Great Grilling

Grilling the perfect steak is easy with these tips based on research from South Dakota State University.
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With Memorial Day upon us, it’s the first big weekend of summer for grilling steaks. Most people who grill steaks often have a special “art” to their technique. Some say to season the steak just so; others claim the secret is in flipping the meat just once during cooking; and still others swear by keeping to grill lid open – or closed.

Research from South Dakota State University is taking some of the guesswork out of grilling. Rather than an art, these researchers say there is some science to grilling the perfect steak on a gas grill.

To come up with the new grilling guidelines, SDSU meat scientists grilled more than 1,400 steaks and presented them to a taste panel of 12 people, who evaluated the steaks for tenderness, juiciness, and beef flavor intensity. Salt and pepper flavor and presence of any off flavors were also evaluated. (Steaks were also evaluated for tenderness using Warner-Bratzler shear force.)

Based on their research using USDA Choice strip loins on gas grills, here’s what the scientists learned:

• Steaks that were flipped every two to three minutes were juicier than steaks that were flipped once during cooking.

• Steaks that were cooked on high heat first and finished on low cooked in a shorter time than steaks cooked on medium heat, but there were no differences in tenderness, juiciness, flavor intensity, or overall desirability between the two.


• There were no differences between steaks grilled with the lid open or closed. However, grilling with the lid closed greatly reduced grilling time.

• Steaks were more tender and flavorful if thawed completely before grilling, compared to steaks that were frozen when put on the grill.

• Some cookbooks suggest that steaks should not be seasoned before grilling, because it will draw out moisture. But the SDSU research showed that salt can be added either before or after grilling with no difference in results. Pepper and herbs should be applied after grilling, because some flavor is burned off during cooking.

Grilling Guidelines


The researchers offer these guidelines when grilling on a gas grill:

1. Thaw steak completely before grilling.
2. Start grill, set control(s) to medium, and close lid.
3. Allow grill to warm for 5-10 minutes with lid closed.
4. Before grilling, pat the steak with paper to remove surface water.
5. Seasoning can be done before or after grilling (some spices such as peppers and herbs may burn off during grilling).
6. Grill steak on medium heat with lid closed, turning every 2 to 3 minutes until desired internal temperature is reached.
7. Let steak stand for 5 to 15 minutes before serving to redistribute juices.


Which Meat Cut Is Best?

A second phase of the SDSU research evaluated seven different cuts at two degrees of doneness to determine differences in cooking time, tenderness, shear force, juiciness, flavor and overall desirability. Three conventional types of steak (ribeye, tenderloin, and sirloin) and four innovative steaks (flat iron, round tip center, boneless short rib, and ranch cut) were evaluated. The cuts were tested at three grades: Top Choice, USDA Select, and Enhanced (deep marinated) Select; and two degrees of doneness: medium rare and medium well.

Although many of the muscles that make up the innovative cuts currently go into roasts or ground beef, the innovative cuts rated on par with the traditional steak cuts in their research.

However, the researchers did find that as cooking time and degree of doneness increased, palatability declined, especially for some cuts more than others. The palatability of all seven cuts was acceptable when cooked medium rare, but, “If you prefer to cook your steak medium well, the best choices are tenderloin, flat iron, or ranch cut,” the researchers concluded.

Enhancing steaks with a deep marinade also appears to improve palatability. The USDA Select steaks that were deep marinated or “pumped” with a solution of water, salt and tripolyphosphate scored best in palatability ratings compared to Choice and regular Select cuts in this research.

These SDSU research studies were partially funded by the South Dakota Beef Industry Council through the $1-per-head beef checkoff program.