Need grilling advice.

[MountainManWannabe]

My parents are bringing over some nice ribeye steaks for dinner on the fourth.
I've been put in charge of grilling them.

I consider myself to be a competent cook. In fact, I take a lot of pride in my abilities. Still, I'm looking at a good $40 worth of meat and it seems like a lot can go wrong. The weight of the responsibility is stressing me out.

Anyone have any advice or pointers? I wasn't planning on any kind of marinade or rub except for maybe a little salt and pepper. I'll be using propane and shooting for two of them medium and two medium rare.

The big problem I ran into last time I tried something like this was flare ups on the grill.

 

[Edcculus]

Just S&P for seasoning is the way go go. I like to sear the meat on a really hot part of the grill first. ~2 min per side should give you nice grill marks and a good sear. After that, move them to a cooler section of the grill. Cook to an internal temp of 145 for medium rare and 160 for medium. To contend with flareups, use a squirt bottle filled with water.

 

[humann_brewing]

my classic and fantastic rib eye is first rub with freshly ground pepper and kosher salt.

Turn the grill on high, you want it over 550 and sear the meat for 2-3 minutes per side turning a quarter turn after half way to give those grill marks that Steven Raichlen likes so much.

Test for doneness with your finger poke test and see if it needs to come off sooner.

 

[jpc]

The most important thing, IMO: Put the salt (kosher only, please!) on about 20 minutes before grilling. Use a good amount, and cover both sides. The 20 minutes is important because the salt will draw out the moisture, then dissolve, then the salt-containing moisture will redistribute into the meat.

Then, as others have said, sear on high for two minutes at the 10:00 position, then rotate to the 2:00 position for two minutes more, then flip and turn down the heat to medium.

 

[Edcculus]

Yea, forgot to add that tidbit. Kosher salt is the key. Table salt grains are way too small and will dissolve onto the meat. Kosher salt on the other hand won't fully dissolve since the granules are a bit bigger and more jagged. The moisture that it does draw out aids in the maillard reactions forming that tasty crust on the outside of the meat.

 

[Gregscsu]

Let the meat warm before placing it on the grill, and pat them dry with a paer towel right before seasoning and placing on the grill, this process will help you achieve a bettere sear on the steaks.
Grill over high heat 550 degrees or more to sear each side then move to a cooler part of the grill or the oven to complete cooking them. Once removed from the heat cover with foil and let them rest for 5 minutes prior to serviing, this allows the juices to redistribute throughout the steak, cut them early and you will have dry steak.

 

[slowjeep]

Great advice so far, all I can add is one thing. It is an important step for juicy meat of any sort, yet sadly very few of my friends remember to do it. Take the meat off the grill BEFORE it is fully cooked. Put it on a plate and sit it in the microwave for at least 5 minutes. DO NOT TURN THE MICROWAVE ON, just let the meat set there for a few minutes to finish cooking and let the juices redistribute. The microwave is a good place because it retains the heat, the oven works very well too. Oh yeah, do not use a fork to turn your meat either. Probably everyone knows that, but its worth stating anyways.

And don't stress about grilling, the more you stress the more chance you have to second guess yourself when it comes to how well done the meat is.