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Many people swear that a grilled steak, with a little salt and pepper, is one of nature's finest meals. Strip steaks are naturally tender, and only need to be seared on the outside to remain flavorful and juicy. Depending on your grill, you can get very different flavors from your steak: Propane: Gas grills impart little flavor on the meat, but are very easy to control. You can adjust the temperatures with a simple knob, allowing you to perfect the cooking process. They also heat up much faster than wood or charcoal. Charcoal: Briquettes light up quickly and get hot quickly, and they impart a rich, smoky flavor on the meat. Wood-fire: Wood chips, like hickory or oak, often give the best natural flavor to the meat, but they are harder to maintain and light. Many people use a mixture of charcoal and wood instead of just wood-chops. If you are using charcoal and/or wood this might take 30-40 minutes (most of the briquettes should be covered in gray ash), but propane grills will only take a few minutes. If you have a thermometer, aim to have the inside of the grill around 400F. The thinner the steak, the hotter you want the grill, since you don't want to completely cook the inside of the steak before the outside is nice and browned: 1/2 inch thick: 425-450F. You shouldn't be able to hold your hand over the grill for more than 3 seconds. 3/4-1 inch thick: 360-400F You shouldn't be able to hold your hand over the grill for more than 4-5 seconds. 1-1 1/2 inch thick: 325-360F You shouldn't be able to hold your hand over the grill for more than 5-6 seconds. There is an expression that goes, "salt and pepper are the little black dress of the steak world." Odd connotations aside, the fact is that most steaks are best with only a little bit of seasoning. Rub 1/2 tablespoon of both salt and crushed black pepper on both sides of the steak and let it sit at room temperature for 15-20 minutes while the grill heats. To determine the amount of salt, think of it as a light snow on an asphalt road -- you can see the road, but the snow (salt) is covering most of it. Bigger kernels of salt, like coarse sea salt or kosher salt, will help the outside caramelize better, so avoid using fine table salt if you can. You want to sear the outside, caramelizing it for perfect texture and flavor. Slap the steak over the flame and then leave it alone. Resist the urge to poke, prod, or move it as it cooks. They should be browned when you flip them over. If they are black, the grill was too hot. Remember this when you flip the steak and lower the heat, or cook it for half the time. If they are pink, the grill was not hot enough, so try and raise the heat or leave them over the flame for another 2-3 minutes. For reference: Medium rare steaks should be grilled for roughly 7 minutes a side. Medium steaks should be grilled for roughly 10 minutes a side. Well done steaks should be cooked for ten minutes on each side, then left on indirect heat to keep cooking. Use tongs to turn the steak, as piercing it with a fork causes the juices to leak out. Move the steak to another side of the grill, one without direct flame, and let it keep cooking until the inside is done to your liking. On a charcoal grill, open or close the top vent to control the smokiness -- the tighter it is shut, the smokier the meat will get. You can use a meat thermometer to gauge the meat, or just estimate with time. Rare: 130F (54C) to 135F (57C). Remove immediately after flipping each side. Medium-Rare: 140F (60C). Sear each side for an extra minute longer than you would for a rare steak. Medium: 155F (68C). Let it continue cooking for an extra 1-2 minutes off of direct heat. Flip halfway through. Well Done: 165F (74C) Let the steak cook on indirect heat for 3-4 minutes, flipping halfway through. This locks in the juices and flavors, which will escape if you cut it immediately. Tent a piece of aluminum foil over the steak and let it sit before slicing into it.
Know that outdoor grilling lends a rich, smoky flavor to your steak. Pre-heat your grill to medium-high. Rub the steak with salt and pepper while the grill heats. Place your steak over direct heat on the grill. Cook each side of the steak over direct heat for 7-10 minutes, depending on desired doneness. Remove the steak from direct heat and let it cook indirectly until desired doneness. Let the steak stand for 10 minutes after removing from the grill.