How Long To Grill Steak
For a 1 1/2-inch thick steak, here are the general cooking times:
- 6 to 8 minutes for rare
- 7 to 10 minutes for medium-rare
- 10 to 12 minutes for medium
- 12 to 15 minutes for well done
Note that the USDA recommends cooking whole cuts of beef to an internal temperature of 145°F.
Keep in mind that the thickness of your steak, the heat of your grill, and your desired level of doneness will all impact the time it takes your steak to grill. Raichlen suggests checking the temperature of the steak by inserting a digital meat thermometer through the side, not top down. You can also use Elises handy dandy guide.
How To Cook Medium Rare Steak
This is the recommended level of doneness for a good steak ask any chef how they like their steak prepared and they will almost all say medium rare. A medium rare steak should be warm through the middle with most of the center pink in color with a hint of red. The sides should be well browned, the top and bottom caramelized to a dark brown color with good grill marks. This steak’s firm surface should give a bit toward the middle .
For a 1-inch steak, place steak on a hot grill for 5 minutes. Turn and continue grilling for another 4 minutes to an internal temperature of 130 to 135 F .
How To Cook Strip Steak In The Oven
- Be sure your steak is completely thawed.
- Bring the meat to room temperature. Remove your steak from the refrigerator 30-40 minutes before grilling.
- Set oven for broil and preheat 10 minutes.
- Season steaks as desired we recommend Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.
- Place steaks on the rack of a broiler pan. Position broiler pan in oven so that the surface of the beef is 3 to 4 inches from the heat. Broil to desired doneness, according to the times listed below.
- For the perfect medium-rare steak, broil in the oven for 10-12 minutes for a 1-inch steak, and 12-15 minutes for a 1½ inch steak, turning about 1 minute before the halfway point. A meat thermometer should read 130°F.
- Rest your steaks for 5 minutes before serving, covering lightly with foil. The temperature of the meat will continue to rise for as much as 5°F during this time . The final temperature will read 135°F.
- Resting steak is also important because the heat of cooking pulls the juices in the meat toward the surface if you slice into it immediately after cooking, those flavorful juices will end up on your plate, not in your steak. Allowing your steak to rest will give the juices time to sink back in and throughout the meat, keeping it moist and flavorful.
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How Do You Know When Your Steak Is Cooked
“Practice. With more than 20 years of experience, I think I have developed a bit of intuition,” Karam says.
But he has a tip for newbies too.
“You can compare the tenderness of the steak to the meaty part of your palm when you bring your thumb and finger together: index is rare, middle finger is medium, ring finger is well done.”
Abrahanowicz alternatively suggests investing in a meat thermometer, to check the temperature when cooking.
A rare steak will be 60 degrees, and once it gets to 75 degrees it will be well done.
“People often think the rarer the meat, the better it is. But that’s not true. Everything’s to taste!”
What About Seasonings And Rubs
Seasoning blends and steakhouse rubs are for inferior cuts of meat. You invested in a good steak, so why would you cover up that flavor with a bunch of spices? Marinades are great for thin cuts of tough meat, like flank steak or skirt steak. Thats not what were going for today.
Salt only! And dont smother the poor thing in gravy or steak sauce when youre done, either!
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Defrosting Your Choice Of Steak
Next up, like every other meat that you have to cook, defrosting enters the picture!
For this steak, itd be in your best interest to let the steaks sit outside your refrigerator, covered, and at room temperature.
Dont forget that when you defrost for too long, youre giving bacteria and all kinds of junk a BETTER ENVIRONMENT to multiply.
And well, if were aiming for the best or even just something completely edible, you dont want any of that.
So start defrosting your steaks around 20 minutes before you start grilling them!
Know where to better get your steaks with our Omaha Steaks vs Butcherbox comparison.
How Hot Should The Grill Be For Steak
Raichlen recommends establishing two cooking zones in your charcoal grill: one thats very hot for searing the steak, and one thats medium for finishing the steak and cooking it through.
On a gas grill, heat the grill to 450°F with two burners going, which should only take about 10 minutes, then turn one of the burners down to medium to create two cooking zones.
Not sure if the grill is hot enough? Raichlen’s tip is to hold your hand 3 inches above the grill grate and count “1 Mississippi, 2 Mississippi…” If you can only hold it there for a second or two, the grill is hot and you’re ready to cook.
I followed Raichlens advice, and started my steak in the hot zone, then moved it to the medium zone to finish cooking. It worked like a charm.
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Dont Flip Your Steak More Than Once
Weve all seen it happen, or at least, weve made the same mistake at least once in our lives.
But really, please refrain from overturning your steak. Doing so might overcook the meat, thus resulting in burnt parts.
Ideally, you should only be turning the steak ONCEon each side. And yes, only flip it once!
How To Cook Rare Steak
A steak done rare isn’t requested that often it is for the true carnivore who wants something nearly raw but gets it cooked as little as possible. A rare steak should be warm through the center, lightly charred on the outside, browned around the sides, and bright red in the middle. The meat should be soft to the touch, much like raw meat, but browned over the surface.
For a 1-inch steak, place steak on a hot grill for 5 minutes. Turn and continue grilling for another 3 minutes. Cook to an internal temperature of 120 to 130 F .
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How To Season Steak
Beef purists may prefer to take in the unadulterated, rich flavour of a quality steak by adding nothing more than a sprinkling of salt and a generous twist of pepper. Contrary to popular belief, seasoning your steak with salt ahead of time doesn’t draw out the moisture but actually gives the steak time to absorb the salt and become more evenly seasoned throughout. Salt your steak in advance 2 hrs for every 1cm of thickness. For a classic steak au poivre , sprinkle lots of cracked black pepper and sea salt on to a plate, then press the meat into the seasoning moments before putting it in the pan.
Some people like to enhance flavour and tenderise meat with a . Balsamic vinegar will reduce down to a sweet glaze, as will a coating of honey & mustard.
See our easy steak marinade to use on a variety of cuts.
Lots of chefs add whole garlic cloves and robust herbs like thyme and rosemary to the hot fat while the steak is cooking, which adds background flavour to the steak subtly, without overpowering it.
How To Buy Steak
You’ll see these terms in supermarkets, at the butcher’s or on restaurant menus here’s what they mean.
Grass-fed beef: Grass-fed cattle get to walk around and graze on pasture, which means the meat is leaner with a richer, gamier flavour that tastes of the environment it was reared in. This is why Scottish grass-fed beef will taste different to Irish.
Marbling is the fat found interlacing the inside of a cut of meat. As the meat cooks, the marbled fat melts without this, the meat would be dry and flavourless. Meat with a lot of marbling mostly comes from the back of the animal where the muscles get little exercise.
Wagyu: Wagyu is a generic name for four breeds of Japanese cattle. They are fed foraged grass and rice straw, then supplemented with corn, barley, soya bean, wheat bran and, in some cases, even beer or sake. Wagyu cattle produce meat with heavy marbling but this comes at a hefty price.
Ageing: The ageing process improves the taste and tenderness of meat. There are two methods: dry ageing, which is the traditional process where carcasses are hung in a cool place for 30-60 days to intensify the flavour and cause the meat to shrink, while wet ageing is when the meat is butchered and vacuum-packed, which stops the meat from shrinking.
Do you have any foolproof techniques when cooking your steak? You’ll find more inspiration in our recipe collection, too.
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How To Know When Steak Is Done
The time needed to cook a steak varies depending on its thickness, and how you like it. Dont be tempted to cut into a steak to see if its done. This allows the precious juices to escape, making the meat tough. Instead, press the centre of the steak with the back of your tongs if its medium the meat will spring back. Use this guide for cooking times and to tell when its ready.
Temps And Times For Sous Vide Strip Ribeye Porterhouse/t
Highly marbled cuts, like a grain-finished, prime-grade ribeye or strip, should be cooked a few degrees Fahrenheit higher than leaner steaks like tenderloin, since their copious intramuscular fat helps keep them moist while delivering plenty of flavor. I prefer ribeyes and strip steaks cooked medium-rare to medium, around 129°F to 135°F . Fattier steaks also have natural insulation, which means they’ll take slightly longer to reach the correct internal temperature.
Porterhouse and T-bone steaks contain a large section of strip and a smaller section of tenderloin. Since both sides must be cooked together, it’s better to select a temperature and time based on the side you like to eat better. Personally, I like to optimize cooking time and temperature for the strip. It means my tenderloin comes out slightly more cooked than I generally prefer, but the insulating bone helps it stay plenty moist and juicy.
Timings are all given for steaks one and a half to two inches thick. For steaks one inch thick or less, initial cooking time can be shortened to 40 minutes. Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than two and a half hours at a time, for food-safety reasons.
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Cooking Times And Meat Doneness
Rare :
Cook each side 2 minutes, turn once only.
Touch Test: Very soft to touch.
Medium :
Cook 4-6 minutes each side. Turn once only.
Touch Test: Firm and springy.
Medium rare :
Cook each side approx. 3-4 minutes. Turn once only before pink beads of moisture appear on top surface of each side.
Touch Test: soft and springy.
Well done :
Cook 2-4 minutes on each side, then reduce heat and cook a further 4-6 minutes.
Touch Test: Very firm to touch.
How To Rest A Steak
A cooked steak should rest at room temperature for at least five minutes and ideally around half the cooking time it will stay warm for anything up to 10 minutes. Here, pure science comes into play the fibres of the meat will reabsorb the free-running juices, resulting in a moist and tender steak. Any resting juices should be poured over the steak before serving.
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Fourth Position And Testing For Doneness
As you prepare to turn the steak for the last time, it’s time to start checking for doneness. The steak should show no red around the side and the top side should have a rich brown color. As you pick the steak up to rotate it 45 degrees , feel the density of the steak. A medium-rare steak should be firm but still have a good amount of give. Close the lid of the barbecue and continue grilling.
After this last position, turn down the heat on your grill and, if needed, test the temperature of the steak. The internal temperatures for different levels of doneness are:
- Rare: 120 to 130 F
- Medium Rare: 130 to 135 F
- Medium: 140 to 150 F
- Medium Well: 155 to 165 F
- Well: 170 F or higher
If your steak needs more cook time, leave it where it is and continue grilling on medium heat until done.
The Best Cuts For Grilling
First, let’s talk beef: rib-eye, strip and tenderloin are all great cuts for the grill. If you choose bone-in steaks, keep in mind that they take longer to cook. Look for good marbling to guarantee a juicy and tender cut. And ideally, steaks should be at 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick to form a nice charred crust without overcooking.
Flank, skirt and hanger steaks are also great on the grill. These thinner cuts are best marinated, grilled quickly over high heat and sliced against the grain to serve.
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Whats Wrong With A Well
Although the cooked steak is hard, dry and tasteless, there will always be those who insist that the steaks are cooked in this way. The result is that the inside of a well-cooked steak has a uniform gray color, and the steak itself is tough, tough, tasteless and dry. This is not cooking its a murder fire.
Grilling The Best Steak
I wanted a juicy steak with a nice crust that was big enough to slice and serve family style, and that had a little finesse.
While cooking, I basted the steak in an herbed butter sauce. The sauce added a fresh, light flavor that balanced the richness of the meat. In the end, I had a steak everyone raved about, and that felt special but not overly fussy. It was the perfect main course for my Fourth of July party plans.
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If You Like Your Steak Well
Despite what some steak snobs might say, it is actually OK to like your steak well done, especially if know the right cut of meat to order. For a well-done steak, the internal temperature should reach 160 degrees. If you’re cooking a steak that’s 1-inch thick, this should take about 15 minutes on each side. Let it rest for about 10 minutes before serving. The best steaks to cook well-done are those with the highest fat content, like a porterhouse or rib-eye.
Now that you’ve mastered the art of cooking steak, try these delicious recipes:
Is It Necessary To Cook The Steaks More After Searing Them
The most important part of reaching the level of doneness you like is the internal temperature. Searing is largely for flavor. If your steak is thicker, it probably wont reach the desired doneness as fast as a thinner one. One thing that helps ensure you dont overcook your steak, is to leave it out at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking. If raising the internal temperature needs to take longer because the steak was too cold, it will cause the steak to get overcooked.
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How To Grill A Perfect Ribeye Steak On A Gas Grill
You cant beat the flavor of a ribeye. If youre not familiar with how to cook this cut of beef, its simple on a gas grill. Follow the steps below to cook the perfect ribeye at your next backyard barbecue.
Ribeye steaks are one of the most flavorful cuts of meat because of their marbling, or fat content. The more marbling, the higher the USDA grades the steak. Prime is the highest rating, followed by Choice and then Select. Our experts recommend buying ribeyes that 1.25 inches thick with marbling throughout. Anything much thicker or thinner could make cooking more difficult, and the fat enhances the flavor.
Taking Off The Chill Speeds Up Cooking
The goal of grilling a steak is to brown and lightly char the surface while also cooking the interior to a perfectly juicy doneness, right? If the steak is too cold, the interior might require so much cooking time to reach that perfect doneness that the steak overcooks deep below the surface, turning gray and dry.
Let your steaks stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes before grilling. They will cook faster all the way to the center and stay juicer.
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Don’t Play With The Steaks
Yes, you should touch the steaks to test for doneness, but that doesn’t mean that you should be flipping and moving and poking a lot. Steaks should only be flipped once, and only moved once from a higher to a lower heat. And don’t poke them with anything but your finger! Put the meat on a hot grillthey should sizzle immediatelyand leave them there until they release on their own accord. If you’re pulling or struggling with them, they are not seared and not ready to flip.
Once ready, flip them once and cook until they feel done. Do not stab them with a fork, which will release their flavorful juices into the flames below. Do not press down on them with a spatula. Just let them cook.
How Do I Know When My Steak Is Done With A Thermometer
Test for clarity with a meat thermometer or a direct-read thermometer. Insert the thermometer through the side of the incision, leaning to the center without touching the bone or fat. Remove steaks and burgers from the heat when the thermometer detects 5 ° F below the desired doneness. steaks. The temperature will continue to rise.
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