GRILLING STEAKS with CHARCOAL With Loretta Kent
When I think about summer, I think about family gatherings; and family gatherings would
not be complete unless we have something cooking on the grill. The smell of Hamburgers, Hot dogs, Chicken, and Steaks are the common food we smell in the air from the grill. Our grilling recipe will make an amateur like a grill master pro. Let’s get cooking!
Charcoal Grill T-Bone Steak
Equipment – Grill, Charcoal, digital meat thermometer
Use any cut of T-bone steak of your liking. I like thick so, so I grill 1-inch steaks.
Marinate your meat. It is easy to create your own marinate. (Or you can buy steak marinade)
Meat Marinate
¼ C brown sugar
1C olive oil
1C balsamic vinegar
1T mustard
1/2T salt
1T pepper
Whisk all the ingredients together. Place steak in a shallow bowl or 2-gallon freezer bag. Pour the marinade over the meat. Let the steak come to room temperature for at least 30 minutes to 2 hours. (Steak right out of the fridge will become tough and cook unevenly).
Prepare grill for grilling
The perfect grilled steaks start with the heat of your charcoal grill.
How to heat your coals for the charcoal grill. I use Kingsford’s charcoal. Anything else, in my opinion, is a waste of money.
Place your charcoal in a pile. Pour lighter fluid over your coals, just enough to get them wet, but not dripping wet. (If you are using Match Light, no need for lighter fluid). Light the coals. Once the fire goes out, spread your coals evenly on your grill. The coals are ready when most of the coals turn ashy white, not just white around the edges.
Once your steak has become room temperature, they are ready to place on the grill. Cook steaks with direct heat (Place the steaks directly over the heat. Indirect heat is when you place the coals on one side, and the food on the other and the smoke cooks the food; this is considered slow cooking). Sear for two to three minutes on both sides, for perfect grill marks. Do not move the steak while cooking. Close the lid to prevent flare-ups.
Once your steaks are properly seared, move them to the cooler side of the grate. Close the lid and continue to cook until done.
Using a digital instant-read meat thermometer, grill steak to the desired doneness; check the internal temperature of your steaks while they’re still on the grill. Insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the steak.
Rare - 130°F
Medium-rare - 135°F
Medium - 145°F
Medium well - 150°F
Well Done - 160°F
*NOTE* steaks will continue to rise a few degrees once they’re off the grill.
Remove the steaks from the grill, place them on the cutting board, and allow them to rest for five minutes. The reason it needs to rest is that the juices need time to redistribute. Otherwise, it will just flow away, leaving you with a brown, overcooked tough piece of meat.