How To Grill Perfect Steak

Ask twenty cooks how to best grill steak, and you might just get twenty different answers. There's lots of techniques, tips, and tricks, but check out "How To Grill Perfect Steak" below for a new take. What do you think? Is this method the best?

How To Grill Perfect Steak

Makes 1 steak, serves 2. Adapted from Serious Barbecue. 

What You Need

Ingredients
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 bunch fresh thyme, sage, rosemary or a combination
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
One 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-inch-thick rib eye, T-bone or Porterhouse steak, removed from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking

Finishing dressing:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Salt and pepper to taste

Equipment
Kitchen twine
Wooden spoon or dowel (optional)
Gas or charcoal grill
Tongs
Cutting board

Instructions

1. Prepare the dry seasoning blend, herb brush and melted butter: Mix the salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Use a piece of kitchen twine to tie the herbs together in a tight bundle. (For a longer brush, tie the herbs onto the end of a wooden spoon or dowel.) Melt the butter in a small saucepan and add the optional red pepper flake and a few herbs snapped off from the herb brush.
   
   If you haven't already done so, take the steak out of the fridge and let it warm to room temperature on the counter. Ideally, let the steak warm for an hour before grilling. This helps it cook more evenly on the grill.


2. Heat the grill: Heat a charcoal or gas grill to high. You'll know the temperature is right when the coals are ashed over (if using a charcoal grill) and you can only hold your hand over the grill for 4 to 6 seconds before it feels too hot.


3. Season the steak: Sprinkle the dry seasoning blend generously over both sides of the steak, letting plenty of the seasoning fall on the surrounding cutting board or butcher paper. You'll use it on the edges of the steak.


4. Season the edges of the steak: Dip the sides of the steak into the excess seasoning.


5. Dampen your hand: Wet your hand with a little water.


6. Create a seasoning "paste": Pat your dampened hand over both sides of the steak. This turns the dry seasonings into more of a paste that lays flat on the meat.


7. Oil the steak: Dip the herb brush into the butter and lightly brush both sides of the steak.


8. Put the steak on the grill: Place the steak on the grate, close the lid, and do not move the steak until it is well marked and has a light char, about 3 minutes.


9. Flip the steak: Use the tongs to flip the steak.


10. Baste with butter: Dip the herb brush in the butter and brush over the hot surface of the steak.


11. Brown the other side of the steak: Close the lid and do not move the steak until the second side is well marked and has a light char. Flip and baste the second side with butter.


12. Continue cooking, flipping and basting with butter: Continue to cook with the lid down as much as possible. Flip frequently, basting the hot surface with butter every time you flip. If you have a flare-up, move the steak to another part of the grill or to the edge of the grill where it is cooler.


13. Cook to desired doneness: Use the touch test or an instant read thermometer to determine when your steak is cooked to your liking (125°F for rare, 130-135°F for medium-rare, 140°F for medium). Remove steak from the grill and place in a small baking dish.


14. Make the finishing dressing: Drizzle the olive oil on a cutting board. Add the lemon zest and a little salt and pepper.


15. Add herbs from the herb brush: Chop up some herbs from the end of the herb brush and mix them into the dressing.


16. Slice the steak: Place the steak on top of the dressing and pour some of the juices over the meat. Cut to separate the meat from the bone and slice the meat on a diagonal into 1/4-inch slices.


17. Dress the steak: Dredge the pieces in the dressing to coat them and top with the remaining juices.


18. Season the steak: Taste and sprinkle with additional salt and pepper if needed.

Recipe Notes

• You can use vegetable oil in place of the butter, but your steak won't be quite as browned and delicious.
• This recipe easily multiplies if you are cooking more than one steak. When scaling up, use 4 tablespoons of butter for every two steaks.

Learn more about grilling from Adam Perry Lang

→ Get his latest book: Serious Barbecue: Smoke, Char, Baste & Brush Your Way to Great Outdoor Cooking
→ Check out his website
→ Follow him on Twitter

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(Images: Leela Cyd Ross)

Original Article Here: http://www.thekitchn.com/how-to-grill-steak-cooking-lessons-from-the-kitchn-193246