I've been trying to fix this for years now and it never seems to work. Smoking high heat, oil first, pat down to make sure the exterior is dry before putting them on, I have done everything to obtain a good crust and yet they remain grey and pathetic. My every attempt to get it right has been frustrated. Whether it's in a pan or on the grill the steaks won't develop a crust.
How have you guys managed to fix this problem?
by catpetter125
41 Comments
Use charcoal OR brush some butter on at the end
I agree. Charcoal
Make your grill hotter
It sounds like youre mostly doing everything you can except [dry brining](https://www.seriouseats.com/how-to-dry-brine) or getting a new grill.
Also, those steaks are on the thin side, so its going to be hard to sear it while getting medium rare in the best case scenario.
Steaks too thin, grill isn’t hot enough
Do all of the things you are already doing, but make sure you let the steak sit with the seasonings for about 45 minutes before you grill it. The seasoning can mingle with the meat but more importantly the meat isn’t still cold from the fridge when you put it on.
Lump hardwood charcoal has been the best for creating a nice charred crust in my experience.
How do they taste though? If it tastes fantastic, where’s the problem? Are you grillin with gas,on a Blackstone, charcoal, a smoker like a traeger?
Salt the steak and put it in the fridge uncovered overnight. With a thinner steak I would go right from the fridge to the coals.
How high heat have you tried?
Higher heat for a nice sear
Grill is either not hot enough or you should brush some oil on the outside of the steak when you cook it
Have you tried sloppin em up?
Crank up the heat
Three things to adjust. 1. Use the old-fashioned hand test to determine the heat of your grill. You should only be able to keep your hand above the grate for 1-2 seconds max if your grill is at the right temp for searing. 2. Keep your grill cover close while grilling to maximize convection heating. 3. Don’t move your steaks around frequently.
ur grates are not hot enough. u arent waiting long enough for grates that get up to temp
Maximum heat. Flip every minute and close the lid while they’re stationary. Gas grills only get hot when the lid is closed.
Are you sure you’re waiting for the surfaces to get hot enough before dropping the meat down?
Like others have said, I found better success with thicker steaks, and dry-brining at least overnight.
I’ve also been converted to the “flip multiple times” camp. I flip every minute or so. Then when I get the sear to about where I want it, finish on the indirect heat, checking temp with thermometer probe.
Instead of multiple thin steaks, buy fewer but thicker steaks and cut them to serve.
For thin steaks like this I get my grill super hot like 450-500. Brush lightly with olive oil (helps get a quick sear) season as desired and only cook about 2-2.5 minutes per side. Make sure they are at room temp.
Better meat higher heat
Use charcoal, you get that beautiful amber/red smoke ring you can’t get with propane (and propane accessories)
Thicker steak, and try the reverse sear method.
Mooor heat
I agree with what the other comments say about the thickness of the steak and the grill not being hot enough. From what I can see, the flame may be blocked by the flavorizers. If you can remove the ones between the burners, it might help allow more heat to hit the meat. However, you don’t want to do it over the burner tubs because you wouldn’t want grease to block the tubes. Just a thought.
For steaks that thin consider a cast iron pan. Let the steaks come up to room temp while marinating, if no marinade rub with olive oil. Get that pan rippin’ hot, add some butter, and throw it in a couple minutes each side. S&P after.
Cook at higher temp for shorter amount of time. Always use a leave in meat thermometer, finish to your tastes
Cast iron or charcoal will make life 1000% better
In order to get a good crust, you need high heat and a dry surface. When tuy have steaks that thin, it’s hard to get enough heat exposure at typical grill temps without overcooking them.
I don’t even try to grill steaks under 1″ thick. I dry brine them on a rack in the fridge for at least 24 hours to get them seasoned throughout and good and dry on the surface. I let them sit at room temp for an hour before cooking then cook them hot and fast to a med to mid-rare.
Great crust every time.
This only happens to me when I’m not cooking ribeyes
So when grilling something thin like this, you want the grill air to not only preheat but the grates to preheat to max temp. This would be like 10-15 minutes after turning the grill on the max heat. Don’t touch the steak until you flip it. When you do flip it, make sure you put the raw side of the steak on a part of the grill no other steak has been on. If you want some flare ups, cook a 73% fat beef patty on the grill with the steaks.
Thin lower fat steaks are hard to grill with good lines and color. Try with a 1″ or thicker steak.
It’s easy with a cast iron skillet on the grill or stove top. You place the skillet on the stove top or grill on medium for the stove, med high for the grill. Once it starts to lightly smoke at the 5-8 minute mark (hopefully) you put your searing oil of choice, the trendy one is avocado oil. Let that oil heat up for 30 seconds and then place the steaks on the skillet but don’t overcrowd the pan. Flip once when the first side releases, which is like 2-3 minutes max per side. The second side always sears quicker too just for reference. If you have thicker steaks you can flip it multiple times to get even cooking, or do the reverse sear method.
Dont use a cast iron skillet on steaks that thin. the radiant heat will cook deep into the steak before it browns.
step 1: 1% salt by weight on steak left on rack in fridge minimum 12hrs, prefer 24hrs.
step 2: ensure outside of steak is bone dry.
step 3: for lean steak like that get a nice animal fat like lard, beef tallow or bacon fat.
step 4; preheat a carbon steel or stainless steel pan over medium heat and when it is hot add the fat and steaks, flip once.
your steaks will be a golden brown. I guarantee it.
Also instead of buying multiple 1 inch steaks consider buying fewer 1.5 to 1.75 size steaks? You slice them in the cutting board and let your guest take what they want.
The thicker steaks will give you more time to get a nice crust before the center cooks.
Heat too low
Do they taste good? Fuck how they look.
Cast iron over a burner and I’ve also found over the course of my life that some gas grills just don’t get hot enough. Use a charcoal grill and it’ll get way hotter
Your gas fire suppose to be blueish with no yellow.
Tune the gas-air ratio.
Probably grill not hot enough.
You’re comparing the char result of convective vs. conductive heating. Throw a cast iron skillet on the grill, let it get it get *really* hot before adding oil, and then cook your steaks. Unless you’re grilling directly over a bed of ripping red hot coals, grey is the only color you’ll get without a pan.
I would stop buying pork chops-looking ass steak
Always going to be difficult to get a good color on a gas grill doesn’t get quite hot enough the best you’ll get are grill marks but not a proper crust.
Need more heat
For steaks this thin, it’ll be tough on a grill to get a good sear at all. Either get a grill that goes a lot hotter or just cook it on a stove in a skillet. For something this thin, you wouldn’t even need a reverse sear or use an oven at all. Just flip every 60 seconds until it’s the right temp you want internally. You’ll get a nice sear that way.