5 Expert Tips for Grilling a Restaurant-Quality Steak at Home

Cooking a steak perfectly at home like in a restaurant is like mastering an art. You need to use the right method, and tools, and pay close attention to details. Here are five tips from experts to help you make a steak as good as the ones at a steakhouse. Each tip explores different grilling parts to ensure you understand all the details.

Choosing the Right Cut and Quality

Choosing the right type and good meat quality is the first step to making a delicious steak. You may see labels like Prime, Choice, and Select when you buy steak. Prime-grade steaks are the best quality, they have the most marbling, are very tender, and taste good. The choice grade is really good and you can find it in a lot of places, so it's a great choice for grilling at home. Because select grade has less fat and may not be as tender, it is typically not recommended for high-heat grilling.  The ribeye is a popular cut of meat because it has lots of fat mixed in with the meat, which gives it a strong taste.

The fat in the meat melts when it's cooked on the grill, which makes the meat juicy and tasty. The New York strip is a tasty and tender option to choose from. If you like a steak that is not too fatty and has a strong beef flavor, then the filet mignon is the best choice. It's incredibly soft and dissolves on your tongue, despite its higher price. The T-bone or porterhouse steak is delicate and delightful because it has both filet mignon and strip steak. Individuals prefer it because it offers the best of both worlds.

Preparing the Steak

Getting ready in the right way is important for making a great steak. Take the steak out of the fridge 30-60 minutes before grilling. This makes the steak the same temperature as the room, so it cooks evenly. Dry the steak with paper towels to remove any wetness, so it can sear well. Adding seasoning makes the steak taste better. Often, just kosher salt and ground black pepper straight from the grinder is enough. Put a lot of seasoning on both sides and wait for about 30 minutes. This helps the salt to go into the meat, making it taste better and softer. To make the steak taste better, you can also put garlic powder, onion powder, or your favorite steak seasoning. Try whatever it takes not to make the flavoring excessively complicated. The idea is to enhance the steak's flavor, not cover it up.

Mastering the Grill Setup

It's important to set up your grill right to make sure your steaks turn out just like they do at a steakhouse. If you're cooking on a gas or charcoal grill, it's a good idea to make a two-zone fire. One side of the grill needs to be very hot for searing the steak, while the other side should be not as hot for cooking the steak through. If you're using a charcoal grill, put the coals on one side to make it hot and leave the other side empty for cooking food indirectly. For gas grills, heat the grill with all burners on high, then change one side to medium or low.

 

 

You can cook the steak using different temperatures. You start by cooking it over high heat to make it tasty, then you move it to lower heat to finish cooking without burning it. Also, make sure your grill grates are clean and have oil on them to stop food from sticking. Heat the grill for 10-15 minutes before you cook the steak on it. Using a type of oil that doesn't burn easily, like canola or grapeseed oil, to grease the grill grates can help make nice grill marks and a tasty sear.

Perfecting the Searing and Cooking Process

Searing makes a steak taste better and gives it a tasty crust. It makes the meat have more flavor. The steak should remain moving for two to three minutes on the hottest part of the grill. Cook the steak on the other side for two to three minutes. Cooking the meat at high heat at the beginning is important for making a tasty, crispy outer layer. After cooking the steak on high heat, move it to the cooler part of the grill to finish cooking. Use a thermometer to check the inside temperature of the meat to make sure it's cooked just right.

For a medium-rare steak, cook it until the inside reaches about 130-135 degrees Fahrenheit (54-57 degrees Celsius). The temperature for medium should be 135-145 degrees Fahrenheit (57-63 degrees Celsius), and for medium, it should be 145-155 degrees Fahrenheit (63-68 degrees Celsius). Don't forget, the steak will keep cooking a little even after you take it off the grill because of the heat left over. So it's better to take it off the grill a few degrees before it's done the way you like it. Don't press the steak with a spatula because it can make the juices come out and the steak will be dry. Additionally, try not to slice the steak to see if it's cooked. Instead, use a meat thermometer to keep the juices inside.

Resting and Serving

Letting the steak sit after grilling is important, but a lot of home cooks forget to do it. Allowing the steak to sit for 5-10 minutes makes sure the juices spread out in the meat, so every bite is moist and tasty. Put aluminum foil over the steak to keep it warm while it sits. When it's time to serve, cut the steak against the lines in the meat. This means slicing the steak across the direction of the muscle fibers, which makes it tenderer and easier to eat. Put the steak on a warm plate to keep it hot, and think about adding flavored butter on top for more taste. To go with your steak, you can also have grilled asparagus, baked potatoes, or a salad. A strong red wine, like Cabernet Sauvignon or Malbec, can make your meal even better.

Conclusion

If you follow these tips from experts, you'll be on your way to grilling a steak as good as the ones in fancy restaurants. If your first tries aren't perfect so don't worry. Keep practicing and you will get better. As you practice and get better, you will learn how to cook really good steaks at home.