Grilling a steak is an art form to some, but there are several common ways to ruin a masterpiece.
From not pat drying to over flipping and not getting the grill hot enough,
here are the most common mistakes cooks make when grilling steak.
Not all steaks are created equal, and choosing the right cut of meat will make a big difference
when tossing it onto the grill. The first mistake people make with meat is buying poor quality cuts.
Frederic Delaire, Executive Chef at Loews Miami Beach Hotel said:
"Meat is like electronics — buy cheap, and you will be very disappointed.
Buy the best meat you can...grass fed, organic, choice meat or better, NOT select."
Buy a thick cut of steak. Thin cuts overcook easily, but a thick one will be more forgiving.
Joy Beber, Executive Chef and co-owner of Joy Cafe in Atlanta agrees. She says, "A thick cut
allows for control and for the fire to infuse more flavor. It also gives a little room for error."
Once you choose that steak, be forgiving with the fat, too. Fat is not a bad thing!
People often trim all the fat off of meat thinking it’s bad for them.
According to Delair, that’s where the flavor is. He says to leave some
fat. That way it will melt during cooking and give great flavor to the meat.
Now that you have your perfect steak, it’s time to cook.
When it comes to mistakes when grilling meat, it's first things first, and not having a clean
grill is often mistake number one. This may seem obvious, but it's an easy one to miss.
Olivier Senoussaoui, Executive Chef at the Loews Atlanta Hotel, is very specific when he says,
"You must have a clean grill and clean it as
you go. This will help create a proper sear and prevent burning."
But honestly, why wouldn't you want a clean grill before getting started? Beyond the
obvious reasons, it’s also a way to avoid stale flavors from another dinner carrying over!
Once you have a clean grill, you need to think about the right use of a heat source.
Using fuel to start your grill when cooking with charcoal is another mistake.
Senoussaoui says:
"Burning fuel to start the grill can make meat taste funny.
Use a chimney starter to light charcoal, which is available at any hardware store."
And then, respect that grill by using the right tools on it.
Using a fork to turn meat on the grill is a crime! When you pierce a piece of meat,
all of the flavor will be released. Instead, flip your meat by using tongs.
"I'll get the tongs."
Oftentimes, people are looking for those classic grill marks, or diamonds as some people call them.
But then they don't allow the grill to get hot enough and then move the meat too often.
Girl Carnivore’s Kita Roberts had this to say:
"It's a classic mistake, and the signature grill marks don't set in
and you end up letting too much heat out while trying to manipulate the steak."
To master those grill marks, you must make sure the grill is hot enough. Instead of placing the
steaks right on the grill, allow it to come to temperature for 15 to 20 minutes beforehand.
The grill needs to be holding heat, and the grate needs to be hot enough to sear the meat initially,
creating the classic crosshatch. Roberts says:
"Once the steak hits the searing hot grates, close the lid and ignore it for one minute.
Rotate 45 degrees and then wait another minute before flipping the steak. The thicker the steak,
the longer the cooking time, but on average, for a one-inch steak that one-minute trick is perfect to
nail the signature grill mark we all want when not cooking in cast iron, but over a grill!"
This trick works whether you are cooking directly over the coals or doing a reverse sear.
Grilling is associated with summer, and summer means fresh flavors.
What better way to appreciate that than to use herbs from your garden?
Michael Ollier, the Senior Corporate Chef for the Certified Angus Beef brand agrees. He said:
"Summer is the season for fresh herbs and spices. Build flavors to enhance
the overall taste and presentation of your steak with what you already have."
One idea is to build a brush with herbs from around your house
add some oil and baste the grates on your grill with the mixture for added flavor.
Ollier suggests to dip into a bowl of your favorite oil and brush directly
onto the grates. The heat will awaken the herbs, and bring out their aromas.
Another idea is to rest your grilled steaks on top of your favorite chopped herbs and olive
oil to automatically create a board dressing. That way the heat from the steak will activate
the flavors from the herbs. This will infuse the fresh taste with the robust beef flavor.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when grilling a steak
is cutting into it to see if it's done while it's still cooking.
It's understandable why it may seem like a helpful thing to do, but it's a disaster for that meat.
Jessica Randhawa, head chef and creator of The Forked Spoon says:
"Cooking meat to a safe temperature is not only critical in the food safety for your family and
friends, but it is also easy with cheap, modern technology. We have the technology to help us be
better cooks and the digital meat thermometer is probably my number one must-have for the kitchen."
Steak, along with poultry, fish, and pork can now be cooked to perfection without having to
guess and cut into the meat, which causes the loss of both moisture and nutrients.
Most readily available meat thermometers can be purchased for $10,
and some even have the temperatures for the various meats printed right on the thermometer.
Nothing kills a steak more than not giving it a few minutes to rest.
If you cut your steak right away, you'll let all of the flavorful juices run out. Letting
the steak rest allows the juices to reabsorb into the meat, creating tender juicy bites.
You shouldn’t need more than ten minutes. If you have foil on hand, it's best to create a "tent"
around your steak to keep the heat in while it rests. Once it's rested, slice it up and dig in.
Leaving your steak be will also allow the juices to thicken slightly as they cool,
so when you go to slice your steak, you don't have the juices spilling out everywhere.
The secret to a good steak is controlling the moisture. Too much moisture will result in a grey,
sad-looking steak instead. If you want your steak to get a nice sear on the grill,
pat drying it is crucial, and it's as easy as the name implies. Just take some paper
towels and use them firmly pat the meat on both sides before seasoning and searing.
You want all the flavor you can get, but you want that without drawing out the meat's moisture.
Pat drying is a great way to get that meat to have a beautiful sear and a gorgeous crust. Don't skip
this important step! Remember, people eat with their eyes first, so presentation is everything.
Once you have your coals and the grill searing hot, go ahead and throw it on and just let it be
for a bit. An interesting mistake people make is that they flip their steak constantly,
fearing it will char and overcook.
You don't have to do all that to prevent overcooking. Instead, leave the steak face
down for about four minutes and let a crust build before you flip to the other side. When you flip,
you’re finishing the steak and waiting for it to reach your desired internal temperature.
Leonard Botello, pitmaster and owner of TRUTH BBQ in Texas says:
"I prefer medium-rare, so I will usually pull around 125 to 130 [degrees] internally.
At the end of the cook, right about five degrees lower than my pull temp,
I like to flip the steak every minute until it reaches 125."
You must still be careful though, because the temperature will spike, and you can easily
overcook or burn your meat. and cutting right after is also not a good idea. Botello says:
"Once you have pulled at your desired temperature,
let the steak rest for a minimum of ten mins. If you cut into it too soon all the
rendered fats will pour out of the steak and the steak will oxidize or dry out very fast.
The rest ensures the fats soak back into the giving you a very juicy bite."
"The Matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy...and delicious."
Seasoning at the right time, and in the right way, makes or breaks the steak.
And that's all about salt and fat. Salt the steak right before grilling. Devan Cameron, chef and
owner of Braised & Deglazed, has said that if you pre-season the steak it will dry out and the
taste will change to more of a cured-meat taste. And remember that if you add the pepper before
you grill, you will burn the seasoning. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Some
steak diners prefer the flavor over sprinkling pepper on after the fact.
Another mistake with seasoning is not adding enough butter. Cameron says:
"I like to brush the steak after every turn with a mixture of butter and vinegar.
Mix one tablespoon of butter with one tablespoon red wine vinegar in a small pan
and brush this on the steak as it cooks."
Don't forget the acid along with the salt and fat. Most grillers know that salt is important,
but they might not realize that acid is almost just as important.
Joy Beber prefers to go with the traditional Tuscany way of serving steak,
which includes a nice drizzle of olive oil, a squeeze of lemon juice,
and all of the accumulated juices from the resting plate.
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