Summer Grilling Tips: How To Grill a Better Steak

As summer approaches so does the start of grilling season, but grilling a steak can be a somewhat daunting task if you've never done it before. Grilling can be a fun activity; it doesn't have to seem like a chore. Plus a properly grilled steak can really impress your friends and loved ones. Here are some simple and easy tips you can use to improve your grilling experience.

First and foremost, depending on the quality of the steak you've purchased, you may or may not want to marinade your steak. Marinades can not only be used for adding flavor, but also to tenderize your cut of steak. However if you are seeking to tenderize your steak, you will want to marinade your steak for at least 6 hours. If you're only looking to add flavor to your meat, as little as 10-15 minutes will be beneficial, but 30 minutes is a recommended minimum. Though if you have more time to marinade, say 2 hours, you will be rewarded for your efforts.

Once your steak is done marinating, you are ready to begin grilling. Before you start, make sure that you scrub your grill grates with a wire grill brush to get rid of any charred material from previous grilling sessions. This is especially true if you use your grill not only for red meat, but also for seafood as well. Also if you have marinated your steak, be sure to dab off any excess marinade on the steak using paper towels as the marinade will more than likely just cause flare ups which will burn your steak.

Now that your grill is clean, you need to preheat it for 5-10 minutes. Putting a steak onto a cold grill will not give you optimal results. Speaking of cold, you will also want to have your steak near room temperature if possible. This will allow the outside of your steak to sear and caramelize which creates a lot of flavor.

When you are ready and your grill is preheated, place your steaks onto the grill, but once you place them onto the grates do not move them for at least 2-3 minutes. At most you will only want to flip your steak once or twice. While we are on the subject, you should never use any utensil that will pierce the meat to flip your steaks as it will leave you with a very dry piece of meat.