Why Can't I Grill A Decent Steak?

[Tombstone RJ]

Originally Posted by Fire Me Boy!

OK, vail... here's the skinny. I'm not going back through 270 posts to point out which posters clearly don't know WTF they're talking about, but there are some.

You must season the meat. Salt makes things taste more like themselves. It also stimulates your salivary glands, which tricks your mind into thinking it has more moisture.

Do not salt right before you put it on the grill. Salt will draw out moisture. Over time, that moisture will draw back into the protein, but if you do it right before you grill, that moisture is going right into the fire. If possible, salt your steaks a day in advance. At a minimum, salt it an hour in advance.

Do let it sit out for 30-60 minutes before you grill. This is not harmful because any bacteria that might contaminate the food isn't going to have time to get on the inside of the protein... and anything on the outside will die over the fire.

Sear over a high heat for 2-3 minutes per side, then move it to a cooler zone on your grill. Despite what many on here say, searing does NOT "seal in the juices." As a matter of face, you lose more juice by searing than you do over a low heat. However, what searing does do is create the Maillard reaction (creates the brown crust, and brown food = good food), which creates hundreds of flavor compounds you wouldn't otherwise get. And the moisture loss is fairly minimal.

SOP is flip it once, but there's a lot of recent literature indicating you get a more even cook and juicier steak by flipping regularly - as often as once a minute. I've had no problems doing the one flip.

Marinades... if it's a cheap steak, by all means, marinade. If it's a ribeye or strip, keep that shit away from it. Salt, pepper, and a little granulated garlic are all you need.

I'm sure there's more, but I'm in a hurry. Will try to post more later.

quality post is quality. would read again.