How to Cook Steak on a Griddle

One of the hottest and sizzling dishes that you can prepare with your griddle is steak. Everyone likes it fancy! And what better than a juicy steak cooked to perfection? The only thing getting between you and that perfect meal is the method of preparation but do not worry. This article will guide you step-by-step to cooking a steak on a griddle to perfection.

Griddles come in various types, be it an electric griddle, cast iron griddle, copper griddle, or stainless steel griddle but if you know how to cook steak on a frying pan, then there really is no variation in style regardless of the griddle that you use. However, cooking steak on a griddle is not the same as cooking it on a grill, so do not commit that mistake.

There are a number of things that you will need for this recipe, so it is better to keep them ready beforehand.

Equipment and Ingredients Required:

Griddle
Meat thermometer
Sharp knife or a butchers knife
Chopping board
Tongs
Paper towel
Steak
Kosher salt
Black pepper (preferably freshly ground)
Butter
Fresh Thyme
Fresh rosemary
Garlic
Olive oil

Procedure:

Warming the Steak

You need to bring the steak to room temperature before you get to cooking. So, take the steak out of the refrigerator at least 30 minutes before starting. Pat the steak with a paper towel on both sides so that the meat is as dry as possible before cooking. This gives you an edge because dry meat caramelizes faster and forms a golden crust.

Thicker cuts take longer to get to room temperature than thinner cuts because of their mass. Thin steaks really need to be dry because they cook quickly.

Season the Steak

Put a generous amount of kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper on both sides of the steak and let it rest for a while. This is also called dry brining. It gives the steak an intense flavor and makes the meat tender.

Preheating the Griddle

This is standard procedure for all the dishes that you prepare. The difference, in this case, is that the griddle needs to be very hot, so heat it till the griddle starts to smoke. Set the temperature to 450 degrees if you are using an electric griddle.

Cooking the Steak

Take some olive oil into the griddle pan and place the steak in the sizzling oil. Sear both the sides for about a minute and a half. Turn the heat to medium once both sides have a golden crust and continue cooking.

Checking the Steak’s Internal Temperature

After 4 minutes of cooking the steak, stick a thermometer into the thickest part of the steak to check its temperature keeping in mind that thicker steaks take a longer time to cook. Depending on the type of steak you have, you can decide if you want to keep cooking or stop. The temperature chart has been given below for your ease.

Rare steak– 125° F
Medium rare steak– 135° F
Medium steak– 145° F
Medium-well steak– 150° F
Well done steak– 160° F
Baste

Add some butter halfway through the cooking process with some herbs and garlic. You could use fresh rosemary and thyme. Create butter pools by tilting the pan if you are using a griddle pan and baste the steak with a tablespoon.

Rest

Depending on the stickiness, let the steak rest for about 6-8 minutes after you are done cooking. While cooking, the juices of the steak push out to the middle and the outward region becomes dry. Letting it rest will even out the juices in the steak making it moist and tender throughout.

Enjoy your steak done to the perfection that you desire!

If you need help with what a good steak should look like, then we have a few buying tips for you that will work out well.

Smell

Stay away from an ammonia-like-smelling steak. The sign of good meat is its property of being odorless with a subtle smell of meat to it.

Marbling

Look for a decent amount of marbling in the steak but stay away from it if the marbling is brown.

Color

Usually, dark red beef is grass-fed whereas light red is grain-fed. If you like more complex flavors, then go for the dark red steak. Avoid buying brown meat.