In Search Of The Perfect Grilled Steak

The simple steak is a grill item that can be cooked perfectly or ruined beyond any hope. You don't really find the "it'll do" steak. Well, least not at my house. When you ask the question, "How do you like your steak?" You are asking for a taste of that person's identity. If you can't produce that request. You might as well question the person's given name. In my early years of grilling, I wanted to achieve the perfect steak right away. So, I dedicated a lot of time to research the best way to steak bliss. I found many methods to test and try, but only one true method worked for me. I read many of guides to grilling custom order steaks, and most deal with time based on the size and thickness of the steak. I couldn't tell you the difference from an inch to an inch and a quarter steak to save my life. Let alone successfully complete the challenge of organizing the time limits of seven plus steaks on one grill. So, to me this method is weak, and leads to steaks that end up being well done. Even though the guests eat it with honor, the outcome should be more of enjoyment than respect. The method that works best for me involves not time but dedication to the actual grilling process. I choose the watch the steaks. Have the steaks tell me when they are done to order. Before I begin to explain, I'd like to set some guidelines. 1. Pre-heat the grill. I laugh when I mention this, but this is so crucial. Start the cooking on a hot, very hot, grill. 2. Clean the grill. Once the grill is hot, scrape off the previous grill leftovers. If you do this after each grill, least check to make sure you didn't miss anything. 3. Apply some non-stick oil. I use simple Pam. 4. DO NOT lay and cover. I hate it when the grill is closed. No no no, let them breathe. Plus, how can you see them and tell they are done when the grill is perfection blocking? Also, the aroma will drive the neighbors crazy. “Oh, yeah. Cooking perfect steaks here!” 5. Never walk away from the grill. Live in the moment. If you are wanting company, drag someone out there with you. Just make sure you keep your eyes on that steak. The Method: Place the steak on the grill. The blood will "pool" on the top. Based on the condition of the pool, turn it over and let the blood pull on the other side. The goal is to only flip the steak one time. How to determine how done the steak is (when to flip): Medium-Rare: When the blood starts to pool. Medium: The blood is a nice red pool on top on the steak. Medium-Well: The pool of blood starts to turn less red and a little more watery. The red is still apparent. Well: No red is visible in the pool. Mostly water or sweat. You'll probably notice that I didn't list rare. Rare is a little harder to see in a steak. Most of the time when people say rare, they are shocked that the center is cool. I find that they meant medium-rare. If you really need to make a rare steak, here is my method: Put he steak on last. The grill is super hot by this time, and you’ll need the searing power. Place the steak on the grill and push down the edges of the steak slightly. This way the edges are cooked faster as well. When the steak starts to sweat (not pool), turn the steak over and push down the edges. Once the other side starts to sweat, it’s done. Make sure the top and bottom of the steak doesn’t have any raw spots on the surface. This method takes a little more finesse than the others. But, if this order is truly desired, give it a shot. If you question it, cook it a little longer. They’ll be happy with a medium-rare steak. There you have it. My choice method to grilling the perfect steak. Enjoy those summer grills, and feel free to comment. By all means reveal your steak grilling method.