Last year at about this time, I posted something in the comments about how great I am and that I know how to grill a steak perfectly, every time. I based this on the fact that I have ruined my share of expensive meats on the grill over the past 20+ years and eventually figured out a specific detailed way to grill a steak on my grill that comes out perfect every time.
Of course, as with about anything I say on Lazy Lighting, I got called out on my comment and I agreed to share my methodology with two other comment makers here, Chad, and Chapter&Verse. I agreed to eventually share this with anyone if both of them came back to me and proclaimed that I was right. Even though Chapter&Verse does stupid things like put bleu cheese or garlic on his steaks even though they don’t need it, he has twittered the words “steak a la lefty” more than a few times. As well, Chad has had similar success as he has told me. Since that time, I have given the instructions to some other friends and co-workers and the comments are all the same. “My steak was perfect.” or something along those lines. So yeah, I am pretty awesome.
Please note that my instructions are just a cobbling together of many different “tried and true” methods that I have read about, seen on a cooking channel and as I mentioned, my own personal experience. Nothing you see here will be anything new, but I can also say that I have never seen this specific set of instructions all on the same page other than what I wrote up last year.
Yesterday, Bill sent me a message that basically said, “Where is your article?” Since I had not written a word, I went to Whole Foods on my way home and bought a nicely marbled NY Strip steak (about 12-13 oz) for right around $15 (pictured here). You can use Filet Mignon or Rib Eye as well with the same directions, but the key is the thickness of the meat as it relates to time on the grill. As with this cut, I try to stay right around 1″ thick (this one was about 1 and 1/8 thick).
If you want to cook sirloin or round or some other cheaper cut of meat, I really don’t have any experience there, so this is really about the nicer cuts you can get from the butcher. I also don’t have a problem recommending the Prime beef you can get at Byerly’s/Lund’s or the really prime stuff at Kowalski’s that runs you 39 per pound, but that is up to you and your wallet. Also, if you are lucky enough to go to the store when they have the occasional bone in Rib Eye or Filet, then get that for sure! The flavor is just that much more spectacular.
Now that you have selected your steak, here is what I need you to do:
1. Gather these items.
-Steak or steaks
-Kosher Salt
-Fresh ground black pepper (from a mill if you have one)
-Tongs (never “spear” the steak)
-A stopwatch (it’s on your iPhone if you haven’t noticed)
2. Take your steak or steaks out of the refrigerator. Let it set on your counter for at least 30 minutes to bring it to room temperature. I usually let it set for about 40 because that is how long it takes me to drink one can of Furious on my deck before I get to work on dinner. By allowing it to come to room temp, you are ensuring the steak cooks evenly on your grill. Putting a cold steak on the grill will make the middle of the steak need to cook longer and it ends up losing some of the juiciness you are hoping to get out of that expensive piece of meat.
3. About 10-12 minutes before your steaks are to room temp, ignite your grill (for gas, obviously much earlier for charcoal). I have an internal thermometer on my grill, and I usually wait until it gets up to about 400 degrees and I know the grill is ready. Make sure your grates are good and clean.
4. Right before you put the steak on the grill, coat liberally with Kosher Salt and black pepper. Don’t do in advance or the salt will pull moisture out of the meat (not good). You do not need any other spices or seasonings that Chapter&Verse is compelled to waste on his food unless you don’t really like steak in the first place and then I am wondering why you are even reading this.
5. This part is fun: Place steak at a 45 degree angle to the grates on the grill. Let cook for 3 minutes. Open grill and rotate meat (using tongs, do not spear) 90 degrees pressing down lightly on the meat (don’t push out juices) to create sear marks on the steak (that now will be squares because you seared twice). This step is optional, but if you are cooking for others, it makes the steak look great and so easy to do. Close lid and let cook until it is time to flip (cooking times below).
6. Close grill and cook for remaining time regarding your preference, open up and turn steak over. Cook for equal amount per side, skipping the double sear since nobody sees the other side and keep the grill shut the whole time and remove from heat, placing the double sear marked side on top. Put steak in your unheated oven for 10 minutes to rest (or on your counter, but it stays a bit warmer in the oven). Do not pierce steak in any way during the whole process. Resting the steak allows the juices to return from the outside edges of the steak (the heat brings them to the surface) and return back to the bulk of the meat. If you were to attempt to eat immediately, you would have a plate full of juices that used to be called “flavor”, and a dry steak. If you did everything right, it should look something like this:
If you have the need to use steak sauce, buy cheaper steak and cook much longer. My general rule is, the better the quality, the less time you should cook it. Regarding timing. Do not ballpark it. Use a stopwatch for every step (including the rest time that seems like 3 hours if you are hungry). Your only variance should be the amount of time per side based on your desired amount of red or pink in the middle, and that is sort of what you learn by experience based on how you think the steak is cooking as grills don’t always act the same every day. I would recommend going shorter as you can’t “uncook” an over cooked steak, but you can put it back on if it is too rare for you on the first run. It won’t be as good if you need to resort to that, but still pretty good.
Cook Times:
Blue: 2 minutes per side (sear once)
Rare 4:30
Med. Rare 6:00
Medium 7 to 7:30
Medium Well or higher-Get a hamburger at McDonald’s and save yourself the time and money. I was reluctant to even type medium.
Now get yourself a nice bottle of Cabernet or a hearty Pinot Noir and enjoy with some fresh sliced beefsteak tomatoes and maybe some yummy grilled veggies you cooked up while resting the completed steaks.
I hope it works as well for you as it does for me. There is not a restaurant in town that serves a better steak than I can make for myself using this method..and for a third of the price (or more if you happen to like that place called Manny’s, which is probably going to charge you 65 bucks for their crappy steak).
Have you perfected a tried and true method for cooking steaks that is even better than mine? What kind of steaks do you usually buy when you are going to grill steaks? Do you prefer charcoal or gas? Do you think Chapter&Verse is crazy to put flavors on a steak that do nothing but hide the wonderful beef flavor that you are supposed to taste when eating a steak? Whatever you would like to say about grilling and preparing steak, I would love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks to Bill for letting me write this and congrats on the new baby!
Dakota Complaints Map
Dakota Inmate Dashboard
Loading ...
June 21st, 2012 at 7:24 am
OK, moron, let me set you straight! Adding garlic or blue cheese to a nicely grilled steak is a personal choice about flavor – It has nothing to do with how the steak is prepared.
I add the blue cheese/butter paste after the steak is done cooking, usually when I set it aside to rest before devouring it. Having said that, I grudgingly endorse your technique for great grilled steaks a la lefty.
June 21st, 2012 at 8:26 am
We’ve had some parasole gift cards sitting around for a couple years now ($225 I think), so we’re going to Manny’s for the first time on Saturday. I’ll hold off on your method until after that.
June 21st, 2012 at 8:27 am
Your method is slightly more involved than mine, which works well for me:
Turn on gas grill, set timer for 5 minutes
Steak out of fridge, season with Montreal Steak seasoning
Put steak on grill, set timer for 4:30 to 4:45, depending on thickness
Flip (with tongs or spatula)
Set timer for 4:30 to 4:45
Pull steak, set on plate, cover with tin foil. Set timer for 5 minutes
Eat
I’m lazy, so it’s all about the gas grill for me. I usually buy NY Strip, but lately have been buying ribeye steaks instead. Cub steaks are fine, Target steaks are tastier. I tried a big pack from Sam’s Club, and they had zero flavor whatsoever. Weird.
June 21st, 2012 at 8:33 am
Thanks for the write-up! I will be trying this soon. I am with C&V on the blue cheese/butter smear. Ever try a morel mushroom sauce? Oh man, yum!
June 21st, 2012 at 11:55 am
Nice method. Love the grill marks! Steak is soooo easy, aside from a Manny’s, there is no reason to order steak at a restaurant.
One disagreement though, you should totally pre-salt your steak. Give it at least a 1 hour rest before grilling, but the longer the better, say over night. The salt will initially pull moister out of the steak, but over time the resulting brine will soften the meat and reabsorb. It will also bring more proteins to the surface to get transformed into delicious brown crust (see Maillard reactions). Give it a shot… seriously.
Also, loosing a little moisture pre grill isn’t bad. Good aged steaks can loose 20% or more of their weight. This is all water. However, it concentrates the flavors and is one reason aged steaks can taste “meatier”.
June 21st, 2012 at 1:48 pm
O.B.B.
Thanks for the tip. I have not tried that before. I will absolutely try the overnight salting plan. Any idea on where to buy a good Prime aged steak these days? Byerly’s had them up to about a year or so ago, but no longer.
lefty
June 21st, 2012 at 2:35 pm
I don’t recall if Kowalski’s has prime anymore either, but I do like their meat in general. We are no longer on a prime budget (stupid kids) so I haven’t looked around in a while.
You can age beef a little bit yourself but it only works the primal or bigger cuts like roasts. It doesn’t produce mind blowing results, but does improve flavor a little. Basically, you just stick the roast, patted dry and very loosely covered, in the back of the fridge for up to 7 days. The flavors will concentrate and the enzymes will tenderize the meat (OK, lets face it, aging is just controlled decay). After that, remove any dried parts and prepare as usual. You could by a bone-in rib roast, age it a little and them cut into steaks. Not sure how that would work out.
June 21st, 2012 at 3:46 pm
Kowalski’s has Prime. I don’t know if they still sell the akuashi stuff.
I think I’m gonna have to give this technique (with the overnight salt) a shot next weekend.
June 21st, 2012 at 3:56 pm
Lefty, you can ask Valley Natural’s butchers and they will “get you” aged meat. They hang their own beef so they can do whatever they want for you.
June 21st, 2012 at 5:23 pm
only time I have ever put salt on a piece of meat it has gone into the smoker. I prefer nothing on steak, no sauce, no pepper, no salt and let the flavor of the meat do the seasoning naturally. Less ingredients = better in my book unless smoking meats.
June 21st, 2012 at 8:04 pm
lefty, your method agrees with those of both my hubby and father. I agree that nothing besides S&P should go on the types of steak you mentioned. An exception to the topping/sauce rule would be the tenderloin or filet. It is a lovely tender cut, but doesn’t have much flavor and can benefit from a nice bearnaise, for example.
I think Alton Brown did a thing on Good Eats about the pre-salting thing – you could look that up. We haven’t tried that yet, but it looks promising.
You didn’t mention charcoal type or starting method. Your typical charcoal is made of scraps and glue. Natural chunk hardwood is the way to go. Starter fluid stinks and puts its own nasty mark on your food. A chimney is the way to go there.
Great job – now does anyone want to contribute a piece on side dishes?
June 22nd, 2012 at 7:24 am
Sandy,
The only good side dish to a steak is another steak. Or bacon.
Sincerely,
All Men
June 22nd, 2012 at 8:34 am
sandy,
I have to admit I use the gas grill when I am making steaks/chops. It’s easier to control and I don’t think charcoal makes for better tasting food anyway. I do use hardwood charcoal when I get my smoker going, but that is a whole different topic.
As far as side dishes go. In the summer I mostly prefer cold sides with farmer’s market origins if I can. A chilled roasted beet salad with goat cheese would be my go to, and even better if I have both golden and red beets to work with for a pretty nice looking plate. As well, a nice grilled veggie salad (also chilled) with a Gorgonzola dressing sounds pretty good to me right now too!
lefty
June 22nd, 2012 at 8:39 pm
“Sandy,
The only good side dish to a steak is another steak. Or bacon.
Sincerely,
All Men”
Ha! Like.
June 22nd, 2012 at 8:43 pm
lefty, I never believed in gas grills until recently; in my “old” age even the natural hardwood stuff sometimes upsets the tummy – gas doesn’t seem to do that….
Your sides sound great. I love veg rather than starchy stuff with steaks these days. Oh, and bacon, MSPD.
June 22nd, 2012 at 8:43 pm
Bill, aren’t we all playing nicely here?
June 22nd, 2012 at 9:00 pm
I would expect nothing less.
June 22nd, 2012 at 9:19 pm
Almost like we’re pretending to be adults.
June 22nd, 2012 at 9:23 pm
I have a nice question…………Has anybody done plank salmon on the grill ??:)
June 23rd, 2012 at 10:34 pm
That’s about how I do it. But I end up timing when I add the steaks since I prefer medium and just salt and pepper and my wife will take the best steak possible and soak it in some chipotle stuff for a couple hours and then have me cook it until it is well done, no pink. Using the timing method, and proper rest period, and a grill that works even well done steak soaked in gunk won’t turn out dry.
Of course if she can’t soak it in her bag of stuff, then she soaks each piece in ranch dressing as she eats it. A good rib-eye is totally wasted for her.
Great article for those that hadn’t thought through it all before. If you can keep a constant heat (not all grills can) that doesn’t flare up too much, it really works.
I had to replace my grill this year as my old one was dying last summer but there were no deals to be found. You would think end of season deals might show up, but stores are much smarter about inventory they order, and they seem to be more willing to run short, rather than end up stuck with anything. Ended up with a new Gas grill after some heavy consideration about various other types. Charcol, Wood Fired, and a different style gas which is more like a outdoor oven rather than a grill. but in the end, a good quality gas grill ended up being the choice.
June 24th, 2012 at 10:56 am
lefty, I agree generally with your approach, however the cross marks are meaningless to me. My one variation is I usually dry my steaks very well with paper toweling, then before seasoning with kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper I first rub a bit of extra virgin olive oil on each side. I will admit to using a steak seasoning mix occasionally for a change of pace, but usually on a cheaper cut. I prefer NY strips and Ribeyes. Good point on cheaper cuts need a bit longer cooking, times being what they are I bought a decent looking chuck steak a few nights ago at Cub and gave it about 3-4 minutes per side and it was medium to medium rare. And it was like chewing on shoe leather. another 3 mins per side would have put it mediium well and likely have improved its edibility. I like grilled asparagus or steamed…either way with lemon, olive oil and parmesan on it. And either a baked potato or sweet potato. Prefer robust red wines like malbec, shiraz or cab or many of the interesting blended offerings from various origins. If I have time i will throw together a chimmichuri sauce which is not only good on the beef but on yr veggies, potatoes and as a spread on crusty bread.
I buy the steaks at Costco and have been satisfied. They also have a selection of prime beef there but i have never tried it. We have gotten their lamb chops and grilled them as well and they are excellent if you are inclined.
June 24th, 2012 at 11:02 am
In Florida two years ago we grilled some steaks and applied a ground rub of coffee/chili/spices that my brother’s buddy concocts…. i was skeptical, and its not probably not for the purist, but on a 450 grill the crust it formed was really tasty… i havent done it at home but there are many recipes for it on the web including several Food Network chefs …
August 16th, 2012 at 3:29 pm
Here’s an interesting grilling/seasoning method: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/seriouseats/recipes/~3/guM9eoZzWxM/the-food-labs-perfect-grilled-ribeye-steaks.html
December 26th, 2012 at 8:24 am
Lefty’s method worked really well for me last night: http://instagr.am/p/TrccTMnjYH/
December 26th, 2012 at 11:29 am
That’s a good looking steak. The picture you sent to me after cutting into it is even better.
Since the comments on this post, I have tried O.B.B.’s method of salting the steak the day before but have not had the same success. It might be there are a few other things that might need to be done differently than my way using that method, like shortening cook times as my steaks came out a bit overdone the two times I tried that, but it was still pretty good.
December 26th, 2012 at 11:40 am
My method has worked pretty well.
1) Accidentally drop steak on the patio.
2) Get banished from grilling a steak ever again.
December 26th, 2012 at 1:46 pm
lefty, I think I mentioned above that your steak grilling method is very similar to what my (very much missed) father’s was. I’d love to see see him one more time sitting on the patio next to his hot, steak-filled Weber, nursing his Manhattan.
December 26th, 2012 at 2:00 pm
Sandy,
Your father sounds like the best guy ever! If he liked an Old Fashioned instead of a Manhattan, well then he would be perfect!
lefty
December 26th, 2012 at 2:34 pm
Another way (if you have a gas grill) is to flash sear; jack your gas grill to the max until it gets between 500-600 f. Then quickly open and throw prepared meat on grill and immediately close lid for 1 minute (no more no less) turn meat again for 1 minute. Open grill (and leave it open for around 30 seconds to cool off the grill temp quickly) and turn the heat down to below medium (400 f or less) flip once to get grill marks, remove after 3-6 minutes depending on how you like it done.