to tell when the steaks are done.

I saute mushrooms and onions in butter, and pour it over the steak.

Matt how is that liquid smoke working for you? Sounds like you use a wet rub and I bet that sugar helps crust the meat. I use both gas or charcoal depending on how lazy I am. If I'm using gas it means I'm too lazy to add any smoke

I love the sauteed onion and mushrooms. I add olive oil to my saute so I can raise the smoke point. I like just about any mushroom but a dadgum Shiitake. I sometimes add thin sliced garlic to the saute.

Did you ever send that pic?

 

[BAMAFAN IN NY]

Ive been using liquid smoke a lot of different ways lately. I cooked a pork shoulder in the crock pot and added liquid smoke. It was much better than without it. Ive soaked wood chips in water and liquid smoke to see what that does. Ive sprayed liquid smoked on the lava rocks in the grill before it got hot.. That actually adds quite a bit of smoke flavor. My next step I think is going to be to try liquid smoke in the wet rub. I should just break down and get a smoker, but I work all the time, so its hard to dedicate hours to smoking something.

And the brown sugar does give it a nice crust.. you just have to make sure you have enough heat to offset the sweet.

I didnt send the pic yet.. sorry.. I cant find my camera for some reason. but I will look for it hard this weekend.

 

[BigTex]

I mix cayenne powder, chipotle powder, finely chopped garlic, sea salt, fresh ground black pepper, and a little brown sugar together with a little olive oil, to make a paste to rub on steaks. I use a gas grill. I have a little metal smoker box that I put wood chips in that I soak in water mixed with a little liquid smoke. (just started doing the liquid smoke, havent decided if it adds anything or not yet). I dont flip the steaks more than once. I too use the "touch method" to tell when the steaks are done.

I saute mushrooms and onions in butter, and pour it over the steak.

I like that idea about liquid smoke and water for the chips. Never thought of that. All of you seasonings doesnt hide the favor of the meat ? Does it have sweet taste to it with the brown sugar ?

 

[BigTex]

1,000 people will cook a steak 999 different ways. I'll just make a few comments and answer a couple of your questions.

Season the meat however you like it. No one is going to eat it but you so satisfy yourself. If other people like your steak then you are doing a good job. I season with kosher salt, fresh ground pepper and garlic powder before I build the fire. People who say salting your meat will dry it out are somewhere between stupid and plumb crazy. Meat will not dry out when salted 20 minutes ahead of time. I don't add Worchestershire but I know someone who does. I let everyone choose the sauce they prefer and I do not take it as an insult if someone asks for A-1, Worchestershire or 57 Sauce.

Bone-in steaks will have more flavor. There is an old saying "The closer the bone the sweeter the meat". Bones add a layer of flavor missing from boneless. Save the bones to gnaw on later, make soup stock from later or Fido might like one for a treat. A lot of times butchers charge extra to remove the bone. They aren't doing you a favor and I ask for bone in ribeyes. They don't make boneless T-bone or porterhouse steaks

I hate mesquite but that is personal. I will say this about mesquite, it is the hottest burning wood and you can build an extremely hot fire with it. I just have a personal dislike of the smell and taste. I think it is usually too strong and I prefer oak, pecan or hickory in moderation for my steaks.

You are right on with the temperature. I like to cook a steak as hot as I can get the fire which is usually around 750F. You are also on the mark using tongs so you don't let the juices out. I know someone who cuts into each steak with a knife to see if they are done. I would like to cut into his skull with a knife to see how empty it is.

Turning a steak once keeps the steak more juicy. I let sit on the grill for a minute or so then turn 90 degrees to make grill marks and do the same thing after I flip it. Mashing down with tongs is close to mashing a burger with a spatula. You are mashing the juices out of the meat. Matt does it right use your finger to test doneness the finger is more sensitive than a pair of tongs. Read this to learn the open hand testing method

Yep once you remove the steak from the fire it should rest about 10 minutes and it will keep cooking because it is hot and heat is what cooks meat. Cutting any earlier and the juices will run out like they do my friend who cuts his steaks on the grill.

A pat of butter or herbed butter is a way to add another layer of flavor. Flavor in meat comes from fat. Butter is a type of fat so if the meat is on the lean side some butter will help the steak out. Try mushroom butter, garlic butter or shallot butter sometime it's really good. Just ask or search google to learn about compound butters.

You are doing more right than wrong and you like what you do so keep up the good work.

I will try the kosher salt and see what happens. As far as steak sauce, I take it as an insult. If a steak is done right , you dont need it. I will try the finger touch and see if I can grade the doneness next time as well as I can with the tongs.

What cut do you prefer Bayou ?

 

[BAMAFAN IN NY]

It does give a sweet flavor to the meat, but the heat keeps it in check.. Thats my ribeye rub... For filet... its salt pepper and parsley only, with a pat of butter at the end. I think filets have more of a beef flavor than ribeyes, and i wouldnt want to hide it. I think spices, along with the crust created by the brown sugar, compliment the soft fatty texture of ribeyes. I like worchestershire sauce on porterhouse and Ny strip. I change up the ribeye rub quite often. Sometimes I use scotch bonett peppers and ginger and make like a jerk ribeye. I like the coffee rub that that was posted on here before. (look under cowboy ribeye) I like to mix it up. I dont think steak sauce is an insult. Some people just like the taste of A1. Just like gravy doesnt mess up a good biscuit.

 

[LCN]

I recommend going with a one and a half inch thick Rib-Steak , if you can find it , on propane if your grill has become "seasoned" . Here's a pretty safe formula .......

-1- Get it as glowing hot as possible & place the meat across the grill @ a 45 degree angle and shut the lid for 45 seconds .
-2- Shift the steak 45 degrees in the opposite direction & close the grill for 60 seconds .
-3- Flip the meat @ a 45 degree angle & close lid for 45 seconds .
-4- Reverse the angle , close the lid & turn off the grill .
-5- Let it set for 2-4 minutes depending on how done you desire it .
-6- EAT IT _eek:

 

[bayoutider]

I will try the kosher salt and see what happens. As far as steak sauce, I take it as an insult. If a steak is done right , you dont need it. I will try the finger touch and see if I can grade the doneness next time as well as I can with the tongs.

What cut do you prefer Bayou ?

I'm too all over the place to have a favorite, what I like today might not be my favorite next month. I do like a bone in ribeye and if pressed hard enough I might say a porterhouse is my favorite steak. I like a filet and the ribeye for simplicity though I don't think either has the best flavor. A NY strip is great but it's a steak I really don't cook well for some reason. For presentation its hard to beat the Cowboy Ribeye - bone in ribeye lollypop cut 1 1/2 inch thick and the bone Frenched. Actually the type of beef is more important than the cut. Buy the best grade of beef you can find then dry age it. If you have the funds try a Kobe Beef steak which will make Angus beef look like shoe leather.

I probably cant change your mind about the steak sauce but they make the stuff because lots of people like it and aren't ashamed to use it. Like Matt said gravy on a biscuit doesnt insult the biscuit maker. Neither does butter and jelly. You can't tell someone what they need and don't need if they are accustomed to having it their way.

I have a chef friend who does not put salt and pepper shakers on the tables in his restaurant. He believes he seasons his dishes perfectly and there is no need for them. We eat at his restaurant a few times each month and I like to poke fun at him by leaving little opened packs of salt and pepper on the table when we leave. It drives him crazy.

There is a book titled "Sauces" by James Peterson. Nearly 600 pages all about sauces, the mother sauces, how to make compound sauces, store sauces, blend sauces, where they came from, where they are going and where to use sauces. The book will change your thinking on how to eat food. The book should be required reading for culinary school.

I was fortunate to be around some fantastic cooks eating from their pots, learning from them and watching how they do things. I asked a lot of questions and they shared knowlege with me. I'm still learning and my tastes continually change because I keep an open mind. My mind is made up about mesquite though

The Kosher Salt melts better than table salt.

 

[bayoutider]

It does give a sweet flavor to the meat, but the heat keeps it in check.. Thats my ribeye rub... For filet... its salt pepper and parsley only, with a pat of butter at the end. I think filets have more of a beef flavor than ribeyes, and i wouldnt want to hide it. I think spices, along with the crust created by the brown sugar, compliment the soft fatty texture of ribeyes. I like worchestershire sauce on porterhouse and Ny strip. I change up the ribeye rub quite often. Sometimes I use scotch bonett peppers and ginger and make like a jerk ribeye. I like the coffee rub that that was posted on here before. (look under cowboy ribeye) I like to mix it up. I dont think steak sauce is an insult. Some people just like the taste of A1. Just like gravy doesnt mess up a good biscuit.

Matt I see quite a few competition BBQ guys using liquid smoke or smoked salts in their rubs.

 

[BAMAFAN IN NY]

I made ribeyes tonight. In the rub i used liquid smoke, olive oil, brown sugar, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper, chipotle powder, parsley, and a clove of garlic put through a garlic press. Sauteed mushrooms in butter and some garlic and rosemary infused olive oil that I usually use for dipping bread. I put the mushrooms and a little of the butter/oil on top of the steaks. Was probably some of the best ribeyes ive made. Some fresh, steamed sweet corn to go with it. I took a pic too since I was wearing my awesome TideFans Iron Chef Executive Chef's jacket. Ill post it in the morning.

 

[DrBama]

There is a book titled "Sauces" by James Peterson. ....

Not to be mistaken for books by James Patterson....

BAMAFAN IN NY, you mentioned earlier that you may break down and buy a smoker but were worried about the time. I posted earlier (different post) about a cooker called Orion, and I just bought one this weekend. Have a Boston Butt and a whole chicken in the fridge right now waiting their turn on it. I'll let you know how it goes. A buddy of mine bought one (was on clearance at Home Depot) a few weeks ago and smoked 6 racks of baby backs this weekend for a football party...took him 90 minutes of cook time and he says they were great.

 

[bayoutider]

Not to be mistaken for books by James Patterson....

BAMAFAN IN NY, you mentioned earlier that you may break down and buy a smoker but were worried about the time. I posted earlier (different post) about a cooker called Orion, and I just bought one this weekend. Have a Boston Butt and a whole chicken in the fridge right now waiting their turn on it. I'll let you know how it goes. A buddy of mine bought one (was on clearance at Home Depot) a few weeks ago and smoked 6 racks of baby backs this weekend for a football party...took him 90 minutes of cook time and he says they were great.

I don't think James Patterson has ever penned a cookbook but many of his novels have been made into movies.

Keep us posted about the Orion.

 

[It's On A Slab]

Two words: meat thermometer.

When I do steaks, I grill until I get a reading of around 140-145 degrees.

Chicken: 165

Pork: 165

Salmon: 125-130. You don't want to overcook salmon. Which is why I rarely order it in a restaurant that doesn't specialize in fish. Most fry cooks think they're grilling a beef steak.

 

[dayhiker]

6 racks of ribs in 90 min? Wow. It takes me 4-5 hrs to smoke a few racks.

 

[bayoutider]

Two words: meat thermometer.

When I do steaks, I grill until I get a reading of around 140-145 degrees.

Chicken: 165

Pork: 165

Salmon: 125-130. You don't want to overcook salmon. Which is why I rarely order it in a restaurant that doesn't specialize in fish. Most fry cooks think they're grilling a beef steak.

This method works well on just about any kind of steaks or chops. I wouldn't trust it for chicken and fish.
MASH HERE

Fish is done when, well it depends on the fish.

 

[BAMAFAN IN NY]

Two words: meat thermometer.

I wouldnt dare pierce a steak with a thermometer.

 

[bamapeppy]

I would have no problem using a thermometer on a steak 1 1/2" thick or thereabouts. You only stick the probe in halfway and you wouldn't lose much juice. I always use a thermometer on chicken, turkey and fresh pork. Beef I can usually touch and tell how done it is or use my time tested clock method. If you watch your temperature you can cook by time and be very close every time. Try to buy the same size steaks, same size chickens, same size roasts and the cook by time method is very accurate.

 

[wardaddy]

I recommend going with a one and a half inch thick Rib-Steak , if you can find it , on propane if your grill has become "seasoned" . Here's a pretty safe formula .......

-1- Get it as glowing hot as possible & place the meat across the grill @ a 45 degree angle and shut the lid for 45 seconds .
-2- Shift the steak 45 degrees in the opposite direction & close the grill for 60 seconds .
-3- Flip the meat @ a 45 degree angle & close lid for 45 seconds .
-4- Reverse the angle , close the lid & turn off the grill .
-5- Let it set for 2-4 minutes depending on how done you desire it .
-6- EAT IT _eek:

Sounds exactly like my cooking method..