Why do my steaks always come out well done even though I time them for medium rare? (ketchup, best)
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I just got a new Weber Charcoal grill for my home, and I have twice tried to grill steaks on there. I like my steak medium rare and my cousin even told me the time to cook it on each side for mid-rare, and that's what I did. Both times, I seasoned the steaks (NY Strip) before putting them on, preheated the grill on high heat, then turned the heat down once I put the steaks on and cooked for 5 minutes on each side (with a timer). However, both times the outside of the steak looked promising, but on the inside there was not a trace of pink. I just barely was able to eat it without ketchup. I don't exactly understand what I am doing wrong here. Should I be cooking the steaks for less time on each side? Is there a heating technique that I am getting wrong? I also had left the steaks out for around an hour before cooking and let them rest for about 5 mins. This is exactly what my cousin, a grilling expert, does, and he gets it medium rare every time without fail. I've ruined two good cuts of steak by cooking them until they're gray, and I really am hoping to get it right next time. These steaks were thin, by the way.
Maybe you are cooking them too long or at too high a temperature. As I understand it you need to include ‘resting’ time as part of the actual cooking time, but what do I know.
“Cooked meat should be allowed to “rest” after cooking and before cutting. This permits the juices to be reabsorbed into the fibers of the meat. If you skip resting, you will lose more flavorful juices when the meat is cut. The internal temperature of the meat will always continue to rise a little during the resting period, so you should remove your meat from the oven or grill prior to reaching its target doneness temperature. Otherwise, it will be overcooked. Knowing the amount of heat rise during resting takes some experience. Generally, the larger the mass of the meat, the more the temperature at the core will rise during resting. This carryover cooking is due to the latent heat that is already traveling through the meat toward the cooler center.”
well.....time depends on thickness....and also depends how hot the grill is..
I cook steak 3-4 times per week and sear the outside (whether im grilling or frying) then take off direct heat --it will still cook for a while...id rather under-cook that over cook I can always throw back on.
if you are doing this consistently then back off the time..
OP, do yourself a favor, buy an instant-read thermometer. Time is a variable that depends on Other factors (as said above, temp and thickness), but medium-rare is ALWAYS the same finish temperature. So, skip the variables, go with the constant and measure the temp.
I absolutely HATE eating when my dad tries to grill. Everything comes off raw. Everything. It's because he also tries to use "time", which, oddly, doesn't seem to work when he's grilling in sub-zero temps in during a Montana winter (when I tend to visit). Don't do that to other people. No reason to do that to yourself either...
OP, do yourself a favor, buy an instant-read thermometer. Time is a variable that depends on Other factors (as said above, temp and thickness), but medium-rare is ALWAYS the same finish temperature. So, skip the variables, go with the constant and measure the temp.
I absolutely HATE eating when my dad tries to grill. Everything comes off raw. Everything. It's because he also tries to use "time", which, oddly, doesn't seem to work when he's grilling in sub-zero temps in during a Montana winter (when I tend to visit). Don't do that to other people. No reason to do that to yourself either...
I know. I don't have a meat thermometer, but I really do need to get one. They also say things like poking the meat is dangerous, etc, but I'm truthfully not too worried about that. I feel like I'm cooking these steaks for as little time as possible, yet when I cut into it it's dried out and gray. The finger test is also another approach I could take, according to another poster.
Juices escape during the Rest period too... and not all are reabsorbed (even when not poked). But, how juicy are over-cooked steaks? Think they might be more juicy if poked a dozen times but NOT over-cooked? Yeah, me too.
Wait - FIVE MINUTES ON EACH SIDE?!!? Probably twice as long as necessary unless those steaks are two inches thick.
In re-reading your post, I think you've said these steaks were thin? That makes it hard to cook medium rare, and I'll bet your cousin is using steaks 1-1.5 inches. DH the ex butcher gets very annoyed with me when I bring home steaks that are only 1 inch thick.
It's easier to just buy the whole damn roast and let him pretend he's back in his butcher shop. And they will be 1.25-1.5 inches thick. These days, we split one of those big boys.
OP, do you set up a two zone fire? If I grill on my Weber, I use the "reverse sear" method I also use on the BGE. You will need an instant read thermometer. Cook your steak on the cool side until the internal temp (taken from the side) is within 10F of your desired finished temp, then sear it on the hot side. You still need to let it rest before cutting into it. I wouldn't go any thicker than 1-1/2" nor less than 1" on the Weber, but I always get a 3" thick rib-eye for the Egg (have to get the butcher to cut it for me).
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Think they might be more juicy if poked a dozen times but NOT over-cooked? Yeah, me too.
