When I first starting BBQing for my family, I knew what kind of steak I liked, but if I managed to hit that seared outer edge with a tender pink interior it was totally by luck. I always had too many "irons in the fire" trying to BBQ, get the rest of the meal ready, and make sure that none of my little ones touched the fiery, hot grill as I ran from porch to kitchen and back.
Lucky if I didn't just light them completely on fire! (and I actually did - probably more than once...) THE STEAKS - NOT THE KIDS!
I knew there was a simple science to getting that medium rare masterpiece... but I just never took the time to search for it. Well, looking back, I wish I would've taken the 5 minutes to look it up and set a timer! (I think we all would've appreciated it.)
So, I'm going to save you the trouble because there are so few simple pleasures in life, and a great steak is one we should all have.
This is a perfect guide for detailing the fine nuance between a rare and a medium rare, or a "well-done" and a "poorly done" (those are pretty close, if you ask me).
There is one trick before you actually hit the grill though....
If you want consistent results every time, make sure the steak has been brought up to room temperature before you cook. Yup. Seems simple enough - but sometimes I would forget.
If the interior is overly cold, then the BBQ heat doesn't cook through properly - you'll end up with a charred exterior and a nice inside... or a nice outside sear and a blue steak! (Yup, I've done that one too!)
Just make sure that you pull the thawed steaks from the fridge about 45 minutes before you plan to BBQ, and you're good to grill!
ENJOY!