Perfect way to grill a steak

There are many ways to cook a perfect steak. I`ve tried many methods including sous-vide, grilling, and pan frying. Each have advantages and disadvantages. In this post we will cover grilling.

before we jump into more detail, here is a quick overview on the three popular techniques:

Sous-vide...
is generally best for cuts that are lean. If you sous-vide something that has a higher fat content like a ribeye, you may run the risk of over softening the meat, leaving you with no texture. Traditionally restaurants use this technique to prepare many servings in a short amount of time. If you sous-vide a cut like a filet mignon and flash sear it can be really nice.

Pan-frying...
can give you very good flavor as it allows you to add elements like butter, garlic, thyme, etc.

Grilling...
smoky flavor really adds a new dimension, coupled with nice seared grill marks.

Here are some tips for grilling a great steak.

1. Bring the meat up to room temperature

One of the most important steps before grilling the meat (especially if you want the center to be medium or below) is to let the meat come to room temperature. You don't want to bite into a steak that is still refrigerator cold in the center.

1. Season generously

youre dealing with a thick cut of meat. Be generous with the seasoning. I like to keep it simple and just use a good salt and pepper. If youre using things like paprika or pepper flakes, remember that items like these can burn quite easily and will make grilling difficult. Know the content of the dry rub and grill accordingly.

1. Learn your grill

Trial and error... Keep practicing until you get the result you want. Every grill is different even if they're the same brand.. Ive learned that for a cut that is about 1 1/4 inches 4 minutes on each side at about 350-400F gives me a perfect medium (in the photo below). But again, Im not even sure if the thermometer in my apartment grill is all that accurate.. It could be reading 350 or 400F and not be that temperature. Generally you want to hear the sizzle right away when the meat touches the grill by pre-heating the grill up to temperature.

1. Rest the steak!

This is a very critical step. Give the meat a good 10 min rest. If you cut into the steak before the resting has been completed, all of the juices will come gushing out. Also important is not to let the meat sit for too long. Time your resting period so that everyone can start enjoying the steak. If you leave it sitting for too long, your steak will get cold.

1. Cut against the grain.

Maybe this one isn't as important as other steps but it makes for a nicer presentation and some pros argue that it makes chewing the meat easier as the grains come apart easier... I just think it looks nicer and cuts easier. This one is up to you.

Hopefully these tricks will help you when you cook a steak next time. If you have interesting tips I would also like to hear from you guys in the comment section!

Thanks!