One of the greatest pleasures of the warmer weather in the Hamptons is being able to cook outside on the grill. My poor grill has been sitting out on the deck all winter, alone, cold, just waiting to be opened and fired up with some steaks and veggies. The weather turned last week, and as far as I’m concerned, it’s no longer Spring – IT’S SUMMERTIME BABY! So let’s start grilling!
First of all, you have to make sure that you have propane. I like to keep two tanks at my house, one to use and one as the backup. When I run out, I use the backup tank and then make a mental note to get to the hardware store sometime that week. You never want to be in a situation where you are ready to grill and you’re out of propane. When I first fire up my grill after a long time of not using it, I like to just let it run on maximum heat for fifteen minutes. This will burn off a lot of the gunk that its accumulated, which will easily come off with a steel brush.
For my first grill of the season, I went with a couple of sirloin steaks, marinated peppers and zucchini, and some roasted broccoli. It was fabulous, but cooking a good steak is intimidating; here’s the best way to do it.
Preheat your grill to high heat (around 450-500°F).
Season both sides of the steak with salt and pepper. You can also add any additional seasonings you like, such as garlic or herbs. My rule of thumb is that you can never use too much salt and pepper on a steak.
Drizzle a little bit of olive oil on both sides of the steak to help prevent sticking and add flavor.
Place the steak on the grill and cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side for a medium-rare steak. You can adjust the cooking time based on your preference for doneness.
Use tongs to flip the steak only once. Avoid using a fork, as this can puncture the steak and release the juices.
For professional-looking criss-cross grill marks, rotate the steak 90 degrees halfway through cooking each side.
Remove the steak from the grill and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. This will allow the juices to redistribute and keep the steak juicy and tender.
Serve and enjoy! It really is that easy!
Additional Tips:
The thickness of your steak will affect the cooking time, so adjust accordingly.
Avoid pressing down on the steak while cooking, as this will release the juices and make the steak dry.
And for the ultimate “is my steak done” hack, use a meat thermometer to check the internal temperature of the steak. Medium-rare is around 135°F, medium is around 145°F, and well-done is around 160°F.
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