flank_steak_grillen_weber

Crusty Flank Steak

"Too much of a good thing can be wonderful." Mae West

My two favorite steaks: Expensive ribeyes and inexpensive flank steaks. Because I'm a cheap SOB, I cook flank steak a lot more than than I cook ribeye.

Ribeyes are expensive because they are very tender and because they are usually marbled with thin threads of fat which adds to the texture and flavor.

Flank steaks, sometimes called London Broil steaks, are cheaper because they have very little fat, and they can be chewy if you overcook them or cut them improperly. I should point out that flank steaks used to be even cheaper than they are today, but more and more folks are discovering how good they are if they are cooked properly.

Because they are thin, we're going to cook this baby hot and fast over direct heat, over charcoal or the sear zone of a gas grill, but we will still set up 2-zones so you have a safe zone in case the outside starts to get too dark before the center is finished. You also can use the safe zone for the thin part of the steak. This is a great cut for a board sauce.

And here's how I cooked a flank steak over grapevines for Bloomberg Business. To read the excellent article they did about us, click here.

Crusty Flank Steak Recipe

Preparation time. 10 minutes

Serve with. A big red wine like a Syrah (a.k.a. Shiraz) or a dark Belgian ale

Ingredients

4 pounds of flank steak

1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt

Sauces. Make a board sauce or chimichurri sauce if you like. I like them a lot with this cut, although if you cook it properly, it is mighty fine with just salt and pepper.

Cook extra. Leftovers make great cold steak sandwiches, but I love to toss thin cold slices on top of a fresh green salad with leftover grilled asparagus, zucchini, and peppers (at right). Top it with croutons and blue cheese dressing.

1) An hour or two before cooking, moisten the surface of the meat, salt it, and place it in the fridge. This technique is called a dry brine and it does a great job of amplifying flavor because the salt is sucked down deep into the meat. Click here to read more about how dry brines work and watch a short slow-mo video of it.

2) Start a 2-zone fire and get the hot zone as hot as possible. Flank steak is best over charcoal or the sear burner of a gas grill. If you are using charcoal, here's a trick: Raise the coals so they are about 2" below the cooking grate. On a Weber Kettle, put a couple of bricks under the charcoal grate as shown here. We want high heat so we can take the surface to dark brown and crusty, almost but not quite charred.

3) Flank steak is usually wedge shaped. One end is a lot thicker than the other. When you cook it hot and fast one side is either overcooked or undercooked. So here's how to outsmart the steak. If your steak is more than 1/4" thicker at one end than the other, cut it in half and start the thick half first. If the skinny section finishes too fast you can move it to the indirect zone. This is important: Make a mental note of which way the grain of the fibers is running. You can even put a toothpick in there as a pointer.

4) Lightly coat the meat with oil to help darken the surface and keep it from sticking. Put the thick half on first, about 2 minutes ahead of the thin half. Leave the lid off. Cook about 4 minutes on the first side or until it gets dark brown and from the side you can see the color has changed about 1/4" up the side. Cook on the other side about 3 minutes. The exact time will depend on your grill. I like mine rare to medium rare, at about 125°F, which is where it is when the juices start to come through the surface. Use an instant read meat thermometer to be sure you get it right. Wear an oven mit and push it most of the way through and slowly back it out and read the lowest temp. The second side may not be as dark as the first side, but that's OK.

5) The way you carve the meat is crucial to making it easy to chew. Flank steak tends to be tough, but if you cut it thin and across the grain, it is easier to chew. Click here to learn more about the proper way to carve flank steak. Place the meat on a cutting board. Hold a thin blade at a 45 degree angle and cut 1/8" slices across the grain.If you slice with the grain it will be much too chewy. On a flank steak, the first cut will be a little overcooked. Not to worry, the center cuts will be just fine.

6) Serve the meat laid out in a fan. I usually serve it nekkid, but occasionally I spoon a small amount of chimichurri sauce over the top. Not too much, it is strong, and we don't want to cover that great steak taste.

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Flank Steak Recipe

Flank steak gets a bad rap. I am guilty of it, I would never give it the time of day on the meat aisle until recently. That is until I tried some really great fajitas at a local Mexican restaurant. There was something different about this steak and I needed to figure it out. No one, including the waitress, spoke a great deal of English, but the secret was clear, marinade! Unlike filet mignon or perhaps even new york strip, flank steak needs a little more help in the flavor department. The wait staff wouldn't give away any secrets to the exact ingredients, but after a few failed attempts (my dog's best days so far), I struck grilled flank steak gold. Without further ado, I present the "secret" marinade:

Juice from 1 lime

Juice from 1/2 orange

1 tablespoon of Olive Oil

1 handful of fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Kosher Salt

1/2 medium onion

1 jalapeno, seeds removed

1 Place all of the ingredients into a food processor. Pulse until all of the solids are well blended. The marinade should be pretty thick, but you can add some more olive oil if it's too thick to pour. Place the flank steak in a casserole (or other glass) dish and pour in the marinade. Let the meat marinade on the counter for up to 45 minutes (anything longer than 45 minutes should be in the refrigerator, but bringing the steak to room temperature before grilling helps with even cooking).

2 In the meantime, fire up your grill for high direct heat. After the steak has marinated for at least 30 minutes, place it on the grill. Grill for 2 minutes and then rotate 45 degrees to create those grill marks. After 2 more minutes (4 - 5 minutes total per side), flip the flank steak over.

1 After grilling 2 minutes on the new side, again rotate 45 degrees. Grill for an additional 2 to 3 minutes and remove from the grill. As always with meat, let the steak rest for a few minutes before you cut into it.

2 IMPORTANT! Here is the important part when dealing with grilled flank steak. You MUST cut the steak against the grain or the steak will be too chewy. If you pick up the steak with some tongs, the grain will become obvious, as shown in this photo:

1 This photo will show the proper way to cut against the grain, make sure you cut some nice thin strips for maximum tenderness.

1 Now that you have these great strips of steak, we need something to build into a meal! Round up some grilled onions, your favorite peppers and some homemade guacamole. Toast a few flour tortillas, pile on the ingredients and roll them up for some great grilled flank steak fajitas!

This recipe also makes a great filler for quesadillas. We recently turned our grill into a pizza oven by ordering a VillaWare Pizza Grill from Amazon. Check out our detailed review and see how this accessory helped us make quesadillas on the grill. Instead of chicken, use this flank steak for some awesome quesadillas!

Steve

November 24, 2015

My favorite cut of steak

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• So wrong is so many ways. But I am curious. 😃 Posted February 26, 2017

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BBQ Flank Steak Sandwich

Stir together vinegar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Divide in half.

Add half to re-sealable bag with flank steak. Marinate, refrigerated for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

Add remaining marinade to bowl. Toss with onions and red pepper.

Place flank steak on greased grill over medium high heat; close grill and grill, turning once, until medium-rare, about 10 minutes.

Transfer to cutting board and tent with foil. Let stand for 5 minutes. Slice across the grain.

Meanwhile, remove onions and peppers from marinade. Grill for 5 to 7 minutes over medium-heat until tender and slightly charred. Slice pepper into strips.

To make Chipotle Mayo: Mix together mayonnaise and chipotle pepper.

Spread 1 tablespoon on each bun. Top with flank steak, grilled onions and peppers.

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Grilled Skirt Steak Skewers

Ah, that time of year in which you dust off the grill, vacuum out the cobwebs, scare away any critters who have taken up residence over the winter (including one black widow, yikes!), clean the grates, turn on the gas, and realize your starter doesn’t work.

So you use a match, and for some reason that grill. Will. Just. Not. Get. Hot. Enough.

So you start over with the Weber and some charcoal, and grill a batch of beautiful skirt steak skewers that were marinating the whole time you were futzing with the equipment.

And they are so perfect and delicious that you don’t care about the broken starter that needs to get fixed or your close call with a black widow. Like a Homer Simpson thought bubble, all you can think about is steak so goooooood.

Why is skirt steak in particular so good, and so perfect for grilling threaded on skewers? Let me show you:

It’s the fat, of course!

Skirt steak is much fattier than, say, flank steak. The way that the fat is marbleized throughout the meat results in a cut that is much more flavorful, and more forgiving when you cook it.

Unlike flank steak, which because it’s so lean needs to be cooked rare or it gets too dry, skirt steak can be cooked all the way through without suffering.

You still need to cut the steak across the grain when you cut your strips, but the steak will be tender and flavorful because of the fat.

Grilled Skirt Steak Skewers Recipe

• Prep time: 1 hour
• Cook time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1-inch piece of ginger, sliced
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds skirt steak, trimmed of membranes and silver skin
• Olive oil for grill grates
• 25-30 bamboo or wooden skewers for grilling

1 Soak the skewers in water: If using bamboo or wooden skewers, place them in a dish, cover with water to soak.

2 Make marinade: Place all marinade ingredients in a small bowl, stir to combine. Set aside.

3 Cut skirt steak in strips across the grain: Lay the skirt steak horizontally out on a cutting board. Notice the grain of the steak that goes up and down.

Cut the steak into segments (along the grain of the meat), about 6 to 8-inches long.

Then, with each segment, turn the segment so the grain of the meat runs in a line from left to right, and cut thin strips (1/4 to 1/3-inch thick, 1 1/2-inch wide, 6 to 8-inches long), angling the knife, cutting across the grain.

4 Marinate the steak slices: Place the steak slices in a non-reactive bowl or casserole dish. Toss with the marinade to coat. Chill and marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 2 hours.

5 Preheat grill, thread skewers: Preheat your grill, whether charcoal or gas, for high-direct heat. While the grill is preheating, thread the marinated skirt steak strips onto your pre-soaked skewers.

6 Grill over high direct heat: When ready to grill, brush the grill grates with olive oil (helps to fold a paper towel, soak the towel in olive oil, and use long handled tongs to hold the soaked paper towel and spread oil on the grates).

You know your grill is hot enough when you can only stand to hold your hand 1 inch above the grill grates for one second.

Working in batches if necessary, lay the skirt steak skewers on the hot grill grates, perpendicular to the grates. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until cooked through.

Remove from grill and let sit for a few minutes before serving.

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Showing 4 of 43 Comments

• Stephanie

Made this again tonight for one of our dinners in on our beach vacation. So so good. And it was super easy. I made the marinade at home before we traveled. Sliced up the steak today before we left for the beach. All we had to do at dinner time was skewer and grill. ❤️❤️❤️

• October 19, 2017

Anne

I just have to say I made this for a picnic on the beach, and it was amazing.i just wanted to eat all of them. I had all of the ingredients. It is so simple and I love the sweet taste. I can’t wait to look at you other recipes. Thanks.

• July 15, 2017

Amanda

Strange question…I want to make these for my parents but their grill is terrible. Do you think I could cook them at my home, cover in foil, and still enjoy the yumminess an hour later? Or is there a decent way to reheat them so they won’t be overcooked?

• · 1 Reply

Stephanie

I was really surprised by how good this was! So flavorful.

Hello Elsie, this is Donna in Forney, Tx. I want to thank you for explaining how to cut the skirt steak against the grain. I finally got it! The pictures are what really helped. I feel I can cook the steak successfully this time and enjoy it tender instead of tough.

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Skirt Steak Works Great for Grilling

Grilled Skirt Steak With Herbs

Melissa Clark shows how to grill and slice skirt steak, which she first marinates in a mixture of garlic and herbs.

By Jenny Woodward on Publish Date August 11, 2014. Photo by Andrew Scrivani for The New York Times. Watch in Times Video »

Skirt steak isn’t winning any beauty pageants. It’s a long, lanky, awkward contender for your grill. You won’t be able to give it those pronounced crosshatched grill lines, and its flat shape gives you thin, squiggly slices rather than nice, wide planks. If you want pretty and iconic, splurge on a rib or strip steak.

But for a weeknight dinner when you want a deep, beefy taste and succulent texture, you can’t get a better steak than skirt. It even trumps flank steak, my former go-to for throwing on the grill.

What flank and skirt steaks have in common are their brawny, mineral flavor and loose-knit flesh, which is ideal for absorbing marinade. While both are sliced from the underbelly of the cow, skirt steak has the advantage of being richer and more marbled with fat; that means you use marinade for flavor only, rather than relying on it to tenderize the meat. (That’s not the case with leaner flank steak.)

When I’m pressed for time, I’ll often just unwrap my skirt steak, pat it down with salt and pepper and throw it onto the grill. It needs nothing more.

In this recipe, I rub down the meat with a classic basil-flecked herb paste, heavy on the garlic. If you have the time, you should marinate your meat the day before you plan to cook it. This gives it plenty of time to soak up the flavors. But you can also just slather on the herb paste as you’re getting ready to cook.

A word about the grill: If you have one, use it. There’s simply no better way to get a deep char on the ample surface of a skirt steak. If you don’t, you can cook the meat in batches in a menacingly hot cast-iron pan, as long as you open the windows and turn off the smoke alarm first. Or try it under the broiler, positioning the steak as close to the flames as possible without touching them.

Whatever your heat source, pull the steak off once the center hits rare to medium-rare. Don’t veer into medium-well territory with this cut or you risk the steak turning chewy and tough.

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Finally, slice the meat across the grainy muscle fibers at a 45-degree angle, rather than straight up and down. Not only will this give you attractive slices, it will also maximize tenderness.

If you want glamour, grill a big, pretty rib-eye. But in the categories of succulence, taste and cost, skirt steak takes the crown, no contest.

A version of this article appears in print on August 13, 2014, on Page D2 of the New York edition with the headline: . But It Has a Nice Personality. Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe

We’re interested in your feedback on this page. Tell us what you think.

Flanksteak med tilbehør.

En dejlig solbeskinnet Pinse byder selvfølgelig på lækker grillmad, og lækker mad behøver ikke altid være svært og tidskrævende.

Så jeg satte mig for at lave en rigtig lækker sommer ret, nemlig et af vores favorit stykker kød, Flanksteak.

Flanksteaken blev krydderet direkt i bakken med Weber Chicago rub (allle rubs kan bruges)

Friske Asparges i pose med olivenolie og groft salt.

Små kartofler forkogt i 15 minutter med Løvstikke og salt, krydderet med Forrestblend.

Pitabrød halvere, og der kommes en skive frisk Mozeralla ost i, et tyndt lag smør smøres på og der drysses med Timian.

3/4 rør briketter tændes op, og så lige ovenpå med en ekstra grillstarter, så er der mere træk, og alt går lidt hurtigere.

Så er der dejlige varme kul. og grillen gøres klar med en 50/50, altså tændte kul i den ene side.

Kartoflerne kommer over på inddirekte, alt imens risten bliver dejlig var på den direkte side af kuglegrillen.

Kødet får 5 minutter på hver side direkte, husk på med låget!

Herefter pakkes kødet ind i folie og hviler i 15 minutter.

Imens kødet hviler, grilles Asparges og brød, igen over den dirrekte side.

Brødene bliver utrolig lækre, også selv om de er nemme at lave.

Kødet skæres ud skråt i tynde skiver på tværs af kød fibrene.

Og velbekomme, en nem og velsmagende sommer ret.

Cedar Plank Steak

Cedar plank… Steak? I know some of you had to read that a second time because you assumed that said salmon. Why is it that we only plank salmon? Why do we only infuse that oh so red fish (if it’s the good stuff) with that sultry cedar smoke? Or any kind of smoke for that matter? This recipe is part of my New Year’s Resolution to do more plank grilling. I know, nobody does their resolution, but this year I’ve been doing a pretty good job. I made planked beef tenderloin, maple planked pork chops, and planked pork loin. Dad helped the cause and planked scallops. I also planked shrimp with a sriracha remoulade, but I lost the darn pictures.

Cedar Plank Steak Ingredients:

1 massive steak

I’d call that a massive steak! For perspective, the cutting board is more than an inch thick.

Don’t do this with a little, wimpy steak. It needs to be well over an inch thick, otherwise the planking process will take it straight to medium and then the sear will take it to well done. And yes, this is sort of a take on the reverse sear method.

First take the steak out of the fridge and set it on the counter and allow it to come to room temperature. In the meantime, drop a cedar plank into some water and soak for about an hour:

Yes, that’s our logo on the plank. You know you’ve made it when your name is in cedar!

If you need planks, check out my friends at Bob’s Smokin’ Hardwood. That’s where I buy all my planks, smoke woods and wraps. And you absolutely need to check the wrap grilling we’ve been doing with this Double Tequila Shrimp.

When the plank has been in the water for about an hour, prepare the grill for high heat grilling. In this case, I sparked up my Char-Broil Grill2Go:

Char-Broil Grill2Go

Grilling planks are the perfect accessory for your gas grill because they bring that wonderful smoke flavor that is normally exclusive to a charcoal grill.

Now that the grill is hot, and I’m talking 700 degrees hot, take the plank out of the water and place on the grill and close the lid for about two minutes:

The Cedar Plank on the Grill

During that time, season the steak with coarse salt, black pepper, white pepper and a dusting of granulated garlic on both sides:

Seasoned

Head back outside, and open the lid on the grill and flip the cedar plank over. Put the steak on the plank:

Here is the steak after smoking on the plank for about five minutes:

Browning up nicely

Now here’s where I had a little problem. I ran out of fuel in the propane tank I was using and had to switch it over. Luckily those little cans are pretty cheap and I keep some extras around.

Smoke the steak on the cedar plank until it reaches an internal temperature of about 120 (which took about 12 minutes plus the tank switch over):

120 degrees

And here we have the steak ready to come off the plank and get a nice sear:

Ready to come off the Grill

Take the steak off the cedar plank and put back on the grill grates to get some grill marks:

Sear

It shouldn’t take long to get some nice grill marks. Maybe 2-3 minutes. Now normally, I tell you to rotate 45 degrees, but the cedar plank steak was already at 120 when it went onto the direct heat, so just do a single hatch rather than cross hatch, and flip it over:

Seared with some great Grill Marks

Get some grill marks on the other side and then remove from the grill and plate:

Plated and Resting

Let the steak rest for at 3-4 minutes so the juices redistribute throughout the meat and don’t wind up a puddle on the plate if it is sliced too early.

But how does it look on the inside?

Sliced

And yet another final shot, just because I couldn’t decide which picture to use. A little meat porn never hurt anyone:

Sliced, part deux

But how was it? It was definitely smoky and had more than a hint of cedar. Basically, if you’re one of those people that doesn’t like cedar plank salmon, then this recipe is not for you, but I would suggest using oak or maple and you will really dig it. Now if you like cedar plank salmon and you like steak, then you will love, Love, LOVE cedar plank steak! Oh, one more thing. This steak was UBER juicy. Juicier than just about any steak I’ve ever had.

As I was gobbling this steak down, my six year old came out and asked for a bite. He chewed swallowed and his eyes narrowed on me. “It’s smoky dad. I don’t like it.”

I responded, “It’s supposed to be smoky.”

“I don’t like it dad,” Finnegan responded.

“I do,” I replied and went to work on another bite while Finnegan watched me in silence for a minute or two.

Then he said, “Can I have another bite?” He had another bite and six more. It was different for the first bite, but after he got over that, he really dug it too and chowed with me.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free leave them below or shoot me an email.

• 1 massive steak
• salt
• black pepper
• granulated garlic
• 1 cedar plank

1. Take the steak out of the fridge and allow to come up to room temperature
2. Soak the cedar plank for about an hour in water
3. Prepare the grill for high heat grilling and place the plank on the grill, closing the lid for about two minutes
4. In the meantime, season the steak with salt, black pepper, white pepper and a dusting of granulated garlic
5. Open the lid on the grill, flip over the plank and place the steak on it
6. Close the lid for about 10 minutes
7. When the steak reaches an internal temperature of 120, take the steak off the plank and sear on the hot grill grates
8. Once grill marks appear (about 2-3 minutes), flip over and get grill marks on the other side, but only do a single hatch, not cross hatch
9. Once both sides have grill marks, remove from the grill and plate, allowing to rest for 3-4 minutes
10. Serve

Scott Thomas

@GrillinFool

Scott Thomas

+Scott Thomas

Scott Thomas

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7 comments

Erin Indahl-Fink

This steak looks amazing. I absolutely love Cedar Plank Salmon, and infusing this subtle smokey flavor into a steak using a plank is brilliant! I will be trying this ASAP! Have pinning and will be sharing on FB. Thanks so much for sharing!

Can I plank a steak at one end and a salmon at the other?

Scott Thomas

Absolutely. Won’t effect either…

Patrick Walsh

Scott…you were great in giving input on planking steak. Sooo much clearer, and detailed than any

site I’ve found. I was raised by charcoal cooking Irish, but they did not know planking. Thank you !

Scott. Love your article. First and only time I has steak on cedar was in Sweden. They called it steak on a plank. Since then I have tried it a few times and all I accomplished was burning up my cedar plank. I have let them soak for hours with same results. I was cooking on medium heat as well, what am I doing wrong .

Scott Thomas

The grill is too hot. Maybe the temp gauges are off and while you think you are at medium high, you are actually blazing hot. Another thing might be the plank is too big or steak too small. The more of the surface area that’s covered, the less likely it will catch on fire. The meat insulates the plank…

In California, it’s all about tri-tips. I plan to do this tonight using your method. FYI, I get untreated cedar fence boards from the local lumber yard and cut them as needed. A heck of a lot cheaper and thicker then the expensive foodie ones. Will rate once I try it.

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How to Cook Steaks on a Weber Genesis Gas Grill

America’s love affair with grilling began right after World War II, according to “Born to Grill,” and based on the proliferation of grills available, it appears that the feelings haven’t waned. In 1952 an employee of Weber Brothers Metal Works took advantage of America’s passion and created Weber’s first grill. Weber introduced the Genesis gas grill 30 years later with an innovated system of metal bars to distribute the heat evenly. The Weber Genesis gas grill requires proper timing and correct temperature to achieve your favorite degree of doneness in your steak.

Move the Genesis grilling grates so they sit 4 inches above the burners. Spray the grates with a light coating of vegetable oil cooking spray.

Check the control knobs on your Weber Genesis gas grill to confirm they are in the “Off” position. Turn the gas cylinder valve counterclockwise to supply gas to the grill.

Turn the middle or front burner knob to “Start/High.” Press the electronic igniter button or use a barbecue lighter to light the burner on your Weber Genesis grill.

Turn all the burner knobs to “High” and close the lid on the Genesis grill. Allow the grill to preheat for 10 to 15 minutes.

Season both sides of your steak with your favorite steak seasoning. Place your steak directly above the burners on your Weber Genesis grill. Leave the burners on high if your steaks are 1 1/4-inch thick or thicker. Turn the burners to medium heat for steaks less than 1 1/4-inch thick.

Cook over high heat for 10 minutes for steaks 1 1/4-inch thick and thicker. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes for steaks less than 1 1/4-inch thick.

Turn your steaks with tongs so you do not puncture the meat. Cook thinner steaks directly over medium heat an additional 4 to 5 minutes or until the steak reaches your desired degree of doneness.

Turn all the burners to medium before turning thicker steaks. Cook 1 1/4-inch steaks an additional 4 to 6 minutes over indirect heat, or until the steak reaches your desired degree of doneness. Indirect heat requires you to turn off the burner directly beneath the steak or move the steak to the side of the grill and away from the burner flames. Cook 1 1/2-inch steaks an additional 6 to 8 minutes over indirect heat and cook 2-inch steaks an additional 10 to 14 minutes over indirect heat.

Check for desired degree of doneness using the palm method. Hold your hand flat with your palm up. To know what extra-rare and rare steaks feel like, press on the pad at the base of your thumb. Medium-rare steak feels like the area between the center of your palm and your thumb pad. A medium steak feels like the middle of your palm, and a well-done steak feels like the base of your pinkie. The softer your steak feels, the rarer the steak.

Remove your steaks from the Weber Genesis gas grill. Turn off the burners and turn the gas cylinder valve clockwise to close it.

Flank steak grillen weber

THE PERFECT GRILLED STEAK

Steak! One simple word that spells a whole lot of pleasure. Tender and juicy on the inside and cooked to perfection is the mark of the master griller.

RULES OF THE GRILL:

1. Choose the right steak.

The high, dry heat of grilling requires a tender cut of meat. It should be well-marbled (fat content within the grain of the meat). Thin (1 inch) is always better than thick (more than 3 inches).

2. Build the right fire.

Steaks need high heat to sear the meat and form a crust. To cook a thick steak such as a porterhouse or center cut rib-eye, you will also need a moderate heat zone to one side to finish the cooking without burning the outside. This is done by lighting your coals in the center of the pit. Once the coals are completely lit, rake a double thick layer over to one side of the grill and a single layer over to the other side. You should start cooking the steak when you can hold your hand over the hot zone for 2-3 seconds and over the moderate zone for 5-6 seconds. For gas grills, just turn one side down to medium.

3. Season to taste.

With steaks, you should keep the seasoning simple. Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper from a mill and granulated garlic is best. However, some steaks such as flank or sirloin do well with flavorings such as herbs, soy sauce, Worcestershire, etc.

4. Know when and how to turn the steak.

Place the steaks on the grill at a 45° angle to the bars. Grill for 2 minutes, then rotate the steak 90° without turning over. This makes a nice crosshatch grill mark. You will know to flip the steak when you see tiny beads of blood beginning to form on the top, approximately 4-6 minutes for a 1" steak or 8-10 minutes for a 2" steak. The proper way to turn is with tongs or spatula. Never, ever, stab the meat with a fork, as this will cause all the juices to run onto the coals and create a flavorless, dry steak.

5. Never desert your post.

Remember, you're only grilling for a short time. Great steaks demand constant attention. Once they hit the grill, stay with them. Never forget the fact that, like polish on a mahogany table, a steak needs a pat of butter anointing it immediately upon leaving the grill. This rounds out the flavor, and it is a great time to re-season the meat with just a small pinch of salt & pepper. Try my herb butter for grilled steaks at the bottom of the page for a flavorful finish on the perfectly grilled steak.

All steaks need to rest a few minutes before serving. The high heat tends to tighten the protein. Transferring the steak to a warm platter and letting it rest for 3 minutes will allow the juices to return to the center of the meat as it sits.

BEST STEAKS FOR GRILLING:

Rib-eye - Juicy and well-marbled.

Rib steak - A bone-in rib-eye, thicker than a normal rib-eye, but you all know how much more flavorful a steak on the bone can be.

Strip steak - Lean, meaty and firm texture.

Sirloin - Rich, red and meaty. Flavorful, but tends to be tough. Slice thinly when serving.

Porterhouse - Two steaks in one: a firm strip sirloin and a succulent tenderloin. Normally 2-3" thick.

T-bone - Similar to a Porterhouse, but the tenderloin is smaller.

Filet Mignon - Lean and tender; you can cut it with a fork.

Flank or Skirt Steak - From the underbelly of the steer. Highly flavorful, but tough and stringy. Cook medium rare; slice against the grain.

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