I've cooked my fair share of steaks over the past few decades. Some came out fantastic, while others were either too dry or lacked the proper flavor needed to truly stand out. Eventually my efforts grew more consistent as time passed, but I always wondered how my earlier attempts would have fared had I received some sage words of wisdom from some steak grilling professionals.
When I go to a steakhouse, it bums me out how noticeably different tastes, textures, and sears are on a steak compared to my paltry attempt at home.
LongHorn Steakhouse is an iconic restaurant chain that's known for serving up juicy filets of beef by the hundreds on a daily basis. The chain began celebrating what they're calling Grill Legends, grill cooks at the restaurant who have put in the hours and hit the incredible landmark of cooking up more than one million steaks.
Only four grill masters, out of thousands, have achieved this milestone.
I spoke to Grill Master Legends, and asked them to share with me the wisdom they gained through cooking steaks at such a high volume for a majority of their life. Here's what they had to say:
Simi Tamaseu (Jacksonville Beach, FL)
Cardinal rules of steak:
"It’s important to have the right grill to cook on. Whether it’s a flat top grill or a char grill, make sure your cooking surface is clean, with a nice high temperature (around 500-550 degrees)."
Other tips include:
- Make sure you're picking the right size of steak for what you're cooking. If you’re cooking a rare steak, choose a thicker cut of beef.
- Always use fresh steaks, never frozen.
Mike Mort (Rome, GA)
Cardinal rules of steak:
"Always apply bold seasonings to the steak, coating both sides of the meat thoroughly because some of the seasoning will fall off the steak if using a char grill. I also like to put steaks in different zones on the grill to help me remember which ones are rare, medium rare, medium, medium well or well done. That way, we can always ensure a guest gets their steak just like they ordered."
Other tips include:
- Pick the right steak for the right temperature. (Well,thinner) (Rare, thicker)
- Flat iron steak is a cheap cut of steak that cooks very well and is one of the most popular.
- The perfect resting time for a steak is immediately, timed for about three minutes for it to travel from the grill to the table.
Choya Phillips (Madison, TN)
Cardinal rules of steak:
"You have to really respect the time and make sure every steak you cook is pretty much right. If you're not taking your time, you can pretty much mess up any steak."
Other tips include:
- Ribeye steaks have the best marbling.
- Take your time selecting the right cut of steak before cooking.
- The perfect resting time is no more than 5 minutes after its off the grill.
Kurt Frazer (Covington, GA)
Cardinal rules of steak:
"When grilling a steak on a char grill, always make sure the grill is hot [and clean]. That way, you can get a nice sear on the steak."
Other tips include:
- There are no specific steaks that are great for beginners, you just have to jump in there and get familiar with the trend of the cook. You just keep doing it each day until you master it.
- It's a matter of what technique works for you.
- Take the steak out of the fridge for about 30 minutes before going on the grill.
