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Best temperature to grill steak


Best Temperature to Grill Steaks

PUBLISHED: • By Toni Dash 9 Comments

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When grilling season hits there’s nothing like a perfect steak to celebrate the season. Whether you use a gas grill or charcoal grill the question is the same: what’s the best temp to grill steaks?

The cooking process for a good steak can be daunting. Steak is more expensive than ground beef or chicken so you want to get it right the first time. There’s nothing better than a perfectly cooked juicy steak, and nothing worse than a dry overcooked steak.

For a pro guide to buying steak, getting perfect grill marks, complete instructions for grilling steaks perfectly every time and more, check out our How to Grill Steak Perfectly guide.

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Best grill temperature for grilling steak

Most recipes call for a high heat temperatures; 450 degrees to 500 degrees.

This allows quick searing of the steak to develop the Maillard reaction. It’s a chemical reaction creating a nice crust on the steak, great flavors and it seals in the juices.

The chemistry of the Maillard reaction involves breaking down the proteins in foods into individual amino acids that react with the sugars in foods when in the presence of high temperature.

What does this all mean? It produces the caramelization on the outside of foods, as well as the color, aroma and texture of the meat.

How long to grill steak?

Different sizes and different types of steak cook in different amounts of time. The cooking time for grilling steak depends on:

Time on individual grills can vary so always check the steak’s internal temperature with a digital instant read thermometer in the thickest part of the steak for an accurate reading.

General guideline: remove the steak from the grill when the instant read digital thermometer reads 130 degrees for medium-rare or 140 degrees for medium. The steak’s temperature will continue to rise (around 5 degrees) as it rests.

DonenessRemove from Grill (temp F)Resting time (minutes)Final Steak Temperature (F)
Rare120 degrees5 125 degrees
Medium-Rare130 degrees5 135 degrees
Medium140 degrees5 145 degrees
Medium-Well145 degrees5 150 degrees
Well done155 degrees5160 degrees
NOTE: The USDA recommends steaks and roasts be cooked to 145°F (medium) and then rested for at least 3 minutes. Resting time will differ depending on the steak type being grilled.

Here are some specific guidelines for popular grilling steaks:

Filet Mignon & Center-cut Ribeye Steak

ThicknessRare (110 to 120 F)Medium Rare (120 to 130 F)Medium (130 to 140 F)
1 1/2 inches3 minutes EACH SIDE3 1/2 minutes EACH SIDE4 minutes EACH SIDE
1 3/4 inches3 1/2 minutes EACH SIDE4 minutes EACH SIDE4 1/2 minutes EACH SIDE
2 inches4 minutes EACH SIDE4 1/2 minutes EACH SIDE5 minutes EACH SIDE

Sirloin Strip Steak, Ribeye Steak & Porterhouse Steak

ThicknessRare (110 to 120 F)Medium Rare (120 to 130 F)Medium (130 to 140 F)
1 inch4 minutes EACH SIDE5 minutes EACH SIDE6 minutes EACH SIDE
1 1/4 inches4 1/2 minutes EACH SIDE5 1/2 minutes EACH SIDE6 1/2 minutes EACH SIDE
1 1/2 inches5 minutes EACH SIDE6 minutes EACH SIDE7 minutes EACH SIDE
1 3/4 inches5 1/2 minutes EACH SIDE6 1/2 minutes EACH SIDE7 1/2 minutes EACH SIDE
2 inches6 minutes EACH SIDE7 minutes EACH SIDE8 minutes EACH SIDE
The USDA recommends steaks and roasts be cooked to 145°F (medium) and then rested for at least 3 minutes.  

Do steaks need to be at room temperature?

They don’t have to be but if they are they’ll cook more quickly and evenly. You can take them out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling as the grill heats.

Expert Tips

Full preheat the gas grill or charcoal grill. Don’t start grilling until the grill is fully heated for even cooking.

Use a meat thermometer. Though the press-texture method works to determine the level of doneness, an instant read digital thermometer is more reliable. In seconds the internal temperature will register so not much heat is lost and you can be sure your cooked steak meets food safety requirements too.

Always rest steak for 5 minutes. After grilling remove the steak from grill grates and allow it to sit for 5 minutes. This allows the juices to redistribute for a juicy steak. The steak’s temperature will increase around 5 degrees as it rests.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

TONI DASH

Toni Dash, is a Certified Nutrition Coach and the writer/blogger, photographer, recipe developer and creator of Boulder Locavore®. She has been developing easy to make, well-tested recipes since 2010. Her seasonal recipes bring excitement to the dining table for both gluten-free and gluten diners. Toni has been featured in numerous publications and on culinary websites for her creative, delicious recipes and travel features. For more details, check out her About page.

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How to Grill a Perfect Steak

How to Grill a Perfect Steak is your go-to grilled steak guide! Every step is broken down to make the process of grilling steak easy and approachable – perfect for a gas grill or charcoal grill.

THIS POST IS SPONSORED BY:
This post is sponsored by Country Natural Beef, the opinions are my own.

How to Grill Steak (Easy Grilled Steak Recipe)

Everyone needs to learn how to grill a steak properly!! I know it can be intimidating, but it truly is something everyone can master. This tutorial can be applied to ALL your favorite cuts of steak such as ribeye steak, top sirloin steak, new york strip steak, skirt steak, flank steak, t-bone, porterhouse, etc. and we also talk about thicker steaks (like a filet mignon) in the Notes so be sure to check that out too. The first step is to pick out high-quality meat, which is why I am so excited to partner with Country Natural Beef on this tutorial!

Country Natural Beef is 100% owned by family ranchers and is G.A.P. Step 4 Animal Welfare  Certified which means that their animals are pasture-raised, fed a vegetarian diet, provided a  safe and enriched environment and never receive antibiotics or added hormones. They also happen to be a Whole30-Approved partner! And I have to say, this is honestly the best beef I have ever tasted. You truly can tell the difference and I am so proud to be partnering with them today!

Grill Temp for Steaks

The best grill temperature to grill a steak is high heat (450-550 degrees F.).

How to Prepare Steaks for the Grill

To prepare steaks for the grill you will need to:

  1. Remove from refrigerator: remove steak from the fridge and let them come to room temperature.
  2. Pat them dry: pat steaks dry with a clean paper towel to remove excess moisture. This helps the steaks get a better sear on them.
  3. Season or marinate: whether you use salt + pepper or a great marinade, I would definitely recommend adding a little seasoning!

Best Steak Seasoning

The best steak seasoning is salt and pepper – keep it simple! Alternatively, we have a great Steak Dry Rub that is amazing!

Best Steak Marinade

Here is a recipe for a classic, flavorful steak marinade recipe!

How Long to Grill Steak

Internal Temp of Steak

To check the internal temp of steak (and see if it is done to your liking or not) use an instant-read thermometer. Insert it into the thickest part of the steak. Here are the temperature ranges to look for (depending up on how you like your steak done):

How to Make My Steak Juicy and Tender
  1. Marinate or season your steak: it is so nice to add in that little extra flavor!
  2. Pierce with fork (optional): this isn’t necessary, but piercing the steak with a fork to create some tiny holes allows either your salt and pepper or your marinade to penetrate the meat much faster.
  3. Sear on both sides: The sear is the key and then you can move to indirect heat to finish cooking. This seals in all those juices and leaves a nice char on the outside.
  4. Do NOT over-cook: remember that your steak will continue to cook after you take it off the grill, so really you should shoot for about 5 degrees under where you ultimately want to be when you take the steaks off the grill.
  5. Let rest: Your steak will continue to raise about 5 degrees while resting and this allows the juices to redistribute evenly throughout the piece of steak so when you do cut into it, it will be juicy and perfect! Then slice against the grain into nice thick slices.

The best grill brush

Make sure you grill is clean!  If you don’t have a good grill brush, go get anything Weber – always dependable and good quality – Here is a link to a Weber grill brush I recommend.

The best meat thermometer

You should also really have a dependable meat thermometer – again, I have to recommend Weber.  Easy to use, dependable and high quality.  Here is a good grill thermometer!

Favorite Steak Recipes

How to Grill Steak Perfectly

First you are going to want to pick your cut of meat.  Now, everyone loves a good filet mignon, I am not exception.  The other go-to is a New York Strip – classic.  But, my absolute favorite is a ribeye.  There is just enough fat marbled through it that it marinates itself as it cooks and stays incredibly moist and tender.  The flavor is amazing.  It is my go-to.  Go grab a 1 inch ribeye for you and whoever else you are having over…..

But Filet Mignon is hard to beat!

Next, after you go out and grab your cut of meat, you are going to want to let it come to room temp before you season your meat.  Just salt and pepper people.  You don’t need to reinvent the wheel.  But first, take a fork and pierce the meat all over – fat and everything.  Then sprinkle with salt and ground black pepper; on both sides – enough that it will be nicely seasoned, but not over-powered with either.

You can also marinate your steak if you want – always fun to mix things up!

After you have cleaned your grill thoroughly with your brush, spray it with a grill-worthy non-stick spray and then turn it up to 450-500.

Place steak over direct heat to sear – let it stay over direct heat for 3-4 minutes.  Flip and sear an additional 3-4 minutes on the other side. If you are cooking a fattier meat, like a ribeye, you will probably want to move the steak over to indirect heat at this time.  Leaner meats, like a New York Strip or Filet should be left over direct heat the entire time.

Then check with your meat thermometer (stick the probe into the side of the steak, not on top!).  Possibly let cook for another 1 minute or so – for medium rare you are looking for an internal temp of 130-140; for medium you want 140-145.  If you want it medium well or your steak is thicker than 1 inch, you may just need to keep on indirect heat a bit longer – medium well you want 145-155.

Remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes, preferably on a separate plate as the juices will be flowing.  Steak wasn’t meant to be eaten piping hot.

Recipe FAQs and Tips

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How to Grill a Perfect Steak

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Description

How to Grill a Perfect Steak – A step-by-step tutorial on how to grill the perfect steak every time!

  1. Clean grill and turn grill temperature up to High Heat (450-550 degrees F).
  2. Sprinkle salt and pepper over both sides of steak and set aside until grilling is hot (you can also marinate them!).
  3. Place steaks over direct heat and close grill.  Let sear for 3-4 minutes.
  4. Flip steaks, keeping them over direct heat, and close the lid. Let cook another 3-4 minutes.
  5. Open grill and take internal temperature of the steaks by sticking an internal meat thermometer into the side of the steak.  If steak hasn’t reached your desired internal temperature (see Notes) then move steak to indirect heat (I usually just turn off my middle burner and move the steaks there) until they do reach your desired temperature.
  6. Remove steaks from grill and let rest for 5 minutes before serving/cutting.
  7. We love serving our grilled steak with this homemade Herbed Butter or these Sautéed Mushroom and Onions! 

Notes

Keywords: grilled steak, how to grill a perfect steak

Originally published 5/27/16. Updated on 5/24/21 with additional information and updated pictures.

how to determine? — Village Club Blog

Whether you prefer a traditional birch wood-burning wood-fired grill or a gas-fired grill that takes less time to cook, the key question in barbecue is how the meat you put in will end up. on the guests' table. How to avoid an awkward situation and not regale guests with half-baked or over-dried burnt roast?


Old-fashioned method and modernity There are six classic cooking stages in cooking, each with its own cooking temperature:
  • Extra-rare 46-50°C
  • Rare 50-55 °C - medium rare
  • Medium rare 55-60°C and Medium 60-65°C - medium
  • Medium well 65-70°C and Well done 70-100°C - well done

Chef is able to determine the readiness of meat when frying literally with his bare hands. To do this, he connects the thumb and forefinger so that they form the letter "O". The same gesture that is drawn on a pack of the legendary Hungarian seasoning Vegeta. After that, with the index finger of the left hand, lightly presses on the flesh of the palm under the thumb. Then the grillmaster takes the meat tongs and presses them on the thickest part of the cooked piece.

If the "softness" to the touch is about the same, then your meat is now a weak degree of cooking. If you fold the thumb and middle finger into the letter “O”, then the pulp of the palm in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe thumb will become tougher, and the meat in this case will correspond to the average degree of roasting. And finally (listen to lovers of especially fried!) The thumb and little finger are connected into the letter “O”. The flesh of the base of the thumb will become even tougher, so your meat is completely ready.

Although the method of determining the degree of doneness of a steak by hand is considered quite reliable, experience is necessary. Therefore, the easiest way to understand the readiness of meat is to have a cooking thermometer handy. In this case, the thermometer needle must be carefully inserted into the pulp, avoiding the bone, otherwise the temperature will be reflected incorrectly. The only catch is that then you have to pierce the piece and the precious juice from it will drip onto the coals for nothing. So it is always recommended to turn the meat with a spatula, not a fork. Therefore, some professional grill masters do not use this method, relying on their experience, evaluating the readiness of portioned pieces in the manner described above.

But if you're roasting a whole leg of lamb, then a thermometer is still the best way to avoid getting into trouble. If you have a large piece, then you can not pierce the fried meat several times during the cooking process, but immediately “put” a thermometer on it, watching how the arrow moves towards the X indicator. That is, there are special thermometers that help maintain the desired temperature, even for a specific type of meat, such as pork or poultry.

In general, technology is advancing by leaps and bounds, and today, by the way, there are electronic remote, wireless thermometers. A kind of "baby monitor" for barbecue, able to work at a distance of 50 meters. Such a thermometer allows a person not to carry an honor guard at the grill, soaking through with meat aromas, but to approach him at the signal of a timer that will call when the desired temperature of meat inside is reached.

A few tips It is worth remembering that beef and lamb can be served fried in any degree of this classification, but with pork and chicken you need to be careful, undercooked it can be dangerous to health.

By the way, the popular expression “meat with blood” is a euphemism, there simply cannot be blood in chilled meat you bought from a farmer or in the market. Is that some unsympathetic remnants in the form of clots. The carcass is completely bled immediately after slaughter. And what comes out of the meat during frying is nothing more than the muscle cell protein myoglobin, which gives this blood-like color.

Take as a guide that beef and lamb are fried to a normal state in 25 minutes, and then look at the situation, hold for another five to seven minutes, or vice versa - remove without waiting for the timer to ring.

With beef, with a lack of skill in handling it, there is a real danger of getting a dry piece “a la the sole of a shoe”, which is difficult to chew, so when cooking it, you can use a number of simple tips. For example, rub a serving on both sides with olive oil, throw it on a very hot grill and quickly fry both sides for 2-3 minutes. As soon as the meat has given juice - turn over.

If you want to get a medium roast, then move the meat to a less hot part of the grill for a couple of minutes, and then cover with a sheet of foil and let the meat “rest”. By the way, it is recommended to allow any meat from the grill to “rest” for a few minutes, this allows the meat juices to be evenly distributed throughout the piece.

Natalya Eskova specially for the Village Club


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House steak: Detailed Guide - Poster Daily

All you know - Lie

How to fry the steak: The most detailed guide is

Petya Pavlovich

13 December 13 2016 17:31

We continue the series of columns by the butcher Petya Pavlovich "Youth", this time the topic is steaks, or rather, instructions for cooking them yourself. To salt or not, when to turn over, how to determine readiness - these are other bonuses and secrets in the Afisha Daily guide.

What is a steak?

A steak is a whole piece of meat of sufficient quality to be quickly grilled or pan-fried until done. A steak can be made from any meat: beef, pork, lamb, game, and more, but most often a steak is beef. Often this meat is from the premium part of the carcass - the back or lower back, and these parts are called premium because the meat in them is softer and rich in fatty layers. With the advent of high-quality meat from meat breeds, it became possible to cook steaks from the so-called alternative parts: shoulder blades, shoulders, legs or flanks.

Across the grain

You've probably heard that steaks are cut across the grain. What does this mean in general? The fact is that muscles consist of fibers parallel to each other. One muscle fiber is no thicker than a human hair, but the fibers are collected in bundles that are already clearly visible to the naked eye. Muscles are designed in such a way that it is very difficult to break the fibers along, and it is easy to separate individual bundles of fibers or fibers from each other. So it turns out that if you cut the meat in such a way that the length of the fibers in the piece is minimal, then it will be easier to chew.

For example, the longissimus dorsi (longissimus dorsi) and spinalis dorsi (spinalis dorsi), which form the basis of the dorsal portion known as the ribeye, are cut across the spine because the fibers of these muscles are directed along the spine.

Exposure

So, we cut out a piece of meat or bought a pre-cut one. What's next? Now is the time to talk about endurance. No, not about stamina and self-control in the face of the temptation to eat meat, but about the fact that meat greatly benefits from keeping it at a certain humidity and temperature for quite a long time. Dry aging, that is, aging uncovered meat in the refrigerator, noticeably changes the taste of beef (to a lesser extent, pork or lamb), I already talked about this earlier. But at home it is difficult to do the right dry aging: an ordinary household refrigerator does not allow you to control the humidity.

Nevertheless, you can age a steak at home: to do this, sprinkle it on all sides with ordinary table salt and leave it on the wire rack in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. What it will do: salt will draw some moisture out of the meat, and its surface will become dry, and therefore ready for frying; fermentation will slightly change the taste of the meat, not as dramatically as in 2 weeks, but still. Salt will suppress the activity of bacteria on the surface of the piece, and in 2-3 days the meat will not deteriorate, but it is not worth keeping the steak longer in this way.

As I said before, a steak is a quick cut of meat. Depending on the thickness, size and quality of the piece, a steak can be cooked from 5 minutes to almost an hour. But one way or another, the main condition for cooking a steak is a strong fire, whether it be hot coals on the grill or a well-heated pan. Strong heat is needed in order to make a crust - a crispy fried layer, the aroma and crunch of which we associate with the taste of fried meat. Here, as with all other food: we are pleased with the contrasts in taste - in this case, the contrast between the half-baked steak flesh inside and the crispy fragrant exterior.

In order for a crust to form, the so-called Maillard reaction, a chemical reaction between proteins and sugars, must begin, as a result of which the meat turns brown and the characteristic aroma of roasted meat appears. This reaction starts at a temperature of at least 120 degrees, and for this reason, the steak must be dry when placed on the grill or pan, because the evaporation of moisture takes too much energy, the pan will cool down, and the appearance of the wet steak will be boiled, not fried .

If you took my advice and kept the steak in the refrigerator, you can immediately put it on a heated grill or pan, after brushing it a little with vegetable oil. If the steak is fresh from the store or a vacuum bag, you must first dry it with a napkin.

Fry the steak over high heat until a crust forms over the entire surface, but the meat does not start to burn. If at this stage the steak is already cooked - great, you can remove it from the heat. If the steak is large and thick, it must be brought to readiness by wrapping it in foil and moving it to the less hot side of the grill, or by placing the pan with the steak in an oven preheated to 180 degrees.

Temperature and readiness

Check the temperature inside the steak with a kitchen thermometer, preferably an electronic one (it is more accurate). The well-known trick of bending the fingers on the hand is biased and generally does not work: not only are different steaks not the same to the touch, but also everyone's hands are different, and so is tactile sensitivity. Chefs are lying when they say that they can accurately determine the readiness of a steak in this way, or only if dozens of the same steaks are cooked daily.

Although meat looks rather rough, from the point of view of cooking it is a delicate substance. In the range from 50 to 70 degrees, that is, only 20 degrees, it undergoes many changes from almost raw to completely shrunken and dried up. The ideal core temperature for most steaks is 54-56 degrees.

Approximate temperatures for different degrees of doneness for beef steaks

Bleu - 50 (raw)

Rare - 52

Medium rare - 54

Medium - 56

Medium well - 60

Well done - 64 (fully done)

What does it mean, temperature inside? When a steak is grilled, the outer layer is subject to extreme heat and the meat on the outside is more likely to be overcooked. The laws of physics were created at least in order to comply with them - meat has a certain thermal conductivity, and heat penetrates into the thickness of the meat gradually, from the edge to the center. When we talk about the temperature inside, we are talking about the coldest part inside the piece, that is, as far as possible from the surface. But there are subtleties here too: if there is a layer of fat on the grilled side of the steak, then heat will penetrate more slowly from this side: the thermal conductivity of fat is lower than that of meat.

You can make sure that the meat is perfectly cooked not only in the center of the steak, but throughout its thickness. Unfortunately, special equipment is indispensable here - for this you need an immersion thermostat, colloquially known as sous vide, a device that allows you to cook at a constant low temperature.

How often should I turn over?

You can hear the debate about how often you need to turn a steak while frying: the less often the better. And here physics comes to the rescue: the more often the steak is turned over, the faster and more evenly it will cook. Faster because the side farthest from the grill will not have time to cool down much, but more evenly because the side lying on the grill will not overheat much.

Rest before serving

When the temperature in the center of the steak remains a couple of degrees to the desired temperature, it must be removed from the fire (pull it out of the foil or from the oven) and leave it alone on a plate for a few minutes. This is commonly called rest, but in fact, at this time, the steak will reach readiness by inertia, and the fibers that have contracted from the extreme heat will relax and will not actively squeeze juices as soon as the steak is cut.

To salt or not to salt, that is the question

Another point of contention among steak lovers: when should a steak be salted before or after cooking? It can be right before frying, it can be after, it can be in the process. The main thing is not in advance, because a salted piece of raw meat will become wet and not ready for browning in just a minute or two. If the steak was kept in the refrigerator, as described above, then during cooking it can not be salted at all.

If this is not enough

It is better to fry a steak on an open fire, on coals, the temperature there is higher, and, among other things, the steak will be more fragrant - smoke, that's all. On a frying pan, you can use this trick: after the initial frying from all sides, throw a heavy piece of butter onto the frying pan, melt it so that it sizzles, tilt the frying pan slightly and, scooping up the boiling oil with a spoon, pour it over the steak from above. Not only will the steak brown faster, but it will also be enriched with the aroma of fried butter. This should be done when the steak is almost ready, so as not to burn the oil to blackness and bitterness. Instead of butter, melted beef tallow is also suitable.

Conclusion

Cooking a steak at home is not only easy, it's even simple.

Learn more