Guide to Grilling the Perfect Steak from Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet

Step-by-step instructions to help anyone grill like a professional.

Although everyone's palate is different, we believe the following guide will help anyone grill a steak that family and friends will swear is the best steak they've ever had.

Step One: Steak Selection

Perhaps the single most important step to grilling the perfect steak is selecting the perfect steak. No matter how masterful your skills at the grill, you can't turn a bad cut of meat into a great steak (of course, you can ruin a great cut of meat, but we'll try to share some tips on how to avoid that).

Steak preferences are a matter of individual taste, but… we at Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet prefer bone-in cuts, and believe the most flavorful and tender steak you can grill is a well-marbled bone-in rib eye. Select steaks cut at least 1 1/4 inch thick.

USDA PRIME, dry-aged steaks are available through good butchers and through high-end grocery stores. Allen Brothers, the source trusted by some of the top Chicago steak houses, also sells directly to consumers (www.allenbrothers.com).

USDA CHOICE, the grade just below USDA Prime, is available at most fine grocery stores and can also give you a great steak.

Step Two: Preparation

To prepare, you will need to season the steaks and let them rise to room temperature. You will also want to get some wood chips ready. The smoke from the wood of orchard fruits can add fantastic flavor to steaks. Soak about 1 cup cherry or apple wood chips in water for at least 30 minutes before grilling.

If you have a Kalamazoo Outdoor Gourmet Hybrid Grill, we suggest you grill your steaks directly over hardwood chunks or limbs from hickory, apple or cherry trees.

About 20 minutes before the grill is ready, rinse the steaks briefly in cold water and dry them thoroughly with paper towels. Brush the steaks lightly with olive oil and season with sea salt. Let the steaks rise to room temperature.

Preheat the grill for direct grilling over a high fire. For gas grilling, the grill should be the right temperature when you can comfortably hold your hand a few inches above the cooking surface for about 4 seconds before pulling it away. For wood or charcoal grilling, the solid fuel should be ramping down in temperature rather than up before you start testing for the 4-second rule.

About 10 minutes before the grill is ready, add the soaked wood chips on top of the wood or charcoal fire or to your grill's smoking tray. If you do not have a smoking tray in your grill, you can purchase one that sits on top of your grilling surface or create smoking envelopes.

Step Three: Grilling the Steaks

The chart below recommends some "standard" cooking times. Because there is no such thing as a "standard" fire, you will need to learn the typical times for your grill, but these times are a good starign point.

Add the steaks to the grill. When cooking steaks to different temperatures, start the steaks that should be more-done first. Add the steaks that are to be less done at the appropriate intervals so that all of the steaks are finished at the same time.

Turn the steaks only once at the appropriate interval, and keep the grill hood closed while cooking.

Steak Grilling Times
Thickness	Temperature	Time per Side
1"	Rare	3 1/2 minutes
	Medium	4 1/2 minutes
	Well	6 minutes
1 1/4"	Rare	4 minutes
	Medium	5 minutes
	Well	6-7 minutes
1 1/2"	Rare	4 1/2 minutes
	Medium	6 minutes
	Well	7-8 minutes
1 3/4"	Rare	5 minutes
	Medium	7 minutes
	Well	8-9 minutes

Step Four: Resting the Steaks

When done, remove the steaks from the grill directly to a platter. Do not cut into the steaks. Cover the platter loosely with a tinfoil "tent" and let the steaks "rest" for 2 to 3 minutes before serving. Please note that the steaks will continue to "cook through" as you let them rest. The times on the chart above account for this factor.

Steak Temperature

The steaks should be nicely marked on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. While we have provided times for well-done steaks, we hate to see them cooked that way. It is more difficult to achieve a tender and juicy steak when it is grilled to well done. If you anticipate requests for well done steaks, select thinner cuts for those individuals and thicker cuts for those who like their steaks between medium and rare.

The times and thicknesses above are a guide, but you may find slight differences when working with your grill. The most experienced grill chefs use their sense of touch to determine the temperature or "doneness."

You can gauge the temperature of a steak by poking it with your finger. The more done a steak is, the more firm. A good reference is the muscle in your palm that is the base of your thumb. The meaty part of that muscle is similar in firmness to a good steak. When your thumb and hand are relaxed, the way the muscle feels when you poke it with the index finger of your other hand is how a rare steak will feel on the grill. If you stiffen up the muscle, then it will feel like a well done steak. In between the two will feel like medium.

With a little practice you can pull steaks off the grill at just the right moment every time.