The Gas Grill Review and Gas Grill Rating Guide - Helping you choose the Best Gas Grill

How to Cook a Steak on a Gas Grill

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I sometimes get asked how to cook a steak on a gas grill. My answer is simple, do it the same way you do it on a charcoal grill! All kidding aside, this isn't going to be a recipe page for marinades and rubs. You can decide if you need anything like that depending on your tastes, and your grill.

I like to cook over charcoal because it really takes a steak to it's highest level. Of course, we're talking about gas grills here and some have Flavorizer bars designed to return some of sizzled grease smoke back to the meat. No comparison in my opinon.

In my opinion, you want to get yourself a nice thick steak. I've gotten those thin ones they pre-package at the grocery store. Trying to get to pink in the middle is a joke when there is no middle in a thin steak. Spend the money on a nice thick cut steak. Split it with your wife if it's too much, but don't buy two thin steaks. That's a crime when you cook a steak on a gas grill.

Now, when I cook a steak on a gas grill, I will set one burner to high, usually the designated sear burner, and the others to medium or medium-low. I'll start off by searing each side of the steak for a few minutes on the sear burner. I generally keep the lid shut on a charcoal grill to avoid flare-ups, but I'll sometimes keep it up on a gas grill.

Then I move the steaks off to the lower temperature burners and shut the lid. The remaining time it takes will depend on a number of factors like thickness, doneness, and cooking temperature.

There are basically two ways to tell gauge doneness when you cook a steak on a gas grill (I don't use grill times for steak to gauge doneness). One way is to use a meat thermometer and cook it to the internal temperature corresponding with your doneness preference. The other way is to use the poke test. This involves using your finger to feel how firm the meat is.

Using a Meat Thermometer You Cook a Steak on a Gas Grill

Here's a simple table that will help you if decide to use a meat thermometer.

Rare	120 to 215° F - center will be bright red and pinkish toward the exterior
Medium Rare	130 to 135° F - center will be very pink and slightly brown toward the exterior
Medium	140 to 145° F - center will be light pink and the outer portion will be brown
Medium Well	150 to 155° F - no pink anywhere
Well Done	160° F and above

There are a number of different types of thermometers you can use when you cook a steak on a gas grill. Which one is for you will depend on how much cooking you do. If you do a lot of cooking on the grill or in the smoker, you will probably be inclined to get something fancy. For others, something simple will do. Here's a run down of the various options from simple to fancy...

Meat Thermometer, temperature range 130 to 190 F, dial type w/stem, 3'', NSF - This is very similar to one I found at my local grocery store for about $3.00. I picked up a few of them and they work just fine. The problem with this type of thermometer is that your each time you open the lid you lose heat. Not a huge problem when you grill steaks. But it is a problem on your longer low and slow cooks

Taylor Digital Fork Thermometer - While I don't have this brand, my wife and I got something very similar for a wedding gift. It works, but you have to open the lid and stick it to check. Generally, this don't give you an instant reading so you have to a wait for it to get to the right temperature.

What's cook about them is that the forks come off and you can throw them into the dishwasher so they're ready for your next cook.

Maverick Electronic Thermometer and Timer - Now we're getting into the fancier units. This is a low end digital thermometer with a remote probe. This means you can insert the probe into the meat and leave the actual electronic portion outside the grill on a side table. The problem with this low end units, and I've had one, is that the probes can suddenly fail. Or maybe it's the unit. It's really hard to tell...it just fails.

Maverick Remote-Check Wireless Thermometer With 2 Probes - This type of thermometer is going to cost you a little bit more, but it can really free you up to do other things. This is like the unit above, except that it has a wireless unit that you can take with you. If you need to cut the lawn while smoking chicken, no need to hang out by the smoker anymore. Some of these units can get pricey, this one is pretty reasonable.

The Original Super-Fast Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer (Red) by Thermoworks - Now this is one of the favorites in the BBQ world. These read the temperature instantly and are extremely accurate. They fit right in your shirt pocket. Since they read so quickly, this is one of the only non-remote units that I would use. Open, read, close. Done. The new version is waterproof and they come in a variety of colors.

You can find more meat thermometers right here.

Using the Poke Test When You Cook a Steak on a Gas Grill

For a steak, there is a simpler way. Actually, chefs don't take the time to read the temperature when they cook a steak on a gas grill. They simply poke it with their finger to gauge its doneness. You can do this too. It'll just take a little practice. So here are some things you'll need to know before you begin practicing the poke method.

Let me start by tying to use words to describe how it will feel:

Rare -When you grill a steak it will feel soft and squishy
Medium-Rare - Your steak will feel somewhat resilient
Medium - Your steak will feel semi-firm
Well-Done - You're steak will feel firm

The problem with that is understanding what that feels like. Without practicing and cutting open steaks you may not be able to how long to cook a steak on a gas grill. So, some folks have come up with a few more tactile methods for determining grill times for steak.

One method uses three spots on your hand. The first spot is the fleshy meat at the base of your thumb. If you go ahead and poke it, you'll notice it's pretty mushy. This corresponds to rare.

The second spot is right in the middle of your palm. This is a lot firmer and should be about the same as a medium steak.

The third location is the boney part just beneath your pinky. Because there is a bone there, it's definitely the firmest part of the three. This is equivalent to well-done.

A slightly more sophisticated approach to the poke method suggests that you make a series of O.K. signs with your hand. Each time, you poke the fleshy part at the base of your thumb.

When you use your index finger, as shown in the picture, it will feel like a rare steak.
Making an O.K. with your middle finger is the equivalent feel of a medium-rare steak.
The next finder will feel like a medium steak.
Using your pinky will give you the feel of a Well-done steak.

Depending on the thickness of the cut, the times will vary. The cuts I like to get usually take 4-6 minutes per side. I like my steaks on the medium rare side so I don't let it go too long after the first flip before I start checking the firmness. Neither should you, because while you're learning, you need to feel what every phase of cooking is like. Then you'll know how to cook a steak on a gas grill for all of your friends and family.

You can find a hand at your local ARM store.