How To Make Sure You Aren't Accidentally Steaming Your Steaks When You Grill

Grilling steaks seems pretty simple at first glance, but it's actually a delicate balance of technique and temperature control. It takes a lot of practice and know-how to grill like a master, and unless you know what you're doing, you can end up steaming the steaks. We at Chowhound hate to see an expensive A5 Kobe steak turn gray and flavorless (or any other pricey cut, for that matter), so we reached out to celebrity chef Robbie Shoults, the third-generation owner of Bear Creek Smokehouse, Marshall Mercantile, and High Horse 1898, for some grilling advice. The most important step, he said, is to reduce any moisture on the surface of the steak so that the meat sears instead of steams. "Make sure the surface of your steak is dry before attempting to sear it; you can even pat the steak dry with a paper towel to speed this process up," he said.

The goal of drying off the meat is to achieve the Maillard reaction, which is what causes the meat to change color when it cooks. When the sugars and proteins in the meat are heated to 284 to 330 degrees Fahrenheit, the magic of the Maillard reaction occurs. If the surface is wet, however, the heat can only reach the boiling point of water — 212 degrees Fahrenheit — and release that moisture as steam as long as there's water present. That steam will cook the meat, but it'll never get hot enough to sear. 

The surface of a steak can be wet for a couple of reasons. Sometimes the moisture is from marinade, and other times it can leak out if the meat was previously frozen. In either case, all you need to do is dab off the excess wetness right before it goes on the grill. One of the most common mistakes, however, Robbie Shoults explained, is rinsing the steak before it's cooked. "I would not recommend [it] as this will cause steaming from the damp surface," he said. Washing raw meat is also one of our top 10 biggest food safety mistakes because it spreads harmful microbes around the kitchen, so just don't do it.

If you've taken steps to dry off the meat and you're still getting steamy results, the other culprit might be overcrowding. Be sure not to pack too many steaks onto your cooking surface as this, too, will contribute to the problem, said Shoults. When the meat is squished together on every inch of the grill grates, heat can't circulate around it, and the metal can't stay hot enough for the Maillard reaction, so the steak ends up steaming. Take your time, and cook the meat in batches if you're making a lot. Not only will you get better grill marks and a craveable crust, you'll also have plenty of time to rest the steak for the juiciest results.