Grilling Steak

Secrets to Succulent Grilled Steak
Here’s the inside scoop on cooking the juiciest beef steaks:

1. For even cooking, remove the steaks from the refrigerator about 30 minutes before you’re ready to grill to let them come to room temperature.

2. To seal in juices and keep meat from sticking, seal a crust on the steaks first: Put the steaks on the grill, and then don’t disturb them until a crust forms and the meat easily releases from the grate.

3. Turn the steaks with a spatula and flat-bladed tongs, not a fork. Stabs and jabs make exit holes for juices.

4. Rest the meat a few minutes after cooking to let juices retreat back into the meat.

How Long?
The general rule of thumb when cooking steaks is 10 minutes (total time) per inch of thickness for medium-rare. So a 1-inch-thick steak would be medium-rare after 10 minutes grilling; 1 1/2-inch-thick steaks will take about 14 minutes.  However, no two grills are alike, so watch carefully.

Marinade Magic
Marinating beef is a great way to add flavor and tenderize tougher cuts of beef. Keep these points in mind when marinating:

1. Be sure to follow the recipe’s marinating time—you can overdo it and overpower the steak’s flavor.

2. Stop basting the steaks with the marinade the last 5 minutes of cooking to prevent bacterial contamination. If you want to serve the leftover marinade as a sauce, bring it to a boil in small saucepan, reduce the heat, and simmer for 3 minutes.

3. Freezing steaks for later? Douse them with a marinade first, transfer to heavy-duty plastic bags and then freeze. The meat will soak up the flavors as it thaws.

Grandma’s Best Grilled Steak Recipes
Grilled Asian Flank Steak
Grilled Steak with Bearnaise
Grilled Beef Kebabs