5 Grilling Mistakes That Ruin Expensive Steaks (We Made Them All)

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Hey there Reader,

Here's an uncomfortable truth: we've ruined more expensive steaks than most people have ever bought.

Not on purpose, obviously. But when you're testing techniques and pushing boundaries, failures happen. The difference is we took notes on every disaster, and those notes became the foundation for everything we know about grilling steaks properly.

Today we're sharing the five costliest mistakes from our learning curve – the ones that turned premium cuts into expensive lessons.

The 5 Mistakes That Cost Us (And How to Avoid Them)

Mistake #1: Starting with a cold grill: We used to think "hot" meant hot enough. Wrong. Your grill needs to be screaming hot – at least 500°F for searing. We learned this after serving steaks that looked pale and tasted like they were cooked in a cheap pan, not grilled.

The fix: Preheat for 15-20 minutes. Hold your hand 5 inches above the grates – you should only last 2-3 seconds before pulling away. (We break down the exact two-zone setup process in our grilled sirloin guide – it's the foundation for every great grilled steak.)

Mistake #2: Flipping like we're making pancakes: Multiple flips seem helpful, right? We thought so too. Then we realized we were creating tough, uneven steaks that never developed a proper crust.

The fix: One flip. That's it. Set your stopwatch for at least one minute and let each side do its work completely before turning.

Mistake #3: Pressing down with the spatula: This feels productive. It's actually destructive. Every press squeezes out the juices that keep your steak tender and flavorful. We watched perfectly good steaks deflate under our spatula.

The fix: Hands off. Let the heat do the work.

Mistake #4: Skipping the rest: We used to cut into steaks immediately off the grill, cuz we're starving and just want dinner on the table. The result? Juices running all over the cutting board instead of staying in the meat where they belong.

The fix: Rest your steak for 5-10 minutes under loose foil. The internal temperature will continue to rise 5-10 degrees, and those juices will redistribute throughout the meat. (Our perfect steak guide explains the science behind this, plus the compound butter trick that transforms resting time into flavor-building time.)

Mistake #5: Guessing on the temperature: "It feels done" cost us more steaks than we care to admit. Medium-rare shouldn't be a guessing game when you're dealing with premium cuts.

The fix: Use a digital thermometer. 130°F for medium-rare, 135°F for medium. Remove the steak 5 degrees before your target – it'll finish cooking during the rest. Not sure which cut you're working with? Check our steak grilling tips – different cuts need different approaches, and we're spilling the tea for success.

What We're Grilling This Week

We just finished testing our tomahawk steak method with a gas grill instead of our usual campfire setup. The reverse-sear technique translated perfectly – same edge-to-edge doneness, just different heat management.

But here's the game-changer we added: our herb brush technique. Instead of regular basting, we tied fresh thyme and rosemary sprigs together to create a natural brush for applying garlic butter. The herbs release oils as you brush, infusing flavor while you baste.

The key: thick cuts like tomahawks are almost impossible to ruin once you understand the low-and-slow start. Makes us wonder why anyone tries to cook them hot-and-fast.

Cheers,

Kita GirlCarnivore.com
Head Meat Maven Since 2013

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