Although all grills can be used to cook steak, some are best for particular types of meat.
Some grills’ temperature settings are difficult to change dynamically during cooking, which may cause your steak to be unevenly cooked. So, can a grill be too hot for steak?
Many people assume that cooking meat at high temperatures is unhealthy. However, this isn’t the case.
Cooking meat at high temperatures is perfectly fine. In fact, it’s the best way to cook a steak.
High temperatures kill bacteria that can survive at lower temperatures, ensuring that your steak will be safe to eat. Furthermore, cooking meat at high temperatures makes the meat more tender.
Finally, cooking meat at high temperatures makes the meat more flavorful. So, the next time you’re grilling steak, don’t be afraid to crank up the heat and enjoy the delicious results.
Contents
Can a Grill Be Too Hot for Steak?
A sizzling steak is delicious and an attractive sight for any food lover. However, cooking a steak at extreme temperatures can lead to some potentially dangerous results.
A steak that is charred on the outside and undercooked on the inside is unsafe to consume. Also, the burned parts have chemicals called carcinogens that can make some types of cancer more likely.
Here are ways to cook a steak while avoiding overcooking it:
- Preheat the grill—Preheating the grill for at least 10 minutes ensures that your steak is properly cooked. It keeps the grill at an ideal temperature and prevents your steak from sticking to the grill’s surface.
- Use a Thermometer—Use a meat thermometer to check that your steak is cooked to your preferred temperature. The recommended temperature for well-done steak is 160°F whereas medium-rare steak should be cooked at 135°F. For rare steak, the recommended temperature is 110°F. Alternatively, you can use a meat thermometer with a probe for more accurate readings.
- Apply Oil—Applying oil onto your steak before cooking prevents the steak from sticking to the grill and is a healthy way of cooking it. However, you should only use olive or vegetable oils as these are healthier and do not contain the carcinogens present in butter or lard.
- Use a Buffer—Use a grilling basket that has a mesh cover and place your steak inside it when cooking. This will prevent your steak from burning and also retain its juices.
What Temperature Is Brisket Done?
If you overcook your steak, you may run the risk of food poisoning.
A ribeye sandwich may be shaved down and seasoned with cumin to make the perfect brisket sandwich.
Ideal Temperatures for Grilling Steak
Grill grates between 400 and 500 degrees are too hot for a grilled sirloin because it takes too long to cook properly at this high temperature.
More than 550 degrees and you risk charring the meat, which means the proteins break down into compounds that are carcinogenic in excess amounts.
How to Recognize If Your Grill Is Too Hot for Steak
An infrared thermometer is the most effective tool to check if your grill is too warm for cooking steaks.
Any surface where the small red laser dot bounces off is not warm enough to cook safely.
You could also put a surface thermometer on the grate to check the grill’s surface temperature, which shouldn’t be more than 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
If you don’t have a thermometer, you may obtain a safe reading by placing your hand about six inches above the grill grates for several seconds and then placing it down again.
A temperature of 400 degrees or higher means it is not safe for grilling steaks.
What Should You Do When Your Grill Is Too Hot for Steak?
If the temperature on your grill reaches 550 degrees or hotter, you must turn it down immediately and wait for it to cool down to a safe level before placing any food on the grill.
For a charcoal grill, this entails shutting off the fire and letting the fire die down naturally before starting up again.
This will extinguish the flames and allow you to reach a safe temperature for cooking steaks again.
Turn off all of the burner components on a gas grill and remove the grate to cool it down before turning it back on again.
This will allow the heat energy to escape, meaning the grill will not reach unsafe temperatures while it cools down.
Wood pellet grills and pellet smokers do not need a flame to ignite the pellets, so you can turn these on without worrying about overheating them and cooking your food too quickly.
You may keep the lid open for a few minutes to allow some heat to escape from the grill before placing the food inside to cook.
Final Words
A flame temperature of more than 500 degrees Fahrenheit will damage the delicate proteins in beef, chicken, pork, and other meats, causing excessive browning on the surface and a texture that is tough to chew.
Ideally, the temperature at the cooking surface should be around 350 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit to properly cook your steak.
If you cook the steak at temperatures higher than 550 to 600 degrees Fahrenheit, it will be tough and flavorless.
A thermal infrared gun or an infrared thermometer with a laser pointer is the most accurate way to find out how hot your grill is.
When you pull the trigger, a little red dot appears on the screen that indicates the surface temperature of the grill.
If your grill is too hot for grilling steaks, the laser dot will not bounce off the surface and instead point straight down at the grill grates.
Allow the grates to cool and recheck the temperature before using them again.
An overcooked steak isn’t the end-all-be-all of outdoor cooking.
Fortunately, a little culinary ingenuity and a sharp knife can help you save the day by turning a burned piece of meat into a succulent masterpiece.
