Are you merely a fan of BBQ or a true expert? If you can tell the difference between charcoal briquettes and charcoal, monitor the temperature of ember and you know just when you need to grill with the lid on, then you are well on your way to becoming a proper grill master. But you have to master the grilling basics before you can start preparing food.
To avoid having only grilled sausages on your menu, here are top 5 things you need to consider about grilling a steak. The following tips are curtesy of the Weber's Way to Grill book.
1. Apply salt before grilling
You have probably heard that meat is not to be rubbed with salt prior to grilling, because salt saps away the moisture from the meat and toughens it. Eventhough this is true, it is actually preferable for such effect to be in place for about 20 to 30 minutes, because salt dissolves in all the juices released from the meat.
2. If the meat is less cold, it is done sooner
If the meat is too cold when you start grilling it, it will take more time to reach the right temperature inside. Hence, before grilling, let the steak rest at room temperature for about 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Use high grilling temperature
The thing that most obviously separates professionals from amateurs is the time they spend grilling steaks on high temperature. Any professional knows high temperature is the one responsible for various flavors and aromas on the surface of the meat.
4. Turn chunkier steaks more often
Steaks over an inch (2.5 cm) thick cannot be grilled under direct heat for a long time, because they will burn on the outside before they are even ready on the inside. As soon as either side of the steak is nicely done, move it to the less heated corner of the grill and finish grilling it under gentle heat.
5. It is all about proper timing
Key to a successfully grilled steak is removing it from the grill in time, preventing it from losing too much moisture. It only takes 1 or 2 minutes to turn your steak from rare to medium or well done, so do keep an eye on your meat!
What are you waiting for, the picnic season is here!