Grilling Steak Temperature Medium Rare

How To Grill Steak On A Charcoal Grill

Nothing beats the subtle smokey flavor of steak grilled on charcoal. If you own a charcoal grill, you dont have to visit a fancy restaurant every time you crave a scrumptious medium-rare steak. You only need to learn how to grill steak on a charcoal grill, then you can cook any kind of steak on your patio, from t-bone and striploin to good old porterhouse and ribeye.

Plus, all you need is a sturdy charcoal grill and a few ingredients. It is the ingredients, the technique, and the quality of meat you pick from the grocery store that will determine how good your steak tastes. Also, there are different types of steaks, and it would help if you could tell their differences when you go shopping at the grocers. The bottom line is, with a few tips, anyone can cook some delicious steak from home on their charcoal grill.

Whats Wrong With A Well

Although the cooked steak is hard, dry and tasteless, there will always be those who insist that the steaks are cooked in this way. The result is that the inside of a well-cooked steak has a uniform gray color, and the steak itself is tough, tough, tasteless and dry. This is not cooking its a murder fire.

How Do You Cook A 1 Inch Steak Medium

On order to achieve the perfect medium-rare steak, sear it in a pan for 12-14 minutes for a 1-inch steak and 14-16 minutes for a 112-inch steak, flipping it once at the halfway mark. A meat thermometer should read 130 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover your steaks with aluminum foil for 5 minutes before serving to allow them to rest.

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How To Cook Steak Well

Well-done steak has gotten a bad rap, with some chefs even refusing to cook the meat to this doneness. It may seem well-done would be the easiest to cook, but in actuality, it is the hardest as cooking until the meat is no longer pink and not drying it out is a challenge. The secret is to do it low and slowthe only way to prevent burning while fully cooking it through the middle.

This steak should not be burnt on the outside. While there is not the faintest hint of pink in the middle, it should be browned through, not burnt through. This steak will feel solid to the touch.

For a 1-inch steak, grill over medium heat between 10 and 12 minutes per side. It should reach an internal temperature of 170 F or higher.

Is It Important To Let The Steaks Rest

Yes. The steak actually continues to cook during those few minutes. This continuation of cooking is great because it doesnt dry out the steak, as it would by simply leaving it on the grill longer. Cutting into the steak interrupts that last little period of cooking by releasing the heat inside the steak. Trust me, let it rest a few minutes and your steak will turn out perfect.

If you like this recipe, you may also be interested in these other delicious grilling recipes:

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Specialty Methods For Cooking Ribeye Steak

Traditional methods will give any steak connoisseur a wonderful meal, however, there are also new techniques that inspire cooking innovation and provide their own unique flavor. With each method, your steak should be completely thawed in the refrigerator for at least 24 hours. Remove the Ribeye from the refrigerator 3040 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Season your steaks to your liking we recommend using our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.

For perfect doneness, we recommend using a meat thermometer.

Take the cooking process a step further with the professional reverse sear Ribeye method.

Just What Is Medium Rare Anyways

Medium rare is a shorthand term used to describe the degree of doneness of a cut of beef. While the broad definition is fine and dandy, calling a steak cut medium-rare doesnt convey much without a few key points of reference. Heat wise, the temperature of a medium-rare steak cut will reach a maximum of 130-140 degrees Fahrenheit. Visually, a medium-rare steak will have a medium pink to red center and will be warm to the touch. Contrary to popular belief, the cut will not be red meat, undercooked meat, or raw meat, but rather, have a light pink center thats safe to eat.

The benefits of cooking medium-rare steaks are numerous. The temperature of a medium-rare steak is just hot enough to allow the marbling, or fat, to melt into the meat and distribute flavor and juiciness. Cook steak to medium or well-done, and youll most likely get a tough piece of meat that will give your jaw muscles a workout. Cook a steak less than medium-rare, and the fat doesnt have the same opportunity to distribute not to mention, you will also be jamming a hunk of cold squishy beef in your mouth.

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Grill Temperatures & Times For The Perfect Steak

Grilling season is in full swing and although you may be a pro at just “eyeballing” whether or not your steak is done, we’re here to give you a quick cheat sheet on the ideal grill temperatures and grill times to get the perfect steak every time .

Ideal Grill Temperature

Grill temperatures depend on the thickness of the cut of meat. Although it may seem counter intuitive, it’s important to understand that thicker slabs of meat require lower heat while thinner cuts require hotter temperatures.

• 1/2 Inch Thick. For those grilling on charcoal grills, make sure that the coals are medium-hot and not covered with ash as this can lower the temperature. The surface temperature of the meat will be around 425 to 450 degrees.

• 3/4 to 1 Inch Thick. Make sure you have medium temperature coals with a light dusting of ash. The temperature should be anywhere from 360 to 400 degrees based on what type of meat you are grilling.

• 3/4 to 1 Inch Thick. Allow for medium-low coals in your charcoal grill and check to make sure there is a solid layer of ash on top so that the temperature of your grill stays between 325 and 350. This temperature setting is ideal for medium-rare to rare-cooked steaks.

Grill Times Per Type of Steak

For other types of cuts such as t-bone or flank steak, you can get a better idea of how to cook them based on the information above. Just be sure to understand what you and your guests want and base your cook time off of that as well as how thick the cut of meat is.

The Best Cuts For Grilling

First, lets talk beef: rib-eye, strip and tenderloin are all great cuts for the grill. If you choose bone-in steaks, keep in mind that they take longer to cook. Look for good marbling to guarantee a juicy and tender cut. And ideally, steaks should be at 1 1/2 to 2 inches thick to form a nice charred crust without overcooking.

Flank, skirt and hanger steaks are also great on the grill. These thinner cuts are best marinated, grilled quickly over high heat and sliced against the grain to serve.

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The Science Behind The Temp

As it turns out, the medium rare steaks being the most appetizing to our palates has a lot to do with the science behind the meat and less to do with personal preference. The proteins responsible for muscle contraction, Myosin and Actin for you biology lovers out there, denatures, or break down, at different temperatures. The breakdown of these proteins changes the consistency and taste of the meat. As it turns out, most people like their steaks with more Actin and less Myosin, a happy little window that magically appears right around 135 degrees, or the temperature of medium rare steak. Go figure

Moisture is also a consideration when it comes to preference. When you cook a steak to medium-rare the internal temperature isnt raised to a point that allows excess moisture to escape through vapor or steam, keeping your steak juicy and flavorful. Medium or, gasp, well-done steak not only exceeds the just right zone of protein balance, but it also causes moisture to evaporate from your meat, creating the potential for a chewy, tasteless disaster.

How To Make Good Steak

Medium-rare beefsteak is cooked to a temperature of 135 degrees Fahrenheit . This is the perfect temperature to cook a steak. Medium rare means the meat should be cooked to a temperature that is between a medium and rare. But dont let the meat stay at this temperature for too long, or youll overcook the meat. If youre making steak at home, a great tip is to cook the steak at room temperature for 20 minutes. This is called refrigerator to plate cooking. Youll need to place the steak in the refrigerator for five to ten minutes before grilling. If you want to serve your steak at room temperature, then place it back in the oven for five to 10 minutes at the temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit . You can also place the steak in a cold oven for 20 minutes and then turn off the heat. For information on grilling and serving, check out these videos: How to grill a steak for a backyard barbecue, or Grill steak.

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What About Seasonings And Rubs

Seasoning blends and steakhouse rubs are for inferior cuts of meat. You invested in a good steak, so why would you cover up that flavor with a bunch of spices? Marinades are great for thin cuts of tough meat, like flank steak or skirt steak. Thats not what were going for today.

Salt only! And dont smother the poor thing in gravy or steak sauce when youre done, either!

Tips For Grilling The Perfect Steak

• Season, then chill: I apply the same technique I use for getting crispy chicken and turkey skin to grilling this steak: season, then let it chill in the fridge uncovered for up to 48 hours. This essentially dry brines the steak while also letting it air-dry. This approach allows the surface moisture to evaporate while the seasoning has time to penetrate the meat resulting in deeply flavored steak that sears beautifully and develops a nice crust on the grill.
• Start with clean grates: Just like you use a clean skillet with a little oil to cook dinner on the stovetop, you want to start with clean and oiled grill grates.
• To flip or not to flip? Flip your steak to your hearts content. Harold McGee, food science writer and author of On Food and Cooking, discovered that frequent flipping creates a steak that cooks more evenly and quickly than those flipped only once.
• Grilling directly on coals: Raichlen seemingly knows an infinite number of ways to grill meat, and theres one in his new book, Project Fire , that I particularly like: he cooks steak directly on hot coalsno grill grates necessary. I love the idea, and its on my list of things to try in the near future.

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Setting The Temperature To Grill Steak On A Gas Grill

Judging how well a steak is done only by its cooking time is a common mistake. The temperature to grill a steak varies according to the steaks size and thickness, type, and shape of the cut .

To ensure you prepare a perfect BBQ steak, here are the necessary temperature settings to grill your steak on a gas grill. Generally the thicker the steak, the lower the temperature you need to grill a steak.

How To Cook Perfect Medium Rare Steak On Gas Grill

Place the steaks on the grill and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until they are golden brown and slightly scorched.Turn the steaks over and continue to grill for 3 to 5 minutes longer for medium-rare , 5 to 7 minutes longer for medium , or 8 to 10 minutes longer for medium-well .

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Always Use A Thermapen

None of these steps are possible with inferior thermometers. The difference between using a Thermapen or Classic Thermapen to check your steaks on the grill and using a dial thermometer or a competitive digital thermometer is like the difference between using an electric drill to drill a hole in the wall and spinning a sharp stick between your hands. Using the right tool for a job makes getting the right results easy.

Unlike other thermometers you might have in your home, Thermapens have a professional-grade thermocouple in the very tip of the probe. That thermocouple gets to within ±0.7°F accuracy in 2-3 seconds. But once it comes to temperature, it shows you changes in temperature in real time. Thermometers with 10+ second response times dont show you the gradients as you pull them through a steak. They are still trying to recalibrate to each new temperature. Your hand starts to scorch as you wait for the reading to update and you never have confidence that the number you saw was accurate.

But finding the thermal center of a steak is easy with a Super-Fast Thermapen, which makes getting perfect steaks a reality. And that little change just might make a difference in your life!

Sous Vide Ribeye Steak

Using the sous vide method to cook a Ribeye is the best way to ensure that your steak is cooked evenly to your desired degree of doneness throughout, without overcooking or losing any flavor. Sous vide uses a low-heat, long-time cooking process which allows for evenly cooked steaks from end to end and guarantees every bite is as tender and juicy as the first.

Note: Steaks cooked under 130°F should not be cooked longer than 2& frac12 hours at a time due to food safety concerns.

Here are the steps to follow when using the sous vide method:

Prepare It

• Preheat your water bath: Fill your sous vide container up with warm water and set the sous vide device to the appropriate temperature for the desired doneness. The sous vide device should be set as follows:
• Medium-Well: 145°F
• All our products arrive vacuum-sealed in sous-vide-ready, heat-stable packaging, allowing you to simply add them to the water bath and cook to your desired degree of doneness. However, if you have the means to repackage your steaks into sous vide heat-stable bags at home, we recommend seasoning your steaks with Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning for an enhanced flavor, prior to cooking in the sous vide. Another option is to add fresh herbs and a Kansas City Steak Finishing Butter, along with your raw steak, into the heat-stable vacuum seal bag before sealing.
• After thawing, bringing to room temperature, seasoning, and preheating the sous vide you’re ready to start cooking.

Cook It

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What Temperature Do You Cook Steak On A Gas Grill

For a gas grill, the ideal temperature for cooking a steak ranges between 450°F to 500°F. The duration of the cooking time depends on the thickness of the steak. However, make sure to close the lid of the grill once you have added the meat to it. Open the lid after a few minutes, flip the meat, and then close the lid again.

How To Cook Ribeye Steak On The Stove

Pan-Seared Method

Looking to test out some Ribeye steak recipes on your stovetop? A pan-seared Ribeye boasts a mouthwatering flavor, giving your meat a rich golden-brown color and enhanced taste.

Be sure your steak is completely thawed before cooking. We recommend thawing in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Once thawed, remove your steak from the refrigerator for 3040 minutes before cooking to bring to room temperature. Season your steak as desired we recommend a generous serving of our Kansas City Steak Original Steak Seasoning.

Here is how to cook a Ribeye on the stove to achieve the best results:

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Checking The Internal Temperature

To check the internal cooking temperature of the meat, insert a digital instant-read meat thermometer, such as the ThermoPro Digital Instant Read Cooking Thermometer, through the side of the steak until it reaches the center. Remove the steak once the center reaches the desired temperature. To allow the meat to continue to cook to the desired temperature and to retain the meats succulence, let the meat to rest for 2 to 3 minutes before cutting.

How To Use A Meat Thermometer

Never used a meat thermometer before? Our Food Editor’s got you covered. “To get the most accurate temperature reading, place the thermometer in the meat while it’s still cooking in the pan, oven, or on the grill. Do not take it off the heat before gauging the temperature.”

The most important thing to remember is to insert your thermometer into the thickest part of the meat, avoiding any bones or fat. “With most thermometers, you need to insert the probe at least 1/2-inch into the meat. If your cut is thicker than an inch, you will want to go even deeper to reach the very center,” our Food Editor writes.

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How To Cook Rare Steak

A steak done rare isn’t requested that often it is for the true carnivore who wants something nearly raw but gets it cooked as little as possible. A rare steak should be warm through the center, lightly charred on the outside, browned around the sides, and bright red in the middle. The meat should be soft to the touch, much like raw meat, but browned over the surface.

For a 1-inch steak, place steak on a hot grill for 5 minutes. Turn and continue grilling for another 3 minutes. Cook to an internal temperature of 120 to 130 F .

The Spruce Eats / Diana Chistruga