When I was in high school I thought I was the KING of outdoor cookouts because I would mix Lipton’s Onion Soup Mix into ground beef, throw those thick patties on a gas grill, and WOW! Those juicy burgers were so flavorful they literally made my friends cry!
I was so proud of my grilling, I actually put “BBQ” on my RESUME!
True story. I was interviewing at a prestigious firm, and when asked about my BBQ prep and set up, I didn’t quite understand why the interview went straight downhill from there. I later learned that there is a difference between barbeque and simply grilling; direct and indirect heat; using wood, charcoal, gas, etc…. This is serious stuff!
For years I looked down my nose at gas grills. But there are undeniable advantages to using a gas grill – they start instantly, heat up quickly, and you can control cooking temperatures with a twist of a knob. With the following tips, you can offset some of the shortcomings of cooking with a gas grill and get consistently delicious results.
In this post, when I say “steak” you can substitute “burger” or “fish” or any other food that can be cooked over direct high heat quickly (10 minutes or less).
The deliverable: a medium rare, flavorful, tender and juicy steak in 8 minutes (cook time).
The quickest and easiest way to a great steak everytime!
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THE SET UP
Gas grills come in various types, sizes, and features: portable table top, two chamber grills, infrared burners, rotisserie burners, cast iron, porcelain-coated, etc. I’ve tried almost all of these. They all have their respective pros and cons. Regarding price, yes, in terms of durability and reliability you get what you pay for – but that doesn’t always mean the more you spend, the more delicious your cookouts.
If you have a grill that works (even if it’s crappy), then jump to the section below about the GrillGrate grates.
If you don’t have a grill, or your grill is on its last legs, then you really can’t go wrong with a Weber. But if you can’t or don’t want to commit to a premium brand, there are some budget friendly options out there. With a few tweaks, you can have yourself a grill that will deliver consistently great results.
Seriously, once you master these easy tips, you will never go to a steakhouse (except maybe to get prime dry aged steaks (when someone else is paying)) because your steaks will simply be better.
The grill size and shape and bells and whistles are personal preference, but get the BTUs – the hotter the better. Instant control of heat is an advantage of using a gas grill – but if that grill cannot get up to temperature, that is a fundamental problem. That being said, an efficient grill can get more heat while using less gas (I think Weber makes this argument), and much depends on materials, design, from my experience with GrillGrate grates even weak burner output can still yield decent results.
What grill do I use? Our “daily driver” is a Megamaster 720-0983 Propane Gas Grill. Affordable. Easy to assemble (note: this can be a big issue for crappy grills. I’ve spent hours putting together cheap grills that rusted away in one season). I’ve been using our Megamaster year-round for 6 years and it still looks great and works great. I don’t even cover it. It is time to replace the burner tubes and heat plates, they are close to failure, but they still work, and so it is a great value.
GrillGrate
The first thing to do is to swap out the grids. Whatever cooking grid came with your grill: cast iron, stainless steel, porcelain, dozzenmatta – set them aside. If you want, you can even just place the GrillGrate grate right on top of your existing grill grid. Measure the right size (FYI for the Megamaster 720-0983, the correct size is 17.375″L x 5.25″W (5.25″ wide means you will need several)), and buy GrillGrate branded grill grates. That is the brand name: GrillGrate. Yes, it’s a little confusing because of the name and yes they are expensive – but this is one of the KEY investments that will give you a high-heat cooking surface. GrillGrate grates heat evenly so there are fewer hot/cold spots and the design reduces flare ups. Easy to clean and I’m using a set that is 12 years old. One side has rails for cross-hatched sear marks, flipped over the other side can be used like a flat top griddle.
THE RIGHT CUTS OF STEAK
A fundamental aspect of enjoying a great steak is starting with good meat. The type of meat may call for adjusting temperatures and searing times. For this discussion, we are talking about ribeye, New York Strip, or t-bone/porterhouse. But the grilling times and techniques will also work with hamburgers.
Get an evenly marbled and evenly cut steak. A steak that is thin on one side and thick on another side will be hit or miss with seasoning and cook times.
This is not a discussion about slow cooking or smoking or sous vide – we are grilling over direct high heat to medium-rare with a flavorful crust. Too thick, then the steak will be raw inside and burnt on the outside. Too thin, then the steak will overcook inside before getting a nice crust. Uniformly cut 1.5”- 1.8” thick steaks will yield a flavorful caramelized crust with minimal gray banding.
Places like Costco mechanically tenderizes their steaks (needles are used to micro puncture) so rubs and marinades season better and the meat is usually more tender, but since microbes can be pushed into the meat, don’t have them sitting around for days in your fridge.
SEASONING
If you have a supremely marbled prime cut, then salt and pepper is all you need. Season generously but keep in mind how thick the steak is and how long you will have the steak season before cooking.
Pasting minced fresh garlic with salt and pepper is great over wood or charcoal, but I’m not a fan when using a gas grill.
There are all sorts of marinades and rubs, but McCormick’s Montreal Steak Seasoning is a pretty universal crowd pleaser. For a 1.8 inch steak, give both sides a light coating and let the steak sit in the refrigerator 3-4 hours (less seasoning if overnight, more seasoning if grilling sooner). With time, the salt will draw some water out, intensifying flavor, and the salt can have a tenderizing effect as well.
SUPER HIGH HEAT + WOOD CHIPS + TIMER
Make sure your grill is clean! Old grease from below the grates can ignite which is dangerous (I always keep a fire extinguisher and fire blanket by the grill) and the nasty smoke from a grease fire can impart an unpleasant taste to your steak.
I used to wash and season my GrillGrate grates after every use. But we grill often, and GrillGrate grates do not rust, so I just brush them off and wipe them with an oiled paper towel or a cut lemon.
Start and preheat your grill, and keep it on high. It will take about 10 minutes to get the grates hot! You can use an infrared thermometer – or just set your timer to 10 minutes. The grill should be hot when you hold your hand over it.
Wood chips (hickory, apple, cherry, mesquite, etc) really make a difference. You can buy a smoker box for your grill. I haven’t found one that didn’t rust into dust, so I just toss some wood chips onto the GrillGrates in a corner. Since the cook time is short, I usually don’t bother soaking the wood chips either.
You can pat the steaks dry if there is a lot of liquid. Steam will delay the maillard reaction necessary for a good crust, but with the Montreal Seasoning, and with properly thick steaks, I found it doesn’t make much of a difference. The GrillGrates are pretty much non-stick, so I don’t bother with oil on the steaks.
TIME and TURN
Whether or not you are drinking beers you should set a timer. I set my smartwatch timer for 2 minutes. Steaks on. Cover closed. Don’t touch.
After two minutes, turn each steak 90 degrees. This will sear the professional-looking cross-hatched grill marks on your steaks. Close the cover.
Two more minutes, then flip the steaks over. Close the cover. Don’t touch.
Two minutes later, turn each steak 90 degrees. Cover. Don’t touch. Get a large plate and some foil ready. For grass fed or leaner steaks, I will get some butter pats ready as well.
Final timer is up. Get all the steaks on a plate. You can place a pat of butter on top/in between each steak. Cover with foil, venting to avoid steaming (or cover tightly when it’s cold out and/or the steaks are 2”+ thick). Let the steaks REST for at least 5 minutes. Do not cut until rested. Resting allows the steaks to continue cooking slowly, and the juices will redistribute evenly throughout the steak.
You can always cook an undercooked steak a little longer back on the grill, in the oven, air fryer, even the microwave – but there are no options for an overcooked steak. So always use a timer.
With direct high heat (2 minutes, turn + 2 minutes, flip + 2 minutes, turn + 2 minutes) I found there is no time to mess with a thermometer. I have a wireless thermometer that links to my phone – but I can’t say I have ever used it for grilling steaks.
FINAL TIPS
Remember grilling, even on a gas grill, is often a very personal matter of pride. So if you are a guest at a friend’s cookout, do not offer unsolicited advice about seasoning, equipment, timing, or technique.
Practice on your own with your own grill. When you feel you are ready to test your skills with your guests, but you are feeling a little nervous, the final tip: make sure everyone of age who drinks has had a drink. Relax, have fun, and enjoy!
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