Like Delgar, my wife and I find it more-or-less futile to go out for steaks because I can cook them as good as any place in town (with the proviso that we haven't been to Chicago Chophouse which gets varied reviews and to Caesar's only once) ...
I get the heat up on my grill to 600 or even slightly over ... put the steaks on for about 30 seconds, flip, another 30 seconds, flip again, then do the 'main' cooking at about 400-450 or so.
One key is to more-or-less leave the steaks alone (as much as possible) ... fussing with them is one major issue people have. I hate going out to someone's house and see them with the grill open more than it is closed. Then I know I'm in for a night of trying to sound honest when I say, "Oh, yes, my steak is done just fine".
A way to tell how the steaks are cooked is by poking them with a (hopefully) clean finger. You use the 'ball' of your thumb if you know what I mean ...the fleshy part at the base of your thumb.
How that flesh feels with none of your fingertips touched to the tip of your thumb = rare
How that flesh feels with the tip of your index finger touched to the tip of your thumb = medium rare
How that flesh feels with the tip of your middle finger touched to the tip of your thumb = medium
How that flesh feels with the tip of your ring finger touched to the tip of your thumb = medium well
How that flesh feels with the tip of your little finger touched to the tip of your thumb = 'well' done
Of course that's all just an approximation.
One other thing I do after I take the steaks off the grill is put them on a plate, cover with tinfoil, and let them sit and rest for a few minutes before serving. This allows the juices to stay inside a bit better.
|