Amp Up the Flavor With Butter Sauce
When I first began work on this recipe , I tried dry rubs , oil , and simple salt and pepper . All of these are wonderful things to put on steaks , but I felt like it needed more . ( I had Fourth of July in mind , and I wanted to make it special but not complicated .)
I settled on basting the steak with an herbed butter sauce . First , because butter . Second , because I have an extensive herb garden and it didn ’ t require a trip to the store . I was worried that the butter might burn on the grill , and leave an acrid flavor , but it didn ’ t .
It was pure deliciousness . The herbs added complexity without masking the meatiness of the steak .
Advice From Grilling Expert Steven Raichlen
Deciding the flavor and the cut I wanted was the easy part . I turned to grilling expert Steven Raichlen , founder of BBQ University , television host , and the author of more than 30 books on the topic of grilling , on how best to set up my grill .
Charcoal or Gas Grill for Steak ?
Charcoal or wood-fired grills are always the best choice for grilling steaks because of the additional flavor and charring they provide . If you have a charcoal grill , you also can add different kinds of wood to the fire to contribute smokiness and enhance the overall flavor of the meat .
Don ’ t worry — you can still cook a great steak on a gas grill . If using gas , open the lid , turn on the gas , and light the grill . Don ’ t light the grill with the lid closed ; gas can build up inside the grill and create an explosion .
How Hot Should the Grill Be for Steak ?
Raichlen recommends establishing two cooking zones in your charcoal grill : one that ’ s very hot for searing the steak , and one that ’ s medium for finishing the steak and cooking it through .
On a gas grill , heat the grill to 450 ° F with two burners going , which should only take about 10 minutes , then turn one of the burners down to medium to create two cooking zones .
Not sure if the grill is hot enough ? Raichlen ’ s tip is to hold your hand 3 inches above the grill grate and count “ 1 Mississippi , 2 Mississippi ...” If you can only hold it there for a second or two , the grill is hot and you ’ re ready to cook .
I followed Raichlen ’ s advice , and started my steak in the hot zone , then moved it to the medium zone to finish cooking . It worked like a charm .
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