Title: The Food Lab's Definitive Guide to Grilled Steak
Headings: The Food Lab's Definitive Guide to Grilled Steak
The Food Lab's Definitive Guide to Grilled Steak
The Short Version
Selecting the Right Cut
The Four High-End Steaks You Should Know
The Ribeye
The Strip
The Tenderloin
The T-Bone/Porterhouse
The Six Inexpensive Steaks You Should Know
The Hanger
The Skirt
The Short Rib
The Flap (Sirloin Tip)
The Flank Steak
The Tri-Tip
How to Buy a Good Steak
Q: Prime, Choice, or Select. What do they mean?
Q: How does marbling affect flavor and cooking?
Q: Do I want grass-fed or grain-fed?
Q: How thick should my steak be?
Q: Should I buy pre-cut steaks or cut them myself?
Q: Bone-in or boneless?
Dry-Aging
Q: What is dry-aging?
Q: What's the difference between wet and dry-aging?
Q: Is dry-aging worth it?
Q: Can I dry-age steak myself?
Cooking
Q: What tools will I need?
Q: Hardwood, briquettes, or gas?
Q: How should I set my heat sources?
Q: When should I salt my steak?
Q: How heavily should I season my steak?
Q: Anything else I should do to prepare my steak for cooking?
Q: How should I cook my steak?
Q: Should I stuff or marinate my steak?
Q: How often should I flip my steak?
Q: How do I know when my steak is done?
Q: What if I want more smoke flavor in my steak?
Serving Steak
Q: Do I need to let my steak rest? How long?
Q: Should I pre-carve my steak before serving?
Q: Do you have a favorite steak knife or serving tool?
Q: Any good side dishes to serve with grilled steak?
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Content: It seems counterintuitive: Surely a restaurant with years of experience cooking hundreds of steaks a day knows a thing or two about how it's done, right? Well, yes. They know how to cook a steak in a steakhouse setting, where their goal is consistency, quality, and, more importantly, speed. Hungry customers don't want to have to wait for their meat, and a steakhouse has equipment and techniques designed to meet those needs. At home, on the other hand, consistency and quality are important, but speed? Not so much. The fact that you can take some time to treat your meat right means that it's possible to cook a steak at home that's much better than what you'll find at any steakhouse. Ready to dive in? Let's go!