(Photo by AJ Gomez)
Have you spent your life in pursuit of the perfect steak? If so, we’ve got good news for you: The perfect steak is not some mythical being like El Chupacabra or Sasquatch. It’s actually out there and within your reach — with the right grilling methods, that is. Read on for a roundup of cooking tips aimed at helping you serve up the juiciest, tenderest, tastiest steaks of your life.
1. Rest your meat.
Just like you need a rest sometimes; so does your steak. Because cold steaks don’t cook evenly, you’re in for an inconsistent result if you throw your meat straight from the fridge onto the grill. Instead, rest steaks at room temperature for a minimum of 30 minutes before cooking.
2. Don’t be shy about seasoning.
The right seasoning enhances the flavor of your meat. Salt is the VIP of the seasoning game, followed by cracked black pepper. We’re also fond of spicing things up with other flavorings, such as garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne pepper, chili powder, smoked paprika, cumin, and oregano.
Whatever seasoning combination you choose, be sure to give your steaks a generous rubdown. This allows the seasoning ample time to work its way into the meat.
3. Heat things up.
We’ve all heard the expression, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” The same principle applies to cooking steak. Because when it comes to really locking in the juices and flavor of a steak, a hot cooking surface is a must. High heat also helps caramelize the outside of the meat resulting in the golden-brown standard of steakhouse quality steaks: a crisp exterior with an impossibly succulent inside.
4. Don’t overcook your meat.
The longer you cook a steak, the less flavorful and juicy it becomes. The simplest way to avoid overcooking? Pay careful attention to cooking temperature keeping in mind that, per USDA specifications, all beef must reach a minimum internal temperature of 145 °F.
While using is meat thermometer is one way to go for checking meat temperatures, many home cooks swear by the finger test: Raw meat feels like the fleshiest part of the palm; rare meat feels like the same part of your palm with your index finger and thumb pressed together; medium-rare feels like the same part of your palm with your middle finger and thumb pressed together; medium feels like the same part of your palm when your ring finger and thumb are pressed together; and well-done feels like the same part of your palm when your pinky and thumb are pressed together. Once you’ve used the finger test (twice!) against the center part of a piece of meat, remove it from the heat.
5. Rest your meat again.
Your steak may be cooked to perfection, but it’s not ready just yet. It’s also critical to rest steaks after cooking, which allows the fibers to relax and the juices to redistribute. While we understand the temptation to serve a delicious-looking piece of meat as soon as it’s off the grill, wait five to ten minutes before digging in.
When it comes to cooking the perfect steak, these five simple tips are guaranteed to deliver. But many in-the-know home chefs have also discovered a new and exciting secret weapon: the FIREDISC®. Shop our products today to start taking your grilling game to the next level with this revolutionary outdoor plow disk propane cooker.
