THE BEST GRILLED STEAK RECIPE: BY THE KING OF MEAT

Discovering the best grilled steak recipe

On our way back from a family visit to Bloomington, Illinois, we happened upon a landmark restaurant — The Beef House in Covington, Indiana. It’s exactly our kind of place — a well-loved family-owned restaurant that’s been around forever, located in what feels like the middle of nowhere. Since 1964 it’s been serving great steaks — and amazing rolls! But that’s another story.

I ordered the ribeye and was served a high-quality cut of meat, perfectly cooked, with that amazing charcoal grilled flavor. 

Make the best grilled steak recipe, even if you don’t go to The Beef House

Although I highly recommend a stop at The Beef House, you don’t have to leave home for the best grilled steak recipe and the best cast-iron skillet steak. Enter the King of Meat, my husband Mike.

How my husband developed the best grilled steak recipe

As a teenager, Mike worked as a cook at Bonanza (remember those?), and he learned how to perfectly cook a steak. Over the years, he’s honed those skills to the point that we’ve come to call him the King of Meat. And he’s agreed to share his tips with us today for the best grilled steak recipe. You can also get his tips for oven-cooked steak here: the best tips to cook steaks in a cast-iron skillet.

The King of Meat’s best grilled steak recipe and tips:

1. Let the steak sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes before you begin.
2. Add a few drops of olive oil to each side of the steak, rubbing it lightly across the entire steak.
3. Add a liberal amount of Montreal steak seasoning. (We used McCormick’s brand) 
4. About 10 minutes before you want to start cooking, fire up your grill. If it’s a gas grill, turn your burners to medium-high. If it’s a charcoal grill, light the coals and wait until they are rimmed with gray ash,.
5. When the grill is ready, dip a paper towel into vegetable or canola oil. Using tongs, brush the grill grates with the paper towels, covering the grates with a light coat of oil.
6. Put your steak on the grill. Close the lid of the grill and wait about 2 minutes. 
7. Turn the steak about 90 degrees, lifting it with the tongs, to create a perfect cross-hatch pattern. This is your “Hollywood” side of the steak — with perfect grill markings.
8. Close the lid of the grill and cook for another 2 minutes.
9. Open the grill and flip the steak to the other side.
10. Close the lid and cook for 2 minutes. Then, turn this side of the steak 90 degrees to get the grill marks.
11. Now you’ll fine-tune the degree of doneness. For medium-rare, cook for about 2 more minutes. For medium, cook an additional 3 minutes. For medium-well, cook for an additional 4 minutes. These times are based on a 3/4-inch ribeye. You may need to adjust these times slightly if your steak is thicker or thinner.
12. Add a dollop of herb butter and let it begin to melt while the steak is still on the grill. 
13. Carefully place the steak on a plate to rest for about 3 minutes.
14. Devour!

The King of Meat’s herb butter recipe

If you want to elevate your steak to stratospheric levels, try Mike’s recipe for herb butter. It’s a steak’s best friend, but it’s also delicious on baked potatoes, sourdough bread, chicken – you name it!

Picking the perfect cut of meat

Now that you have the best grilled steak recipe, you should have the best cut of meat possible.

I love this guide from Dorothy Lane Market, my favorite grocery store in the Dayton-area.