Grilling question

[BobT]

I've been looking at some recipes for charcoal grilling and noticed a common denominator. Why do so many of them recommend brushing the meat with oil before seasoning or grilling? I've never done this. Also, is there a preferred type of oil to use?

[Smoker]

The oil will help keep it from sticking to the grat and it will also hold onto the seasonings better. Any oil will work from what I am told but I use virgin oil.

[BobT]

Are there oils available that don't add flavors? I'd be concerned about making a steak taste like soybeans, if you know what I mean.

[Jim Almquist]

I have used many different types of oils on all sorts of meat and can't really say that I have been able to detect the flavor of the oil on any of them but it does seem to help the sear and sticking to the grill.

[BobT]

Thanks for the tips. I might try it the next time.

On a similar note, one time when a neighbor invited us over for dinner, he prepared steaks on the grill. In his case he used a gas grill. At one point during the cooking process the meat drippings erupted into flame and it flared up pretty good. He actually had a bit of a struggle to control the flame but I'll tell you that those turned out to be terrific steaks! I think the rapid fire seared them and I like the flavor of the charred meat. I'd like to be able to recreate the flair-up.

One thought I had was to brush the meat with some kind of alcohol but I'm not sure what to use. I've considered some kind of wine, bourbon, or whiskey like maybe Jack Daniels. I'm not a liquor drinker so I'm not sure about the flavors I'd get from them. Would this idea work to cause my coals to flair and sear the meat? Any thoughts?

Thanks,

[flyfisher03]

What you can do is have a 2 zone fire one side scorching hot and the other side cooler. Start your steaks on the hot side and sear them on both sides then move them to the cooler part of your grill until the desired temperature.

[Swimbait2009]

His steaks were also probably well marbled with fat. I'm going to guess ribeyes. A lean cut like tenderloin will not render any fat, and thus less flare up. The key to great steaks is always a very hot fire! Depending upon the thickness of the steak, you'll want to sear the steak first (this will help seal in the juices) and then finish it on the cooler side of the grill...with the cover CLOSED! Typically flare-ups are undesirable due to their unpredictable nature. A HOT fire with a closed lid will accomplish the same effect in a more controlled manner. If you're not getting a good sear on your steaks, then your grill is probably not hot enough.

Olive oil is going to be your best oil to use on your grilled steaks.

Try this with a porterhouse steak sometime:

Brush a thin coat of olive oil on your steak, and season with salt and pepper. Put about 1/8 - 1/4 cup of olive oil in a dish and put some garlic and coarsely chopped rosemary and sage in the dish. Grill steak to just medium rare(turning only once of course), and then transfer to the dish with the herbs and oil. Flip steak over a couple times to coat, and tightly cover the dish with foil. Allow the steak to rest for 5-10 minutes depending on thickness, and serve on separate plate. This post-grill "marinade" is to die for!

Another couple notes for perfectly grilled steaks is to allow the meat to come to room temp before grilling. This keeps the meat from shedding its moisture when it goes over the flame (that's what causes grey livery tasting steak). Also, take your meat off the grill a couple minutes BEFORE you think it's done, and let it rest tented with foil for about 10 minutes. The heat from the grill forces all the juice into the center of the meat, and if you don't let it rest, the juice will come pouring out en masse when you cut into the steak for the first time. The resting process will actually finish cooking the steak, and will allow the juices to redistribute themselves throughout the meat. Finally, don't cut into your steak to check for doneness. Learn to use the "poke test". A steak will become firmer as it cooks. Squeeze the flesh between your thumb and forefinger with your hand in a natural position. This is about how a medium rare steak should feel when it's ready to come off the grill. Some trial and error will turn you into a magician!

[Cicada]

The alcohol treatment probabbly won't help with the flameup. The combustbale part is the alcohol and it will evaprorate first. It may flare up, but not for long enough to help in the searing process. You may add flavor to the steaks, though. Kind of like cooking brats in beer.

[Redlantern]

I recommend a book called Real Grilling. Not so much for the recipes but for the techniques and reasons behind them. I found it to be pretty helpful.

[BobT]

Thanks. I'll check it out.

[SkunkedAgain]

I never brush my meats...

The keys seems to be to get the grill as hot as possible. That keeps the meat from sticking in my experience. Once they start to sear on the outside, I turn the temperature down to medium or low to let them cook through until they are a perfect medium-rare for me, medium-well for my beautiful bride.

[Big Dave2]

Swimbait said it all. Follow his advise to a T and you will cook awesome steaks.

I cook over lump charcoal and when I am going to cook my favorite steak(ribeye!)I light lots of coals and get the fire as hot as I can, around 500+ degrees works good. About 5 to 7 minutes on each side depending on the steak and a few minutes on the cool side of the grill to finish and it and it will be awesome. I also put a little bit of oak or apple wood on the coals to get just a hint of smoke flavor too.

A friend of mine owns a meat market and he brought over some ribeyes about 3 weeks ago for me to grill and by the time we were done eating he was convinced that he needed to buy a charcoal grill instead of the gas one he has.

[Fish Head]

3 key points to grilling a good steak that were previously mentioned.

1. Bring your steak to room temperature.

2. Make sure your grill is HOT. 500+ degrees.

3. Take them off a couple minutes early and let them rest 8-10 minutes under foil.

I like Swimbaits idea for the post grill marinade. I've never tried that, I but I think I will.

[BobT]

I may not have been getting things quite hot enough. I'll try your advice the next time. I've never had trouble with sticking to the grill though.

[pikestabber]

Oil! Oil! Oil!

Oil and salt are all you need to maximize steak potential--all other seasonings you like are fine and should be used at your discretion--the use of oil isn't for the meat sticking so much as it is for creating a full bodied sear--the oil heats up and sears the entire steak creating a great texture and flavor--you won't taste the oil, per se, and it won't be greasy, so no worries there. I love a good med-rare to rare steak, so I use (very hot) coals and sear on each side for 2.5 minutes. Fishhead's points are great ones--room temp to start or your meat won't sear properly, and always let your meat rest! It will continue to cook as it rests, but more importantly, it will allow the juices to redistribute to the rest of the steak making it juicier. NEVER cut into your steaks or pierce them as they cook--that is juice suicide!

Pork chops and chicken come out monumentally better and moister with a pre-rub of oil and seasoned salt. I use regular vegetable oil and have never had dry chicken or chops on the grill. I use a liberal rub of oil on all grilled meats. Try it!

[pikestabber]

Sorry, Swimbait--I just read your post and I basically just repeated you! You laid it out very clearly. I've not tried the post-marinade, but that sounds really good!

[Dark Cloud]

All great replys and advice!

One thing no one mentioned about meat sticking - Dont trurn your meat too soon. If you plop a burger or steak on the grill and try and turn it before it has seared, she's going to stick.

I dont know why but in all the restaurants I have worked in, that is one of the hardest thing to "train" out of people. They just want to keep turning things! Just put the meat on and go multi-task, lol...

That and squishing burgers with a spatula! At one place I had to remove all spatulas and made everyone use tongs for everything...

At home I have some non-stick spray I hit the grill with after a good cleaning once in a while also.

Letting steaks come up close to room temp before cooking really helps but even more important is the resting after you take it off the grill. The residual heat finishes cooking it and the juices redistribute so not as much runs all over your plate when you cut into it...

[BobT]

Flipping is for the flipping birds! That one I am fully aware of and it not only applies to meats. I find that too often I see people flipping pancakes over more than once. That turns them into flat no-life cakes. Want them to stay light and fluffy, don't flip them more than once.

[Harmonica Bear]

All great replys and advice!

I dont know why but in all the restaurants I have worked in, that is one of the hardest thing to "train" out of people. They just want to keep turning things! Just put the meat on and go multi-task, lol...

That and squishing burgers with a spatula! At one place I had to remove all spatulas and made everyone use tongs for everything...

HAHA that reminds of a comment Ice Shack baby said to me the other night when we were talking cooking and the use of spatulas squishing burgers (huge pet peave of mine). "Spatulas are made to go under the meat, not on top" I thought that was a pretty good line

[jltimm]

I tried the oiling thing, searing thing and letting them cool down under foil yesterday and the steaks didn't turn out very good at all. Last weekend they turned out much better without the oil.

[JacobMHD]

It definitely helps to have a good cut of meat. All of the above can be applied to a bottom cut and you'll still have a rough and chewey bottom cut. Now I'm not saying you need to eat tenderloins every night, but it is worth it to get a sirloin or tbone for steak night.

My recipe is this:

Worchestshire Sauce

Lawry's

Black Pepper

Take your steak of choice, massage the worchestshire sauce into the meat on one side and then liberally season with lawry's and black pepper. Flip the meat over and repeat. I'll let the meat rest for about 30 minutes and then I'll check to see if I need to add more lawry's.

Have the grill up to about 450 to 500 degrees. This can be checked by holding your hand over the grill for about 5 seconds. If you can't get to a five count, the grill is too hot. I'll then place the steaks on the grill and close the lid. After about 2.5 minutes I'll rotate (not flip) the steaks 45 degrees. This does two things, it gives the steak those neat diamond grill marks and assures even heating to the steak, and then I close the lid. After another 2 minutes or so, I'll flip the steak. I like to flip it to a new part of the grill so it can get a fresh sear but that's just me. After 2.5 minutes I rotate again and close the lid. From here on out I'm looking for a medium rare doneness. So I am comfortable with about another 2 minutes and then I'll give it the finger test as mentioned by a previous poster. Now comes the tough part. Remove the steaks from the grill, put on a plate, and cover it. You can use tin foil, a stainless steel bowl, or a lid from a pot and let it rest. This is by far the most important step. I like to wait 5 to 10 minutes.

None of this means abything if you like your steaks cooked past Med-Well.

[Swimbait2009]

I tried the oiling thing, searing thing and letting them cool down under foil yesterday and the steaks didn't turn out very good at all. Last weekend they turned out much better without the oil.

What went wrong specifically? Let us know how thick your steaks were, what cut, and how long you cooked them for...

[jltimm]

The steaks were about 3/4" thick. I think they were sirloins. I like my steaks rare and searing them for 2 minutes a side along with cooking them a short time (couple minutes) made them to done for my liking. I may try it again, but I don't think I'll do the oil thing ever again?

[Swimbait2009]

Definitely don't need to put them on the cooler side of the grill for steaks of that thickness if you want them to be rare. Learn to use the "push" test to know when they're done, as this will avoid cutting into the steaks to check them (and losing all those juices). I'll oil my cooking grates and not the steak usually. Drench a paper towel in oil and rub the grates before you put the steaks on, and it will give you bolder grill marks (if that trips your trigger), and will also help keep your steaks from sticking.

[McGurk]

I've used olive oil on my steaks for a few years, and have bought a 1/4 of beef each year for the last 3 years. I've never attributed oil to be the ruin of any piece of meat I've cgrilled, just inattentiveness.

-bring close to room temp naturally (no Microwaving!)

-light coating on all sides with EVOO

-light dusting of seasoning if preferred (garlic salt and pepper, or Montreal)

-allow to sit for 1/2 hour, flip, another 1/2 hour

-hot grill

-sear both sides hot and quick (2 minutes MAX per side at 5-600 degrees)

-either move to cool side of grill or turn down grill temp, finish there to desired doneness

-remove from grill and cover tightly with tin foil

-allow to rest for 8-10 minutes

-