How To Grill Steak On Charcoal Grill
Learn how to grill steak on a charcoal grill! We will tell you tips and tricks to getting the perfectly juicy, tender and delicious steak using your charcoal grill. Plus, we will share our secret for getting that ultimate, smokey flavor your steak deserves. These are the BEST charcoal grilled steaks ever!
Dont Cook Your Steaks Straight From The Fridge
Prentiss recommends taking out your steak from the fridge about one hour before youre going to cook it and setting it on a roasting rack.
Sharp prefers to season his steaks a couple of hours in advance, and then agrees about letting them come to room temperature before cooking. Theres an exception, however: If on the thinner side, he says, starting it cold will give a buffer from overcooking the center.
While chefs differ about the amount of room temp time before cooking, chef Dinesh Jayawardena recommends not squeezing the time below a half hour.
Why Is My Charcoal Grill Not Getting Hot Enough
If your grill is full of ashes from the last time you grilled it can impede the proper flow of air inside of the kettle, which makes the coals burn cooler. Fire needs oxygen, and if enough ash builds up inside of the grill it can make it next to impossible to get the coals burning well, or to keep them lit.
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The Grill Marks Get The Praise
You have may just grilled a steak to be all that came before it, but if the grill marks arent perfect then you will find someone calling you out about it.
To attain perfect grill marks, follow this simple strategy. Put the steaks on the high heat area of the grill at an angle. About halfway through being done with that side, then turn the steak to the reverse of that angle, 45 degrees. It would be like making an X with the steak.
When that side is done, then flip it and follow the same exact steps. When you pull off the steak there will be a steak with square grill marks you could place chess on.
How Long Do You Let A Steak Rest
The time taken to rest will depend on its size, a roast is best rested for 10 to 20 minutes before carving. Steaks or chops should stand for 5 minutes before serving. A rule of thumb used by some chefs is 1 minute resting time for every 100g of meat.
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The Best Way To Cook Steaks On A Charcoal Grill
Cooking steaks is perhaps one of the best ways to make your meal.
The best way to cook steaks on a charcoal grill is to make sure that the meat remains juicy while it becomes tender.
Of course, it is easier said than done as making the steaks tender while staying juicy is challenging.
That is why you need the specific skills and knowledge to do it.
Charcoal grills are great for cooking as they can produce a lot of heat without making too much fire.
They do not produce flames as much as wood so you can cook with radiant heat.
They can also add a little bit of flavor to the steaks to get that familiar BBQ flavor.
You can also cook in them without the risk of too many flare-ups that might burn the steaks.
You can also control charcoals a little easier so if you need to cook in low and slow method, you can use a charcoal grill to do that and cook the food with the best finish.
I will share my secrets on how to cook your steaks properly on a charcoal grill with this recipe.
That way, you will make the best food when hosting parties or for a simple meal.
- About 2 teaspoons of thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary
- 1 clove of garlic, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
Note: With a ribeye steak, the cut of meat should be around 1 and a half pounds without the bone. You can also choose other cuts like porterhouse and t-bone steaks.
How Long Do You Cook A Steak On A Charcoal Grill
This depends on the thickness of the steak but if you are using a regular steak, about 1 and a half inches thick, it would take no longer than 15 minutes to finish cooking it.
That is if you use high temperature to cook it.
This is necessary if you want a crispy crust on your steak as the heat will help give the outer parts a charred finish after a few minutes.
Cooking regular steaks at high temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit will take only 7 to 10 minutes to get medium doneness.
Cooking it further will give you more well-done doneness.
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By Step Guide For Grilling Steak
In the video below, Malcolm Reed of HowtoBBQRight breaks down his step by step guide to grilling a perfect, medium rare steak every time.
Lets get the rundown.
1. Apply Seasoning to your Steak
The first step is to apply a little seasoning to your steak. Malcolm recommends his All Purpose seasoning that is comprised a mixture of salt, pepper, and garlic.
These are classic steak seasonings that will always go well. If you dont have access to Malcolms AP Seasoning, simply apply a little salt, pepper, and garlic of your own.
2. Light Charcoal
Since you have to wait an hour for your steak to dry brine, it doesnt make sense to light your charcoal until after you have seasoned your steak.
Load up your charcoal chimney and light a fire starter underneath it. Once your charcoal is ashed over completely, dump it into your grill.
You have a couple of options for how you are going to place your charcoal, depending on the equipment you have on hand.
If you have a set of GrillGrates , you may choose to dump your charcoal in the center and space it evenly throughout your grill.
Otherwise you may simply choose to bank your charcoal to one side of your grill. This way youre able to sear over direct heat as per the below instructions.
If your steak is not finished you can lay it on the cool side away from direct heat and avoid burning your steak.
3. Add some more seasoning
4. Use GrillGrates
5. Place on grill and cook
You Cant Put Moisture Back Inside A Steak
Steaks grilled over high heat will lose moisture. This means that the fat and juices are literally pushed out of the meat. Over time, as we’ve made steaks easier to digest, this is an unfortunate reality. Perhaps the most important part of maintaining this moisture when grilling a steak is to take it off the heat before it becomes too dry.
You usually only have a minute or two to execute this. When steaks go from medium rare to medium, or from medium to medium well can happen quickly. You must be vigilant to catch that window. Never walk away from a steak on the grill. Be cautious as its always better to take a steak off when its underdone than to let it over cook, because you can always return it to the grill.
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New York Strip Steaks On A Charcoal Grill
An easy method for grilling New York Strip Steaks on a Charcoal Grill. Keep it simple and season it up right, Dont overthink it.
New York Strip Steaks are on of the most popular cuts of beef because its the perfect balance of tenderness and beefy flavor. Its Leaner then a ribeye but has more fat than a Filet.
How To Buy A Good Steak
Q: Prime, Choice, or Select. What do they mean?
Cattle are graded after slaughter according to the degree of marbling, as well as the cow’s age.
All beef that’s sold in the U.S. is graded by the United States Department of Agriculture on a scale according to its tenderness and degree of marbling. At the top of the heap is Prime, which denotes an abundant degree of marbling in a cow under 42 months of age. Only about 2% of the beef sold in this country is designated Prime, and most of it goes to restaurants, specialty butchers, and high end supermarkets. Below that is Choice, followed by Select, which are the two grades you’ll find in most supermarkets.
The grades continue to go down all the way to Canner, which generally comes from very old cows with little fat in their tough meat. Luckily for us, you won’t find that grade in stores .
While checking the grade is a quick and easy indicator of the quality of the meat, what you should really be checking for is the degree of marblingthat’s the interstitial fat that shows up in white spiderwebs throughout the meat.
Why, you might ask, is marbling important? Two reasons: moisture and flavor. As well-marbled meat cooks, the fat will slowly melt, adding juiciness built right into the meat. Non-marbled meat might have plenty of fat on the exterior, but it doesn’t enhance the steak in the same way. Sort of like the difference between drinking a glass of chocolate milk or drinking the milk then shooting the chocolate syrup.
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Enjoy And Cleanup Tips
When the steak is done cooking, kill the fire in the grill. To do this you need to close both the top and bottom valve. That will coke the fire eventually extinguishing the flame. It will take time for it to cool down this is generally when I eat. After about an hour of it cooling check on the grill. It should be cool, to test this tap the side lightly . If you can keep your grill outside in a permanent place such as a balcony or backyard you can reuse some of the charcoal. If you dont I pour some water on the coals to make sure the coals are not hot then I put them in a bag and dispose of them, than you can bring your grill inside.
Thank you for your time and I hope you found this instrucable helpful remember though practice will make your steak perfect.
Expert Tips For Grilling Your Steaks On Charcoal
1.) I would always take my steaks out of my refrigerator and allow them to sit for about 20 minutes before the actual grilling process. I find that when you do this, steaks would cook faster and more evenly. Whats more? This allowance will also make and hold your seasoning a little better.
2.) Before putting them on your grill, rub some salt and pepper on your steaks. Do this for about 15 minutes to allow the salt to dissolve and flavor the meat properly. For cuts of meats that are of lower quality, simply use your favorite sauce. On the other hand, salt and pepper would do for higher-grade cuts of meat.
3.) Your charcoal should be set within a hot zone for direct heating. For indirect heating, the charcoal should be situated in a medium heat zone. Both of these should be used for cooking your steak.
4.) The steaks should be put in a hot zone. Let them sit there for about two minutes. After that, you can give them a quarter turn. After another two minutes, you can flip the meats over, but it is crucial that you dont place them in the same spot as this area is considerably slightly cooler now.
In the new spot, let them sit for two minutes. Perform a quarter turn and then place them in the indirect heating zone but not directly over the coals. In this way, youll give them a crispy coat along with that highly-sought sear marks!
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What Is The Maillard Reaction
The cornstarch and salt mixture, along with the sprinkle of pepper right before you begin grilling will help perfect your maillard effect. The maillard effect refers to the unique caramelization of these ingredients on the meat. The smell and taste of the meat and seasonings simply defies description which is I am sure why the French were compelled to create a word for it.
The key to creating a perfect maillard reaction is making sure your meat is well seasoned and your cooking heat is nice and high.
Serving The Pork Steak
Once the pork has rested, it’s time to eat. These perfectly cooked pork steaks are a great main course for any meal, especially when augmented with sides like coleslaw, fresh steamed or grilled vegetables, or buttered rolls. Extra barbecue sauce could be used for dipping, too, if that’s how you prefer your meat. You can surprise your family and friends by cooking your favorite bbq sauce yourself. And the total time of cooking wasn’t even that long.
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Comparing Different Steak Cooking Times
Compare this to the really thick 3 inch filet mignon where I would let the steak rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature and then use approximately 5 minutes of indirect cooking time per side after the standard 3 minute direct heat grilling.
If I recall correctly the above HUGE steaks required 3-3-7-7. They spent quite a bit of time on the indirect side of the grill! Understandable, they are gigantic t-bones !
My general way to do steaks is to purchase a 1 inch thick steak. I will then sit the steak out at room temperature for 30 minutes. My grilling plan is then 3-3-3-3.
This results in a perfectly cooked medium rare steak. If you want to mess around with this method start here and then make modifications as you see fit.
Introduction: Cooking The Perfect Steak On Charcoal Grill
Steaks are anything but cheap. So when I decide that I want to have one, I would like it to be prepared perfectly. When it comes to grilling steaks there are only two real options for doing it, one is using a propane grill and the other is to use a charcoal grill. Propane is a good option but if you dont have it, charcoal is great for people who dont want to spend that much money or for tailgating. Although I prefer to use charcoal grills because it will give your steak a more smoky taste to it that you cant get from a propane grill.
In this Instructable I will give you advice and instructions on how to set up, season, and grill the perfect steaks. I will do this in couple of steps in what took me years of experience to get.
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How To Cook Top Sirloin Steak
How to cook steak depends very much upon the cut you choose. Top Sirloin steak is always a favorite steak choice, prized for its hearty beef flavor. The best way to cook top sirloin steak is on the grill. But pan-seared top sirloin steak is also exceptional, and you can broil top sirloin steak in the oven as well. No matter which method you choose, our cooking instructions and video will deliver the tender and juicy steak you crave. Use a meat thermometer and you can be sure your steaks are cooked to perfection!
Prepare The Steak And Start The Grill
Whenever cooking a steak on the grill, you want your steak to be at room temperature before you cook it. This helps with flavor again, but an even cook throughout the steak. So if youre cooking a steak from frozen, youve got to plan ahead. Take the steak out of the freezer at least a day before, and let thaw in your refrigerator. Then, about an hour before you throw your meat on the grill, you need to remove it from the fridge and bring to room temp on the counter. If your steak is not frozen, you still want to bring it to room temp before grilling, so time on the counter is crucial.
While your steak is warming to room temp, its time to heat up the grill. Take your charcoal briquettes, and stack them in a pyramid. If you want to get fancy, you can buy a chimney like this, and fill the chimney about halfway. Chimney or not, use about 10-15 briquette. Spray with lighter fluid, and stuff some newspaper in the pile/chimney, then let sit and soak into the charcoal for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, you can light the charcoal on fire. Prop your lid back on the grill, but dont fully cover itthe fire needs oxygen to thrive and stay lit. Let the charcoal burn until the edges turn white. Now youre ready to grill.
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How To Prepare A Charcoal Steak
Im such a stickler when it comes to preparing my steaks. The very reason probably lies on the fact that most steaks are a little pricier compared to other readily available meats out there. And as a mother, I just didnt want my hard-earned money to go to waste! Secondly, I always get that gratifying success once I smell that distinct smoky taste from my charcoal steak.
Throughout this article, Ill be telling you the things you need, along with how to set up and grill your prized steaks. Also, Ill be sharing some of my familys amazing tips on how to cook any kind of steak on a charcoal grill.
More…
Searing Steak Equals Flavor
A rule of thumb that separates professional chefs from many home cooks is that chefs sear their steaks for more time. This is because professionals understand that you can lock in flavors and aromas on the surface of steak by searing it, so they let their steaks sizzle over direct heat until the surfaces are dark, dark brown. Dont believe that searing locks in the juices. Its a myth. But searing sure does make a steak a whole lot tastier.
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