The Perfect Grilled Steak Every Time

I have a confession to make. A short time ago I didn’t know how to grill a steak …well, grill one correctly that is.
It’s true! Though many of my past attempts had failed due to a few major mistakes, the good news was they were easy to correct. After all, this is red meat we're talking about. Protein humankind has consumed ever since we learned how to pick up a stick and carve it into something sharp. Steak is a staple. Yet it amazes me how many of us simply lack the ability to grill it correctly. The bottom line is meat + improper grilling = leather, my friends. We all know that meat is a basic food group. It is one of the quickest sources of protein the human body can ingest. It is something everyone tries to grill at one time or another, to impress a significant other, to show our manliness, or womanly-ness, and it’s being destroyed in countless backyards across the planet all summer long. This is why I have chosen grilled steak to be the first thing I prepare for you here in Mario's Kitchen.

Mistake number one - My first mistake was that I would throw it on the grill fresh out of the fridge. That’s right; I didn’t even try to hold its hand first! A steak should sit out at room temperature before going over an open flame, because meat is a muscle. Meat right out of the fridge is in a contracted state. As it rests at room temp, it begins to relax and all those juices that were unable to move are now able to flow again.

Mistake number two - I was cooking it too low and too long. Slow cooking is fine for stew meat in a crock pot, but low-and-slow heating over an open flame can be one of a steak's worst enemies. You always want to cook a steak quickly on high heat in order for it to get that nice sear on the outside, but stay tender and pink on the inside.

My third and biggest mistake was that I would cut, poke and prod my meat to death before, during, and immediately after cooking. This is unacceptable! I cannot stress this point enough. There should be only one moment you put any kind of holes in your meat and that is after it has come off the grill and had the chance to rest for at least 10 to 15 minutes. Otherwise all the juices are going to drain right out, leaving you with a dry, meaty jawbreaker. Cutting into a steak too soon is a travesty. It doesn’t just make your steak less than desirable, it totally ruins it. Never, I repeat NEVER do this! This includes making even small holes with forks or knife tips before, during or immediately after cooking! So if you don’t have a decent pair of tongs, get one.

Let’s talk for a moment about cut and grade.



What you generally find in your supermarket is “choice” grade meat. (see more on the grading system here) Of all the beef produced in the US, less than 2% is certified as USDA Prime. If you want prime grade, you’re going to have to look a lot harder as it is usually bought up by finer restaurants straight from the meat packers. If and when you do find it, you're going to be spending a lot of money. While it is true that with steak you get what you pay for, most of us are going to be more than satisfied with the offerings at our local supermarket. I should mention here that "chuck" is a lower grade beef best used in stews. I would avoid grilling it. (for even more understanding of cut and grade, also check out this link)

Lately, my supermarket has been stocking a good assortment of the CAB (Certified Angus Beef) sirloin, which is what you see in the main picture at the top of this post, but my personal favorite and preferred selection is ribeye steak pictured below.



My next choice (pictured below) would be the Porterhouse or "T-bone" as they are more commonly called. The T-bone contains two cuts, the strip steak, which is usually the larger of the two, and the tenderloin, which is the smaller.



Whatever cut you decide on, as I mentioned earlier, it is crucial to let it rest outside of your fridge at room temperature for about a half hour. When I say "room" temperature, I mean the average indoor temperature of about 67-71 degrees. It is probably best to keep it in the package for this. If you are preparing it outdoors, avoid letting it sit out in the hot sun, and if you have any carnivorous pets, put it somewhere it will not be prematurely devoured. Again, always do this resting step before even thinking about putting it near fire. If you’re too hungry to wait, have some cheese and crackers!

Once you’ve let the steak come to room temperature, season it. If you do this right, you will not be needing steak sauce. I use a pinch (about 1/8 teaspoon) of kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper and some olive oil on both sides of the steak.


Timing and The Grill


Cooking times will vary from grill to grill and, depending on your choice of cut, from steak to steak as well. The key is high heat. I use propane, so intense heat is at my fingertips. If you are going to be using charcoal, make sure the coals are fully white and hot before moving on to the next step. You should not be able to hold your hand more than a few inches from the grill surface for more than a few seconds. My grill gets up to about 6oo degrees in about 10 minutes on high heat when kept closed. On windy nights, I alternate between having the grill open and closed every few minutes while the meat is on.

Chances are you are going to have to try grilling a few steaks before you really nail it, but once you get the idea and can judge thickness and heat, you will get it right every time. I tried a few different lengths of time when I was going through my trial and error process. On my first few attempts I was cooking thick pieces. I tried 4 minutes a side, then 5, and finally 6. Each time the “rareness” became less obvious and 6 became the magic number for my first success. So, depending on your grill temp, thickness of meat, and your own personal taste, your cooking times will vary slightly. In all honesty, it is better to undercook a steak than to overcook it. You want it to have a nice, pink center and not be dripping too much blood. Unlike burger meat, which is ground and can contain a host of bacteria, cuts of fresh meat are virtually sterile on the inside. This isn't to say you shouldn't use caution when handling raw meat and if it comes out too raw or is too bloody when you finally cut into it, you can always refrigerate it and fry it up the next day with some eggs.

Now, let's get that steak on! Get yourself a timing device and set it (or watch it) for the length of time you have decided on. Say you're going six minutes a side as I did with the 1 1/4" thick pieces of CAB sirloin pictured below.


When you first put the meat on the grill, it is going make some noise. That’s ok. Revel in the sizzle.

In about three minutes (or half of whatever time you have chosen to cook each side) rotate - NOT FLIP - the steak about 90 degrees. The turning you are now doing is specifically to get those nice “crisscross” grill marks and to help the side cook more evenly. At 6 minutes you should now FLIP your steak. You only want to flip it ONCE. Repeat the same for side two: 6 minutes with a “rotation” at the half way point.


I like to have a clean Pyrex pan handy when I take the steaks off, which I then immediately cover with aluminum foil. The Pyrex pan really helps hold the heat and keeps your steak nice and warm as it finishes its cooking process. Once in the pan and covered, you need to just walk away from it. That’s right. Just walk away, no matter how badly you may want to cut into it to see if it's done. Don’t even LOOK at it anymore! Just forget about it! Ok?


In about 10 minutes what transpires under that aluminum foil is something of a great mystery…


Well, not really. It’s just simple science. While the steak is resting in that dish, all those juices re-distribute perfectly throughout the cut, and because you were patient and didn’t make any test cuts to make sure it was done, (you didn’t… right?) you will be rewarded, trust me. Note the reddish brown color of the juice in the photo above.

In conclusion, no matter what your cut, always remember these basic things. Let it rest at room temperature before you grill it for no less than one half hour. Season it well. Grill it quickly over high heat. Don't ever cut into it or poke into it. And MOST important, let it rest for at least ten minutes after taking it off the grill. No exceptions!

Now get out there and impress your friends and family and perhaps even some strangers with your new grilling talent. Just remember to serve it up with some steak fries!