Fire It Up

Preheat a gas grill for about 15 minutes, or a charcoal one for up to 30 minutes, so your meat cooks at the right temperature.

Cut the Fat

Steaks need some fat to stay juicy. But excess can drip onto the fire, causing flare-ups. Cuts such as strip loins and rib-eyes can have thicker fat caps; trim them down if they’re more than 1/4 inch (5 mm) thick to keep flames at bay.

Get Salty

Sprinkle steaks with fine-grain table or sea salt, or medium-grain kosher salt. Add some freshly ground pepper or a favourite seasoning blend, if you like. For more info on seasoning.

Pat It Dry

To develop that perfect browned crust, a steak’s surface needs to be dry when it hits the hot grill. Use a paper towel to blot away any surface moisture just before putting it on the grate.

Zone Out

Create two heat zones on your grill. Cook steaks less than 1 inch (2.5 cm) thick in the hot zone, moving them to the cooler zone if flare-ups occur. Thicker steaks can be browned in the hot zone and then moved to the cooler area to finish cooking.

Flip Out

Go ahead — flip your steaks regularly! (Unless you want perfect grill marks, that is.) Making multiple turns with a spatula or tongs is easier than trying to get the timing just so on a single flip, and it can help cook the meat more quickly and evenly. Turning steaks occasionally can even prevent dry, curled or cupped edges.

Check the Temp

The only way to know if your steak has reached a safe internal temperature is to use a digital instant-read thermometer and follow these guidelines. Besides, cutting into the meat to look at the colour wastes all the tasty juices inside!

Give It a Rest

To ensure the juiciest meat, let steaks rest for five to 10 minutes after they’re done.

Happy grilling!