I cooked: Steaks on the Barbeque

After tasting the fantastic steaks from Prime, Hubby was convinced that we should start cooking our steaks on the barbeque. Since this was going to be our first time cooking steaks over a charcoal grill, we searched on the internet for timings for medium rare and medium steaks. For a 1 inch steak, 2-3 minutes on each side was recommended for medium rare and 4-5 minutes for medium.

Grilling a steak is not as easy as it sounds, and definitely takes practice to perfect. I think it depends very much on your grill, so it may take a few trials before you achieve the desired doneness. Following the recommended times, 2 minutes each side on the grill actually gave us a medium steak (and not medium rare). So, we shortened the cooking time to 1 1/2 minutes each side during the next round and produced medium rare steaks.

I will probably invest in an instant-read food thermometer soon to help me in my quest of cooking the perfect steak. Using a food thermometer to measure the internal temperature of the steak would probably be the best way to tell the doneness of the steak. (Core temperature of 55°C for medium rare and 60°C for medium)

Medium steak - pink hot centre

Medium rare steak - red warm centre

How to Grill a steak on the BBQ (The Basics)

1. Choose a steak with thin streaks of fat running through as this soft internal fat will partially melt during cooking, avoiding the steak from drying out.

2. Allow the steak to reach room temperature before grilling it. The meat can become tough if it goes straight from the fridge to the barbeque. Season the steaks with some olive oil, and black pepper just before cooking.

3. Fire up the barbeque and wait until the charcoal turns an ashy white. As a general guide, you should be able to hear a sizzle as the steak hits the hot surface. The heat seals the surface, trapping the juices inside.

Flip over once only

4. Cook the steak on the barbeque to your preferred doneness, using long-handled tongs to turn the steak.

5. Let the steaks rest for 5 minutes before serving. This allows the juices to distribute evenly throughout the steak, keeping it juicy and tender. Season with salt and serve with your choice of side dishes.

Steaks cooked on a charcoal grill definitely beats one cooked in the oven grill.


Grilled corn