When (and When Not) to Use the Grill Lid

Yes, everybody makes basic cooking mistakes. Like, say, something as simple as overcooking mushrooms or toasting grains and spices. Below, reader Shelley confesses her grilling confusion to associate food editor Rick Martinez. Welcome to Effed it Up.

__Dear Rick,__Now that it’s warm out (finally!), I invited a few friends over for some backyard grilling. We picked up three rib eyes and threw those, along with two bundles of asparagus and spring onions, onto the grill. Each occupied about half of the grill's top. We weren’t using charcoal or anything—we kept it simple with gas and knobs. Even though the butcher told us we should only cook the steaks for about two to three minutes on each side, it took significantly longer than that. Was I supposed to keep the lid down? Was I supposed to leave it up? Did I crowd the grill? What’s proper procedure here? I just want to grill like there’s no tomorrow.

Thanks,
Shelley

Dear Shelley,

My mouth was seriously watering as I read your email. Truth up front: I don't think the lid was your problem, but more on that soon.

Your butcher’s advice sounds solid. But that instruction applies to very specific conditions: two to three minutes on a very hot grill (600°F to 700°F) for a one-inch-thick steak at room temperature (68° to 72°) on a warm day (80° to 90°) with no wind. (Not even joking: The wind seriously does affect your grill time!) All of the variables you can't control will eff you up.

Let's break it down.

Michael Graydon & Nikole Herriott

Meet the Very Hot Grill

Grilling steaks demands a very hot grill: Either high heat on a gas grill or the first 15 minutes of charcoal’s burn life. Gas grills are not as hot as charcoal; they hover between 500°F to 700°F on high heat while charcoal grills can get up to 850°F. If you're eating your steaks medium-rare, all you want to do is sear the outside of the steak, get those amazing grill marks and smoky flavor, and gently heat the steak to about 118°F for medium-rare or 125°F for medium. After that, the steak rests (off of the heat), and the temperature continues to rise. This could take one to three minutes per side for a thinner flank or skirt steak and three to seven minutes for a thicker rib-eye or strip steak.

A very hot grill will also minimize flare-ups. This may seem counter-intuitive but a hotter grill will sear the flesh before the fat has time to melt and ignite, which would coat your steak in an acrid smoky flavor. If a flare-up does happen, just move the steak over to a cooler side of the grill until the flames die down—then keep on grilling. Use the lid when flames get really intense or you don’t have a cool side in a two-zone heat situation. Fire needs oxygen and the lid prevents any more from getting in.

Peden + Munk

Thickness and Temperature

Now, I love a good rib-eye. But, as a rule, the thicker the cut, the longer it will take to grill.

So here is what I do: When I get it home from the butcher, I generously season both sides of the steak with kosher or pink salt and freshly ground black pepper. I then put it on a rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet and keep it refrigerated for three to eight hours before I am ready to grill. The salt dissolves on the surface and then is absorbed into the meat. One hour before grill time, I pull it out of the refrigerator and let it sit on the counter to come up to room temperature. This will reduce overall cook time and allow the steak to more evenly cook. If you cook a cold steak, the outside of the steak will sear and get charred while the inside remains cold and raw.