Perfect Grilled Meat: 5 Steps

Ideal result

Grilling meat is fairly simple. The tricky part is grilling it properly—but you can do it if you remember the basic "rules."

Pat the meat dry

Who doesn't love a crispy crust on a steak? These caramelized areas appear when the meat comes into contact with the hot grill grate. First, pat the meat dry using a paper towel or any clean, lint-free kitchen towel. This removes excess moisture, which creates steam during grilling and prevents caramelization.

Salt and pepper before frying.

Salt draws moisture to the surface, so season the meat just before frying, otherwise drying it will be useless.

Leave it on the grill

When grilling meat, resist the urge to touch or lift it until it releases from the grill. This will create distinct grill marks (meaning better flavor) and prevent the meat from tearing. Once the meat is browned (or caramelized) and releases from the grill, finish grilling, turning frequently to ensure even cooking.

Let it lie down

When you remove meat from the grill, two things happen. 1) The meat continues to cook—its temperature still rises, sometimes by 5-6°C. 2) When meat is hot, its physical texture weakens, becoming less firm and less able to retain juices (which is important for flavor); when the meat is removed from the grill, it cools and regains its stable structure, which retains juices. In short, steaks need to rest for about 10 minutes to retain their juiciness. Larger cuts should rest for 20 minutes.

Cut across the grain

If you examine a large piece of meat, you'll notice that the grain runs parallel to each other, just like wood. Cut the meat perpendicular to the grain; this will shorten the grain, resulting in a more tender piece. (As an experiment, try chewing a piece of meat cut along the grain.)