Re: Chewy Steaks
Let raw steak come to room temperature for 30 minutes to an hour before cooking. If the kitchen's hot or humid, make it no more than a half-hour.
Season with a mixture of kosher or sea salt and coarse, fresh-ground pepper. Press gently into the meat's surface on both sides and around the edges.
SEAR IT
Turn up those flames to 500 degrees or more, preheat the grill until it's smokin' hot, and sear that sucker to form a nice crust. Ideally, you'll achieve caramelization: an even, light-brown color sealing in the steak juices.
Some steakhouses use infrared broilers, which can cook a thick steak to rare perfection in two minutes flat. Unfortunately, infrared broilers are very expensive options on a handful of outdoor grills and upscale kitchen ranges. Most home equipment simply can't get hot enough to sear a steak the way a steakhouse can.
Don't worry about trying to get both sides evenly brown. "As long as one side is beautifully browned, the other side doesn't matter so much," chef Chamberlain says. "You don't want to overcook it in an attempt to brown both sides."
FINISH IT
Follow searing by properly finishing the steak. The usual way is simply to turn down the heat so the meat will cook through without burning.
Another way (preferred for thick or big cuts) is to cook with indirect heat. Move the meat over on the grill so that the flame is not under the meat, but next to it. Keep the lid down for an oven effect with an air temp of around 300-400 degrees F.
Steak firms up quickly as it cooks. An experienced chef can tell how done a steak is just by pressing it with a fingertip.
WHAT NOT TO DO
Steaks shrink as they cook because they lose moisture. So avoid buying thin cuts, steaks under 1 inch thick; they overcook much too easily.
Do not mess with the meat. Don't move it around on the grill. Don't turn it over more than absolutely necessary.
And no grilling forks ... ever! Always use a long-handled spatula, or better yet, a pair of tongs. And wear a grilling mitt.
Don't let steak stay on the grill to reach the requested doneness, or it will overcook. Instead, take it off the heat just before it gets to the desired stage, and let it "rest" on a plate for 3 to 5 minutes.
Meat continues cooking internally after you take it off the grill. A steak removed from the grill at the rare stage will be medium-rare by the time it's served. A short rest allows the interior's remaining blood and juices to flow from the center back toward the surfaces of the steak.
also - a bit more to read -
Beef Grilling Guide
The following cuts, thicknesses, weights, and grilling times are meant to be guidelines rather than hard and fast rules. Cooking times are affected by such factors as altitude, outside temperature, and desired doneness. A few rules of thumb: Grill patties and steaks 1 inch thick or less using the Direct Method for the time given on the chart or to desired doneness, turning once halfway through grilling time. Sear thick steaks over Direct High heat and finish grilling over Indirect Medium heat turning once halfway through grilling time. Grill roasts and thicker cuts using the Indirect Method for the time given on the chart, or until an instant-read thermometer registers the desired internal temperature. Cooking times for beef are to medium doneness unless otherwise noted. Let roasts, larger cuts of meat, and thick steaks rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving. The internal temperature of the meat will rise by 5 to 10 degrees during this time.
Cut of Meat Thickness or Weight Approximate Cooking Time
Steaks: New York, porterhouse, rib-eye, sirloin, T-bone, tenderloin 3/4 inch thick
1 inch thick 8 to 10 minutes (Direct Medium)
10 to 12 minutes (Direct Medium)
1-1/4 inches thick 14 to 16 minutes (Sear 10 minutes Direct High, then 4 to 6 minutes Indirect Medium)
1-1/2 inches thick 16 to 18 minutes (Sear 10 minutes Direct High, then 6 to 8 minutes Indirect Medium)
2 inches thick 20 to 24 minutes (Sear 10 minutes Direct High, then 10 to 14 minutes Indirect Medium)
Skirt steak 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick 5 to 7 minutes (Direct High)
Flank steak 1-1/2 to 2 pounds, 3/4 inch thick 12 to 15 minutes (Direct Medium)
Tenderloin, whole 3-1/2 to 4 pounds 35 to 50 minutes (medium rare) (Sear 20 minutes Direct Medium, then 15 to 30 minutes Indirect Medium)
Ground beef patties 3/4 inch thick 8 to 10 minutes (Direct Medium)
Rib-eye roast, boneless 5 to 6 pounds 1-1/2 to 2 hours (Indirect Medium)
Tri-tip roast 2 to 2-1/2 pounds 30 to 40 minutes (Sear 10 minutes Direct High, then 20 to 30 minutes Indirect Medium)
Rib roast 12 to 14 pounds 2-1/2 to 2-3/4 hours Indirect Medium
Veal loin chops 1 inch thick 10 to 12 minutes (Direct Medium)
Pork Grilling Guide
The following cuts, thicknesses, weights, and grilling times are meant to be guidelines rather than hard and fast rules. Cooking times are affected by such factors as altitude, outside temperature, and desired doneness. A few rules of thumb: Grill steaks and chops 1 inch thick or less using the Direct Method for the time given on the chart or to desired doneness, turning once halfway through grilling time. Sear thick chops over Direct High heat and finish grilling over Indirect Medium heat turning once halfway through grilling time. Grill roasts, ribs, and bratwurst using the Indirect Method for the time given on the chart or until an instant-read thermometer registers the desired internal temperature. Let roasts, larger cuts of meat, and thick chops rest 10 to 15 minutes before carving.
Type Thickness or Weight Approximate Cooking Time
Chops: Rib, loin, shoulder 3/4 to 1 inch thick 10 to 15 minutes (Direct Medium)
1-1/4- to 1-1/2 inches thick 14 to 18 minutes (Sear 8 minutes Direct High, then 6 to 10 minutes Indirect Medium)
Loin chops, boneless 3/4 to 1 inch thick 10 to 12 minutes (Direct Medium)
Loin roasts: blade, sirloin, center rib 3 to 5 pounds 1-1/4 to 1-3/4 hours (Indirect Medium)
Rib crown roast 4 to 6 pounds 1-1/2 to 2 hours (Indirect Medium)
Ribs: country-style, baby back, spareribs 3 to 4 pounds 1-1/2 to 2 hours (Indirect Medium)
Tenderloin, whole 3/4 to 1 pound 25 to 30 minutes (Indirect Medium)
Bratwurst 25 to 30 minutes (Indirect Medium)
And of course I have much more if you need it!
I hope this helps...
KW
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