An expertly charred steak fresh off the grill is the definition of summer. Still, grilling steak can be stressful and difficult, especially for novice grillers. If you have an irrational fear of grilling a steak and ruining it, this will be the summer you finally master steak on the grill, thanks to Ina Garten.
Ina revealed on Instagram that she was once afraid of grilling steaks, saying: “I used to be terrified of grilling. I would buy these beautiful steaks – and they are very expensive – and I would I was sure I was going to overcook them.” (So relevant!) Then she shared her tips for grilling a perfect steak every time, making it so achievable – it inspired me to run to my local butcher!
Ina Garten's tips for perfectly grilled steaks
Ina credits Lobel's Prime Meats for this foolproof method for grilling steaks. Here's what you do, and it couldn't be simpler:
- Ideally, start with steaks that are 1 1/2 inches thick. Ina prefers New York steaks.
- Set up your grill with two cooking zones: For a charcoal grill, place the hot coals on one side of the grill, leaving the other side bare. For a gas grill, turn the burners up on one side, leaving the other side off. One side of the grill, the hot zone, is intended for searing. The other side, the cold zone, is intended for gentle cooking.
- Place the steaks on the hot zone and sear them for exactly two minutes (like Ina, use a timer!) without moving them.
- Flip the steaks and sear the other side for exactly two minutes on the hot zone.
- Move the steaks to the cold zone and cover the grill with a lid. Cook them for eight minutes if you want them rare and 10 minutes medium rare.
