It’s grilling season and to this Texan there isn’t much better than a grilled steak. Grilling the perfect steak is something that everyone should know how to do. If you’re wondering how to grill a steak, it’s not as complicated as you may think. I remember the first time I did one. I was so worried I would screw it up. This grilled steak with blue cheese butter is the perfect steak recipe to start on. It pairs perfectly with my peanut butter meringue pie recipe!
Grilling a steak is a lot like playing a fiddle. Play too hard and you end up with a hard, dry, hunk of meat that no one really wants to eat. Play the tune just right and your steak will be moist, flavorful and absolutely delicious. Before you learn how to grill a steak, you’ll want to choose your favorite cut of meat. For most people, t-bone, NY Strip or Ribeye are favorites. Sirloin also comes in a close second for a lot of folks. I’m partial to ribeye myself.
How to Grill A Steak with Blue Cheese Butter
Nest, decide your cooking method and prepare your grill. I am a purist. I want my steak medium rare on a charcoal grill. We have THIS charcoal grill and I couldn’t love it anymore! If you prefer to grill steak on a gas grill, that’s okay. I’ll overlook it for now. 😉 No matter which method of cooking you’re using to grill your steak, you’ll need to create two cooking zones – one with direct heat and one with indirect heat. Trust me, that indirect heat zone is important. Well done shoe leather happens when you don’t have it.
Blue Cheese Butter
At least two hours before you’re looking to grill the steaks, make the blue cheese butter and set it in the fridge. This blue cheese butter adds a decadent, rich depth to your steak without being over powering. It’s one of my favorite additions to a good steak.
You Will Need:
- ½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- ¼ cup crumbled blue cheese
- ¼ tsp. garlic powder
- ¼ tsp. kosher salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 1 tsp additional kosher salt per steak
To make the blue cheese butter for steak, add the butter, blue cheese, garlic powder, salt and pepper to a medium mixing bowl. Mix the ingredients together using a pastry blender or the back of a fork. Once your butter is combined with the other ingredients, transfer it to a sheet of plastic wrap. Roll the butter in the plastic wrap to create a log and twist both ends closed. Chill for at least two hours before serving.
While you’re prepping the grill, get the steaks from your fridge and rub each side with kosher salt. Leave the steaks to rest on the counter, lightly covered while you’re heating the grill. Heat the grill to approx. 500 degrees and use olive oil to oil the cooking grates before you place the steaks on.
How to Cook a Steak
Once the grill is heated, add the steaks over direct heat. Do not move it for 1/4 of the cooking time. Use the table below to determine your cooking time and internal temperatures. Make sure to check internal temperatures using a meat thermometer.
- Extra Rare/Bleu: 2-3 minutes or 80°-100°F
- Rare: 4-5 minutes or 120°-125°F
- Medium Rare: 6-8 minutes or 130°-135°F
- Medium: 8-10 minutes or 140°-145°F
- Medium Well: 10-12 minutes or 150°-155°F
- Well Done: 12+ minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°-175°F
Once you’ve cooked the steak on one side for 1/4 of the time, rotate it 90 degrees and cook for another 1/4 of the time. This means that if you’re grilling a steak extra rare, you would cook it for approx 30 seconds before rotating then cook an additional 30 seconds.
Once you’ve cooked it and rotated it, flip it over and repeat the process for the other side. If the steak is cooking too quickly, move it to indirect heat so it slows the cooking down. Once it has reached the internal temperature of your preference, remove it from the grill, wrap in foil and allow it to rest for 5-minutes.
Serve hot with the blue cheese butter on top.
Grilled Steak with Blue Cheese Butter
For the Blue Cheese Butter
- 1/2 C. Unsalted Butter (Room Temperature)
- 1/2 C. Blue Cheese (Crumbled)
- 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp. Kosher Salt
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
For Each Steak
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1 whole steak cut of your choice
For the Blue Cheese Butter:
Combine butter, garlic powder, blue cheese, salt and pepper in a bowl.
Wrap in plastic wrap to create a log. Twist ends closed.
Chill for at least 2 hours.
For the Steak:
While grill is being prepared, rub kosher salt into each side of steak
Grease cooking grates with olive oil
Cook steak according to times in chart rotating and flipping half way through.
Remove steak from grill, cover with foil and let rest 5 minutes.
Cooking times for Grilled Steak
- Extra Rare/Bleu: 2-3 minutes or 80°-100°F
- Rare: 4-5 minutes or 120°-125°F
- Medium Rare: 6-8 minutes or 130°-135°F
- Medium: 8-10 minutes or 140°-145°F
- Medium Well: 10-12 minutes or 150°-155°F
- Well Done: 12+ minutes until internal temperature reaches 160°-175°F