Grilling the Perfect Steak
The weather is warming up — soon we hope! You are obviously going to want to showcase your skills as a “grill-master”!
Sounds challenging and most people do everything under the sun to mess up and over complicate an otherwise simple process. Do you feel the need to marinate the meat — DON’T, what about moving the steak around every few minutes on the grill — DON’T, can’t wait to get that perfect steak off the grill and cut it up to serve — DON’T!
Every summer I used to host an annual barbecue for the management consulting firm I co-founded (www.acquisconsulting.com) and our invested portfolio companies. Every year amidst the compliments and stuffed bellies, I had more and more people ask me how I prepared the food. While guests and friends alike have heard me explain the process before, I thought I would post it here and then on Twitter so that I could share my experience and many hours of practice. Maybe it will showcase that grilling a great steak is easy with little work and some practice…maybe just something that improves your summer eating! Not sure a restaurant is in my future, but hey, you never know!
To begin, you need a few ingredients. DO NOT SKIMP HERE since taste and quality matter and generally the simpler the list of ingredients, the more important role they each play in the taste of the prepared dish.
Ingredient List:
Great Steak!
So here is my advice on procuring a great steak. Obviously you can make friends with someone you consider a knowledgeable butcher, take care of him/her and they will take care of you giving you the best cuts they have. Ultimately it comes down to this — the better the steak, the more you will enjoy the meal and impress your guests with your technique. I have tried many places: Omaha Steaks (from my days as an investment banker receiving gifts), local green markets (Washington Market in TriBeCa), Citterella, Whole Foods, etc. The only butcher I have used in the last 20 years is Lobel’s on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. While pricey, I have yet to find better. I am lucky enough to live in NYC so I can go in and talk with Stanley, Evan, Mark and the others working there but you can order online from them at Lobel’s Online. Your order will be shipped fresh, never frozen, in vacuum-sealed packages and will be hand-packed in a Styrofoam cooler with cold packs. This is in-line with the age old adage of “you get what you pay for.”
Olive Oil
Really good olive oil! Skimping here is also going to cost you in the flavor department so use the good stuff. If you would not dip your bread into it and eat it plain, don’t use it here. I prefer oil from Tuscany or Spain but there are many choices. Your local gourmet market will usually carry quite a few, as does Whole Foods. I usually buy mine online from a terrific foodie source Zingerman’s (Go Blue for all you Michigan fans, since Zingerman’s first opened as a sandwich shop in Ann Arbor, MI.)
Kosher Salt (course)
Freshly Ground Black Pepper…Don’t grind it ahead of time!
Preparation (5–10 minutes):
The GRILL
While you can make a terrific steak in a cast iron pan at home, I’ll save that method for another post. Here we want to showcase your talents at the Grill. While natural charcoal or hardwood is best, a great job can be performed with a gas grill also. It is important that the gas grill has multiple, independent zones so that you can control the heat. Have one zone be searing hot (you won’t be able to hold your hand a few inches over the zone for more than a second or two) and have the other(s) be more temperate (able to hold your hand there for three to five seconds). With a charcoal grill, you can simply pile most of the coals to one side so that it creates a sear zone. Oh, and don’t use the compressed, chemically laden charcoal briquettes. That is of course unless you like eating chemicals since that what your steak will taste like.
PREP
So let’s get going…for the recipe I am going to use NY Strip steaks that are cut about one to one and a quarter inch thick. I feel that this cut is great for an individual steak if you are hungry and equally terrific to slice into pieces to serve a large group. Take the steaks out of the refrigerator about half an hour beforehand so they can warm up slightly. Cooking them while cold sometimes results in tougher steak.
Trim some of the fat but not all. Leave some on and score the edge several times with your knife so that the flavor cooks into the steak but the fat burns off.
Place the steaks on a large dish with a little space between each one. Pour the olive oil into a small bowl and lightly brush the steaks on all sides. Cover the top, bottom, and all sides of each steak with a very light coating — don’t go to heavy or it will burn.
Once all the steaks are brushed with oil, lightly season the steaks, again on the top, bottom, and all sides with kosher salt. Just sprinkle the salt with your fingers…not more than a pinch or two per steak. Finally, season to taste by grinding the black pepper onto the top, bottom, and all sides of each steak.
Cooking (Time varies from Rare to Well):
Once the steaks are seasoned, place them on the hottest part of the grill without touching each other. Then (and this is important) DO NOT TOUCH THEM for three minutes. When three minutes are up, use a pair of tongs to simply turn them over and again, DO NOT TOUCH THEM for three more minutes. Moving them other than the one-time flip, will hinder the heat from searing the outside of the steak. If this sear is not accomplished, your steak will likely be overcooked and dry.
Once the above six minutes have expired, turn the steaks over but place them onto the cooler zone of the grill. Give them a few minutes (again depending upon the doneness that you desire) and flip them one more time, keeping them on the cooler zone. Restrain yourself from prodding, pressing too hard with your tongs, or piercing the meat with a thermometer. All of these unnecessary methods will create a way for the juices to run out of the meat. If you want to check their progress, press with your middle finger in a few different areas. The more firm, the more cooked. This takes some practice and feel but it is definitely the best method.
After five to ten minutes (depending upon the heat of your grill and the level of doneness you desire) remove the steaks to a clean serving tray and cover loosely with aluminum foil. DO NOT TOUCH THEM FOR 10 minutes!! This “resting” period will preserve the effort you have put forth and the true flavor and juiciness of the meat.
Serve & Enjoy:
After resting for 10 minutes, either slice them into strips (diagonally across the steak) and serve on a platter or if your guests are really hungry give them each a whole steak.
With some practice you will become known for your steak grilling ability and can apply the same technique to lamb chops as well.
Let me know how yours turns out and feel free to comment below with other suggestions…
WINE
Some wine suggestions that would go well with this are three of my favorites:
