Want to achieve the perfect steak this barbecue season? Look no further than this simple five-step guide from Anthony ‘Murf’ Murphy, Co-Founder of The Beefy Boys and co-author of The Beefy Boys’ Great British BBQ.
1. Prep the steak properly
One of the best tricks we use is to rough the steak up slightly before seasoning. Take the tip of a sharp knife and make lots of tiny little incisions across the surface of the meat. We’re not talking deep cuts here, just a millimetre or so into the surface.
What you’re doing is increasing the surface area of the steak, which helps create more crust and more flavour when it hits the grill.
If your steak has a fat cap, score that too. This helps the fat render down properly and stops the steak from curling or bunching up during cooking.
2. Season the night before
We always recommend dry brining your steak overnight. Simply season it generously with salt and any other flavourings you fancy, such as garlic granules or black pepper.
Place the steak on a wire rack and leave it uncovered in the fridge overnight.
The salt will draw moisture out of the meat. That moisture then dissolves the salt and gets reabsorbed back into the steak, seasoning it all the way through. At the same time, the uncovered surface dries out slightly, which means you’ll get a much better crust when you cook it.
3. Understand the two stages of cooking steak
Every great steak benefits from two distinct cooking stages:
- A hot sear to create colour, crust and that all-important Maillard reaction.
- A gentler cook to bring the steak up to your desired internal temperature.
The good news is that these stages can happen in either order.
You can sear first and then move the steak to a cooler part of the barbecue to finish cooking.
Or you can use the reverse sear method, where you slowly cook the steak first, remove it just before it reaches your target temperature, then finish with a fierce sear over high heat.
Both methods work brilliantly. The important thing is understanding that steak isn’t just about grilling. It’s about combining a hot sear and a gentle cook.
4. Cook over two zones
The easiest way to barbecue steak is using a two-zone fire.
Have one side of your barbecue ripping hot for searing and the other side cooler for gentle cooking.
Start by placing the steak over the hot side to develop colour and crust. Once you’ve got the caramelisation you’re after, move it over to the cooler side and let it slowly come up to temperature.
If you’re reverse searing, do exactly the opposite.
For accuracy, use a temperature probe rather than relying on timings alone.
As a rough guide:
- Rare: 48-50°C
- Medium rare: 50–52°C
- Medium: 52–55°C
Remember that the steak will continue to rise a couple of degrees while resting.
5. Season the board
For an extra touch, try seasoning the board as well as the steak. A drizzle of olive oil, flaky sea salt, cracked black pepper, grated onion, grated garlic, some finely chopped herbs from your basting brush, etc.
Barbecuing steak doesn’t need to be complicated. Prep it properly, season it early, cook it in two stages and trust your thermometer. Do that, and you’ll be serving steakhouse-quality results from your back garden every time.
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Want to know more about the science of cooking the perfect steak? Read our essential guide from Tim Hayward, author of Steak: The Whole Story.
