Originally posted on 05/28/2017:

Quote Originally Posted by Shute View Post
1. Take steaks out of fridge and let them sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes.
2. Liberally add salt and pepper to each side.
3. Crank up heat on grill to 500 degrees.
4. Grill each side and flip only once to desired wellness
5. Let steaks sit for 15 minutes before cutting into them, allows juices to redistribute
This is good stuff but let me add a few things. When should you add salt? That is an often question for cooks. In my experience the longer you salt the more aged a meat will taste. Chicken will taste a little saltier if you season right before cooking. Chicken seasoned in advance will be more flavorful and balanced, so I always season chicken in advance. Steak seasoned right before cooking has a more bright, sharp flavor whereas steak seasoned in advance seems more "aged". The difference is subtle and both are good, so try both. If you are cooking pork, you should always season right before cooking. It will be more moist and flavorful. If you salt in advance it will be dry and grainy. If you are cooking lamb it's the opposite, season in advanced and it will be much more flavorful and tasty.

In summary, I season lamb the day before. Try to season chickens the day before, if you have the time, and season steaks and pork right before searing.

When cooking steaks, dry and high is the key. You want to make sure the steak is dry on the grill instead of wet because if it's wet then you are steaming the steak instead of searing. Dry off any marinade or excess blood before putting on the grill. One of the best grills to cook steak on is the Big Green Egg. For steak, you want high temperatures 650 to 725 F. Use a thermometer to monitor temperature the first time you cook but after a while you should know how long to leave them on the grill. I cook 4 minutes on each side of 1 inch thick steaks and they come out medium for me. Results will vary, so experiment.

You want the perfect steak? I have a Traeger pellet grill. It is awesome for cooking chicken, and any slow roasting (ribs, roasts, brisket, etc.) it cooks any and everything great with the exception of steak because the temps do not get high enough ( goes to only about 500 F). But the Traeger is the best grill to cold smoke meats, especially salmon. So I use the Traeger to cold smoke the steak first. It adds smoke including a smoke ring but it does not heat the steak. This infuses whatever flavor you like. I'll smoke for 30 - 60 minutes using mesquite, hickory, cherry, apple, etc., first. This is like getting it to room temperature. I then pat dry and put in the green egg and cook. You will never, ever taste a better steak using this method.