The MAN Cookbook
    There is no shortage of "How to Cook a Steak" web sites and magazine articles. I have seen a thousand of them, and I used to actually read them. They all basically say the same thing, but none of them ever gave me the knowledge I needed to cook a really good steak. If I followed the article instructions, the steak would almost always come out way too rare or way too dry. Experience is the best teacher, though, and I have now figured out exactly how to grill a steak that everybody wants [at least] a second helping of.

FIRST select the steak. Common reasoning leads most people to believe that the most expensive cuts of beef (tenderloin) make the best steaks, but this is not necessarily true. Tenderloin steaks are the most tender, but they have a somewhat bland flavor compared to less zsa-zsa cuts, such as chuck and sirloin. Inexperienced cooks may believe that tenderness is what makes the steak and they all taste basically the same, but this is simply untrue. If you still have doubts, I greatly encourage you to cook a filet mignon and a chuck or sirloin steak at the same time and decide which one really tastes better.
    My first clue to this was when I noticed that the prepackaged, bacon-wrapped, 6oz steaks I so dearly love come in 2 cuts: sirloin and chuck. Out of curiosity, I bought one of each and found that they both were very tender and very tasty. Then I went back to the store and bough a filet mignon, wrapped it with bacon, and grilled it in the same way as I did the other 2. The tenderloin was, true to its reputation, so tender I could cut it with a fork. But it was also disappointingly less delicious than the chuck and sirloin steaks, which were tender to start with. I suspect that people who buy filet mignon steaks think that they taste the best, like I did before I tested the belief.

Filet mignon steaks are better for recipes with a very strong-flavored sauce. They are tender and filling, but fall short of flavor if eaten without sauce.
    Other than the cut of meat, which indicates which part of the cow it was cut from, you should evaluate the appearance of the steak. Common reasoning again may mislead you into thinking that a steak that is solid, uninterrupted meat would be more tender and taste better than one that has streaks of fat and white tissue mixed in it. Those streaks of fat and tissue are called marbling, and they make the meat more tender and flavorful by mostly melting away while the steak cooks.
    Here in Texas, from my experience, the best steaks are to be found at Sam's Club stores. That's not to say that good steaks are not sold elsewhere (I usually shop at Kroger because there isn't a Sam's Club in my neighborhood.), but steaks at Sam's typically have much more marbling than steaks at grocery stores. How and why does Sam's Club get better cuts of meat than everybody else? I don't know. If you do, please share the information.

SECOND prepare the steak. I usually marinate mine in beer for an hour or so. I'm not really certain that this is a necessary step, but it does NOT have any noticeable effect on the flavor of the steak, it is reputed to break down the tougher tissues within the meat, and it gives you an excuse to buy expensive beer. You may also want to add some outer seasoning to the steaks, like salt and pepper. DO NOT marinate your steaks in anything with strong flavor like teriyaki sauce or steak sauce. Steaks are valued for their flavor, so don't cover that flavor with something else!

THIRD get the charcoal grill ready. (If you are going to broil your steak, see the footnote. If you are going to use a gas grill, you might as well just broil it.) Many people don't know how to do this right, especially younger people, and they wind up with an overcooked steak that tastes like lighter fluid. Click here for Charcoal Instructions

FOURTH put the steaks on right when the coals are ready. If you aren't ready at the same time as they are, shut all the dampers on the grill to buy you some time. Unless you have a grill made my NASA, the coals will stay lit until they burn out, regardless of the vents being shut.

FIFTH set a timer so that you don't accidentally overcook the steaks. Assuming your steaks are about an inch thick and you want them to be medium-well done, I recommend about 7-8 minutes per side. Cook them less if you like them rarer or more if you want them as done as beef jerky. (Children and women frequently insist that there be no trace of any pink whatsoever in their steak. Do not argue with them. They will not listen.)

SIXTH flip the steaks ONLY ONE TIME. If you keep flipping your steaks back and forth they will turn out dry and tough, and you will look like an Al Bundy. Many new steak cooks have a phobia of the steaks being undercooked and bloody. STEAKS AT 5 STAR RESTAURANTS ARE PINK IN THE MIDDLE. There is a difference between pink meat and dripping blood, but if you cook a steak for 7 minutes on each side and it still comes out bloody then something is wrong, such as the meat was too far from the fire, coals were are almost burned out, or steaks were cut too thick for grilling.

That's about all there is to it, but here are some more tips:

  • Watch out for flare-ups, which means full blown flames coming from the coals as a result of grease dripping on them and catching on fire. Flames are too hot and will ruin the steaks, regardless of what Steak and Ale commercials suggest.
        If you have a flare-up, the first thing to do is try pouring a little bit of beer on it. Don't pour so much that you put all the coals out; just the one or two that are causing the flare. The beer will evaporate and the coal(s) will relight in a minute or two. If that doesn't work, or if you have lots of flames, shut the grill lid and close all the vents. Wait 5-10 seconds and check to see if they went out. If that didn't do the trick, then you need to move the steaks to the edges of the grill, away from the flames, and just let the flames burn until they go out. (Then put the meat back.)
  • Do NOT develop the habit of cutting steaks open "to check on them." This is very Al Bundy and will not lead to greatness at the grill. It just lets the juices leak out and ruins the visual appeal of a nice steak with grill marks.
  • Since steaks are not very porous, it's okay to close the grill while they cook. I usually cook my steaks with the lid closed unless there are so many steaks on and off the grill that it is just a hassle to fool with the lid. Closing the lid makes the coals last a little longer and evens out the cooking some.
  • If you do close the lid, keep a close watch through the fully opened vent holes to watch for flare-ups. When there is a flare-up, just shut the vent holes for a minute, then check again. Flare ups are more common with fattier meat, such as ground chuck or bacon.

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