You’ve been thinking about it all day — the first bite of that gorgeous, thick-cut steak that’s sitting in your fridge and begging to be barbecued. Whether you’re barbecuing rib eye, filet mignon or a simple sirloin, if you follow these six simple steps using Charcoal, these decadent cuts will always be barbecued to perfection.
Fire up the grill.
For steaks, you want the heat as high as possible — seriously hot. Fire up a full chimney Original Charcoal. When the coals are ready, arrange them in a two-zone fire. Replace the top grate, allow it to heat up — all vents should be fully open — then pour cooking oil on a folded paper towel and oil the grate using long-handled tongs.
Prep the steak.
Remove the steak from the refrigerator and let it reach room temperature — around 30 minutes. Trim excess fat to avoid flare-ups, and vertically slash the thin piece of fat around the outside of the steak to keep it from curling. Liberally apply coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Flip the steak and repeat the process.
Sear and flip the steak.
Place the steak at the hottest part of the grate, directly above the coals, and let it sear for two to three minutes, then flip the steak and sear the other side for two to three minutes. During the searing process, resist the urge to move the steak around with the tongs, as this will prevent optimal grill marks. Close the lid to prevent flare-ups.
Move to warm side.
After the steak is properly seared, if it’s not finished, move it to the warm side of the grate (not directly over the coals), close the lid and continue to cook the steak until it’s at your desired temperature for doneness. You don’t need to flip the steak during this indirect barbecuing stage.
Check for doneness.
Using a digital instant-read meat thermometer, check the temperature of the steak while it’s still on the BBQ. Barbecue the steak to your desired taste: 54°C for rare, 57°C medium-rare, 63°C medium, 66°C medium well and 71°C for well done. Keep in mind that the steak will continue to cook a few degrees more when it’s removed from the BBQ.
Remove and rest.
After removing the steak from the BBQ, place on a cutting board, loosely cover it with aluminum foil, and allow it to “rest” for five minutes (the temperature will continue to rise a few degrees while the juices redistribute into the meat).