Easy Steak Grilling Tips
Beef, a perennial favorite at backyard gatherings centered around grilled food, can often be overcooked, resulting in tough and flavorless meat — not the highlight of the meal that cooks are looking for.
Of course, there are endless marinades and seasoning blends that can be used to add flavor and depth to different cuts of meat, but if the meat itself is cooked too long, well, there's no going back.
Luckily, the talented team behind Omaha Steaks, a fifth-generation, family-owned company based in Omaha, Neb., are experts in the realm of cooking beef. They shared some of their tips and vast knowledge with us below. Make sure to check them out and start grilling this summer!
Click here to see Beef Recipes For Any Night of the Week made with Omaha Steaks.
General Beef-Cooking Tips
There is no single "best method" for cooking beef, but sear-roasting for indoor preparation and grilling for outdoor preparation top the list of the most popular methods. Sear-roasting is a method that is often used in restaurants. Searing steaks in a hot skillet on the top of the range and then slow-roasting for the remaining time in the oven results in a perfectly seared steak cooked evenly throughout. Although sear-roasting works well for all steak cuts, great success is achieved with thick cuts of filet mignons, rib-eyes, strips, and top sirloins. Grilling on either a gas or charcoal grill works well for all types of beef.
Whatever method you choose, you can ensure that your steak is prepared to perfection by using:
• A ruler to measure the thickness
• A timer and a steak grilling chart, or Steak Time, the Omaha Steak iPhone/Android app that offers an innovative grilling timer to determine how long to cook the steaks
• A meat thermometer to verify that the steaks are ready
Top 5 Tips for Perfect Grilling
1. Clean and preheat your grill on high.
2. Lightly oil and season everything before you put it on the grill. This helps the searing process and prevents sticking.
3. Sear the outside of steaks when grilling, using tongs or a spatula to turn the meat, and cover the grill as much as possible during the grilling process to help lock in the great flavor and to prevent flare-ups. Never pierce the steak when grilling, as that allows juices to escape.
4. Use the 60/40 grilling method for your steaks. Grill for 60 percent of the time on the first side, then grill 40 percent of the time after you turn over the steak. This will give you an evenly cooked product.
5. Place your cooked product on a clean plate and allow your foods to "rest" for five minutes before serving to retain moisture and juiciness.
Indoor Cooking Methods
There are a multitude of cooking options for indoor preparation, including sear-roasting, where the meat is quickly seared at high heat to seal in the juices and finished in a lower-temperature oven, or broiling, pan-frying (cast-iron skillets work well), and indoor contact grills.