Fire It Up
Preheat a gas grill for about 15 minutes, or a charcoal one for up to 30 minutes, so your meat cooks at the right temperature.
Cut the Fat
Steaks need some fat to stay juicy. But excess can drip onto the fire, causing flare-ups.Cuts such as strip loins and rib-eyes can have thicker fat caps; trim them down if they’re more than1/4 inch (5 mm) thick to keep flames at bay.
Get Salty
Sprinkle steaks with fine-grain table or sea salt, or medium-grain kosher salt. Add some freshly ground pepper or a favourite seasoning blend, if you like. For more info on seasoning, watch our video.
Pat It Dry
To develop that perfect browned crust, a steak’s surface needs to be dry when it hits the hot grill. Use a paper towel to blot away any surface moisture just before putting it on the grate.
Zone Out
Create two heat zones on your grill. Cook steaks less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick in the hot zone, moving them to the cooler zone if flare-ups occur. Thicker steaks can be browned in the hot zone and then moved to the cooler area to finish cooking.
Flip Out
Go ahead — flip your steaks regularly! (Unless you want perfect grill marks, that is.) Making multiple turns with a spatula or tongs is easier than trying to get the timing just so on a single flip, and it can help cook the meat more quickly and evenly. Turning steaks occasionally can even prevent dry, curled or cupped edges.
Check the Temp
The only way to know if your steak has reached a safe internal temperature is to use a digital instant-read thermometer and follow these guidelines. Besides, cutting into the meat to look at the colour wastes all the tasty juices inside!
Give It a Rest
To ensure the juiciest meat, let steaks rest for five to 10 minutes after they’re done.
Happy grilling!
