There’s nothing like firing up the grill on a hot summer’s day.
However, if you’re new to cooking steak on the grill, you might be wondering: Do you close the grill when cooking steak?
In this article, I will cover some key information about cooking steak, including whether you close the grill when cooking steak.
Let’s get into it.
Do You Close The Grill When Cooking Steak?
The short answer to this question is that it depends on the steak in question! If it’s a thin steak that grills more quickly, then you can leave the grill open. However, when it comes to cooking thick steaks, you should close the grill lid.
This comes down to the fact that thinner steaks are easier to overcook, and don’t need nearly as much time on the grill. As a result, you will want to make sure that you keep a close eye on your steak as it cooks, meaning that you should leave the grill open. This way, you can remove the steak when it is still juicy.
On the other hand, as a rule, the thicker the cut, the longer the steak will take to grill. While you still need to be careful when cooking thick steak, you will want to close the grill to ensure that it cooks as thoroughly as you want it, depending on your preference for rare, medium rare, or medium meat.
Closed Grill Cooking Method
Before you grill, you will need to season and refrigerate your steak for three to eight hours.
It is important to note that you will need to remove it from the refrigerator an hour before you are ready to grill the steak and allow it to come to room temperature.
This will not only reduce the overall cooking time, but will also mean that the steak cooks more evenly. If you cook a cold steak, the outside of the steak will sear and become charred on the grill while the inside remains cold and raw, meaning that the overall cooking time will take significantly longer.
For the best results, then, you should take your steak out of the refrigerator beforehand to allow it to come to temperature.
Step One – Preheat Your Grill
Before you can begin grilling, you need to get your grill nice and hot.
Step Two – Sear Your Steak
Once your grill is hot, it’s time to sear your steak on both sides.
Step Three – Check The Temperature Of Your Steak To Determine Cooking Time
Once you have seared both sides of your steak, you will need to check the temperature of your steak with a temperature probe.
As cooking times will vary on the size of your steak, this will help you to gauge how much longer you need to cook your steak for.
Step Four – Close The Grill Lid
Place your steak back onto the grill, and allow it to cook. When you close the grill lid, the grill becomes similar to an oven, providing heat around the whole steak.
Step Six – Check The Temperature Of The Steak Again
Check the temperature again, and if it’s 145 °F, it’s ready to remove from the grill.
Step Seven – Allow The Steak To Rest
Once you have removed the steak from the grill, it’s time to let it rest. How long you should allow your steak to rest will depend on the size of the steak. A good rule to follow is one minute for every 100 grams.
Step Eight – Eat And Enjoy
Once you have allowed your steak to rest, tuck in and enjoy!
Open Grill Cooking Method
When using the open grill cooking method, you will want to season your steak with salt and then refrigerate it for up to 4 hours.
An hour before you’re ready to grill, you need to remove your steak from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature.
Step One – Preheat The Grill
To begin, you will need to preheat your grill to 500°F.
Step Two – Pat Steaks Dry With Paper Towels
Once you have preheated the grill and you’re ready to go, you will need to pat your steaks dry with paper towels.
Step Three – Sear The Steak On The Grill
Place the steak on the grill and sear for 90 seconds with the ends at 10 and 4 o’clock. Then you will need to turn the steak clockwise, with the ends at 2 and 8 o’clock to achieve beautiful grill lines.
Step Four – Flip The Steak Over And Sear The Other Side
Next, you will need to flip the steak over to sear the other side, and repeat the same steps to get those grill lines.
Step Five – Check The Temperature Of The Steak
To ensure that your steak is hot enough, check the internal temperature of the steak with a temperature probe.
Step Six – Remove From The Grill
If the steak is cooked to your liking and desired doneness, then you’re good to remove it from the grill.
Step Seven – Allow The Steak To Rest
Once you have removed the steak from the grill, you will need to allow it to rest for a few minutes.
Step Eight – Eat And Enjoy
Once you have allowed your steak to rest, serve it up, eat, and enjoy!
Notes When Cooking Steak
Always Remove It From The Refrigerator Beforehand
You should always make sure that you remove your steak from the refrigerator before you are ready to grill it.
This will allow the steak to come up to room temperature, and will result in a much more even cook. If you fail to do this, and end up cooking a cold steak, you will likely end up with an uneven steak, or a steak that you need to overcook to ensure that the middle is done.
Internal Temperature
The internal temperature of your steak will depend on how you like it cooked.
Rare steak = 125°- 130°F.
Medium rare steak = 130°F – 135°F.
Medium steak = 145°F.
In Summary
Whether you close the grill lid or leave it open will depend on the steak that you are cooking. If it’s a thin steak, then it is likely that you will want to keep the grill open to ensure you are less likely to overcook the steak.
Hopefully after reading this article you have a better understanding of cooking steak with the grill open and closed.
Experiment with both cooking methods with different cuts of steak to find out your favorite.
Good luck grilling your steak and enjoy!
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