How To Get Those Impressive Marks On Your Grilled Food Every Time
Cooking anything on the grill means it immediately has extra flavor. Whether you're working with a wood-fired, charcoal, or just a gas grill, those charred grill marks created over a flame make anything from burgers to steaks so much better. To get those impressive marks, you need two things: plenty of heat and a little patience.
"Your grill grates need to be blazing hot — like about 450 [degrees Fahrenheit]," celebrity chef Robbie Shoults, third-generation owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse in Marshall, Texas, tells Chowhound. "Make sure your grates are nice and clean before trying this." Shoults, who also owns Marshall Mercantile and High Horse 1898, advises against making the common steak grilling mistake of flipping meats too soon. "They need to sear for one and a half to two and a half minutes before touching it," he says. And while a sear and flip will get those grill marks across each side, if you want the impressive cross-hatch grill marks, it's just a matter of shifting the meat slightly. "After searing one side, give your meat a quarter turn, and sear for about another two minutes," he says. This method also works to get perfect grill marks on vegetables, too.
How to tell when the meat is ready to flip
Patience is key when grilling because you risk ruining the meat's exterior if you flip it too soon. "If your meat tries to stick, it's not ready to release yet," Robbie Shoults says. And if you force that meat off the grates too soon, you might end up leaving some of that exterior right on the grill, ruining those perfect grill marks. To help prevent the meat from sticking, you can also oil the grill grates just before you start cooking.
As for when the meat is done, the best way to tell is to measure its temperature with a meat thermometer. While chicken should always be cooked to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, steak's temperature can vary depending on your desired doneness. If you've flipped your steak and don't have a thermometer, check your meat by using the finger test. If it has a lot of give, it's rarer, and with more firmness, it's more done.