Grilling a steak is easy but grilling the perfect steak takes a little more effort, the main point being is to choose the perfect steak to grill. There are many different cuts of steaks on the market therefore it can take you further away from grilling a perfect steak or bring you right to it. To begin with to seek the perfect steak you have to know your steak cuts. A perfect steak is not based on the flavor that can be added but the steak should stand on its own.
Choosing the right steak will depend on your taste in meat. My preference is rib eye but once you have mastered the art of cooking the perfect steak you can get the same results with just about any cut although some may take a little marinating first. Your steak should have the right amount of marbling running through it which helps bring the taste of the steak out to your advantage.
Before you get started make sure your steak is thawed well, if it isn't it could lead to having to cook it longer than required and there is a chance of it cooking unevenly. You can use whatever spices you prefer to take the taste up a notch but salt and pepper is sufficient. Now it's time to light up the grill.
If you have a gas grill then it is pretty well ready when you are but if you're working with a charcoal grill it should be started and a covering of ash should be visible before you place your steak on it. Gas grills usually have a temperature control on them but with charcoal you may need to do a little judging to get the right heat. If you want to test your charcoal grill for heat then you should be able to judge it by placing your hand five to six inches above the grill. This will leave you with a good idea of how hot your grill is. When your steak is placed on the grill it should sizzle. You can add wood chips to either grill to get a smoky flavor.
Depending on how you like your steak done and the thickness will influence the amount of time it will take to cook it. On average a thin steak should be left approximately three minutes on each side while a thicker steak may take approximately six minutes. There are some decisions that have to be made by the cook and this is one of them. It is important that the flame from the grill do not touch your steak. This can be controlled by using a spray bottle of water to keep the flame down. If you prefer the cross marks on a steak turn it at a forty five degree angle before you turn it over.
To help as a guide to the perfect steak you should know that to have a rare steak you need the steak to heat up to one hundred and twenty degrees F in the center; a medium rare steak will cook perfectly at one hundred and thirty to one hundred and thirty five degrees F, a medium steak will need to reach one hundred and forty to one hundred and forty five degrees F in the center and if you want it well done your steak will need to reach one hundred and sixty to one hundred and sixty five in the center. This is where a meat thermometer becomes a must in your quest to cook the perfect steak.
Remove your steak from the grill and place it on your plate with some fresh grilled vegetables such as corn, beans, peas and the list goes on. Add a fresh garden salad and you have the perfect dinner. If you can cook one perfect steak you can cook a dozen the same way once you have mastered the art of grilling the perfect steak.