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Grilling Secrets
How to prepare a great steak
• Strip or rib eye steaks, 1 inch to 1 1/2
inch thick
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Optional: Pinch of dried thyme or basil, olive oil or butter
The secrets to cooking a great steak are a hot
fire and good timing. The hot fire creates the characteristic brown
crust, with its smoky, caramelized flavors. The timing is tricky because
you want to brown the steak (not burn it) in the time it takes to cook
it to the desired degree of doneness.
Charcoal Grilling
If you're using a charcoal grill, use hardwood charcoal for fuel. Oak, hickory and mesquite charcoal all perform well, with mesquite the hottest-burning. Use plenty of charcoal—enough to cover the base of the grill in a single layer—and start it burning a good 30 to 45 minutes before you expect to start grilling. It takes that long to completely ash over. When there is no black wood showing through, use tongs to spread the charcoal evenly around the base of the grill.
How far to set the grill above the coals is a matter of trial and error. If steaks consistently seem to brown too fast and remain undercooked, raise the grill. If steaks cook through before they brown, lower the grill.
Use a wire brush to clean the grill and set it over the hot coals. Have a spray bottle of water handy to douse any flareups from fat dripping on the coals. Have salt, pepper and any other seasonings handy, because you don't want to go too far from the grill while the steaks are finishing their cooking.
Just before grilling, season them lightly with salt and pepper and any other optional flavorings, such as dried herbs (thyme or basil work well), butter or olive oil. It's a myth that salt draws moisture to the surface and dries out a steak. First, the salt needs more time to do that than the few minutes the steak is on the grill and, second, the force of the heat drives the juices away from the heat faster than the salt can draw it toward the surface.
The following cooking technique uses that phenomenon to best advantage:
Season with salt, pepper and herbs, and place the steaks seasoned side down on the grill without letting them touch. (Air must circulate to brown them evenly.) Watch the top surface carefully. After 5 to 7 minutes, the heat below drives little drops of red juice to the surface. When you see the beading, this is the signal to turn the steaks, before the juices come bubbling out.
Season them lightly on the uncooked side and turn the steaks using tongs. Watch for the telltale beading again. This signals a rare to medium rare steak. Allow another 1 to 2 minutes for medium, and another 2 to 3 minutes for well-done, turning again halfway through the additional time. Serve the steaks on hot plates.
Outdoor or Indoor Gas Grilling
If you don't have a charcoal grill or can't get outdoors because of cold weather, an indoor or outdoor gas grill is the best alternative to a charcoal grill. Follow the same procedure (above) for grilling the steaks.
No Grill at All?
If you don't have a grill at all, use a heavy skillet
and pan-grill the steaks as follows:
Heat the pan over a moderately high flame for at least two minutes.
A sprinkling of water should dance on the surface of the pan. Film the
pan with peanut oil or canola oil (which have higher smoke points than
other vegetable oils).
Season the steaks as described above and place them in the pan so that
they drop into the pan away from you. (This keeps the grease from spattering
the cook.) After about 15 seconds, use a spatula to loosen the steaks
and shift them around a little so they don't stick.
Follow the same procedure as for grilling, watching for the beading juices, turning the steaks once or twice as described, using tongs.