Like most things in the kitchen or the grill, practice makes perfect. Well, almost. There are some pretty easy grilling tips everyone should follow, but there’s a lot more that goes into grilling the perfect steak.
First off, make sure you get the best steaks to grill, which can be found in our meat delivery box.
Good Ranchers gets all of our meat graded by the USDA and only use Choice and Prime cuts, so you’re already off to a great start for your grilling adventures when you use Good Ranchers steaks.
The quality of meat can make a huge difference when trying to grill the perfect steak, but of course there are other mistakes to avoid when grilling.
Don’t grill your steak (or any meat for that matter) directly from the refrigerator. One of the most common grilling mistakes is grilling cold meat. You want your steak to be room temperature for the best grilled steak, so get in the habit of setting your meat out for about 30 minutes before grilling to get it at the right temperature.
Another common grilling mistake is not letting the grill get hot enough. We’ve all been tempted to save a few minutes when cooking by putting food in the oven before it preheats or throwing meat onto the grill before it reaches the hottest temperature. Just wait until the grill is hot-hot, then add your meat. Those first two mistakes to avoid simply take a little bit of patience. If you want steak night perfection, just slow down in the beginning.
Make sure you pat the meat dry so you get that perfect grill crust and flavor. Grilling a wet steak is not the way to go, that’s why using steak marinades overnight is ideal to let the marinade soak into the meat, not just coating the outside.
According to this Food & Wine article, you don’t want to season your steak too soon.
“With larger steaks it's always a good idea to finish with some large flake or finishing salt once it's sliced,” says Prentiss. “If you do not have an hour to temper and season ahead of time, season immediately before grilling, anything shorter than 40 minutes will only pull moisture out of the steak and not let the outside get those beautiful grill marks and crust.”
Got that? So either season your steak for at least one hour or do it right before. Anything in the middle will not be ideal for grilling the perfect steak.
Do you what the most common grilling mistake is? It surprisingly has nothing to do with the actual grilling or even your steak prep work, it’s something that comes at the very end.
The most common grilling mistake is cutting the steak too soon after taking it off the grill. You want your steak to rest for about five minutes after taking it off the grill to help let the juices redistribute. If you’re new to grilling, we know the temptation of cutting into the steak to make sure it’s cooked correctly, but you’re much better off investing in a meat thermometer so your steak stays juicy and tender no matter what. In fact, even expert Chefs recommend using a meat thermometer, so if they need one, we probably do too.
According to Chef Prentiss from the Food & Wine article above, here are the temperatures you want to aim for:
Rare: 120-130°F
Medium rare: 130-135°F
Medium: 140-145°F
Medium Well: 150-155°F
Well: 160-165°F
When you’re finally ready to cut into your juicy steak, don’t make the mistake of cutting with the grain, instead you want to cut against the grain or perpendicular. This cuts the muscle fibers and makes the steak easier to chew. Again, these are all things that take practice, so keep these grilling mistakes in mind and make sure you’re not making any of them. You’ll be a grilling expert in no time, especially if you use Good Ranchers quality meat delivery every month.
Want to up your grill game? As we said, that takes practice, so start ordering your meat online so you have plenty of delicious steak, chicken, and pork to test out new methods and marinades with.
Ready to order your meat delivery box? Order today to get it ASAP, plus express shipping is always free.
Check out our FAQ’s about our meat delivery box, and let us know how we can help you. Happy grilling friends!