How can I grill better steaks / Is a cast iron skillet better then a grill?

For the past 16 months I have lived in an apartment and was unable to own a grill. I love to cook and one of my favorite meals is a nice steak dinner. When I lost the ability to grill my steaks I had to find other means. After some research I chose to use a cast iron skillet. I went out and bought a top of the line pan after some practice I was cooking some amazing steak.



I went on cooking steaks in the pan for about 16 months and they always turned out tender, perfectly cooked, and flavorful. I just moved into a house about a month ago and one of my first purchases was a new grill. I wanted a gas grill that I could easily use several days a week and wouldn't be a chore to use (vs a charcoal grill), I ended up with a fantastic lower/middle level Weber grill ($500).



I use the grill all the time and cook a wide variety of items on it. The trouble is that I can't get steaks right. I know my preparation and seasoning of the steak is on par, and the steaks come out medium rare as I like. The steaks taste delicious but aren't tender at all. I cook them on a screaming hot grill over direct heat and only flip them once.



What can I do different on the grill to make them tender? When I was reasearching the cast iron skill cooking method I read that people fell in love with it and stopped grilling steaks. Could this possibly be right or am I doing some wrong?How can I grill better steaks / Is a cast iron skillet better then a grill?
A couple of suggestions:

Searing the meat on VERY high heat (both sides) and then cooking on lower or on indirect heat will seal in the juices. You're cooking too high. Remember that the hood of the gas grill makes your grill like an oven. Heat is circulating all around the grill instead of just up and out.

You want to use a cut with a very high fat content. I recommend ribeye or even switching to a Wagu or other US version of Kobe.

Baste, baste, baste! Unsalted, melted butter with some garlic and onion powder mixed in, and frequently. As soon as the heat has dried the outside of the steak, baste some more. Also brush the steak with olive or other cooking oil before grilling.

Don't salt the meat while grilling. Season with powders or pepper but salt will dry out the meat. Save the salt for when served.

Cook to no more than medium rare (rare is even better.) Meat will cook, albeit slowly, for several minutes after you remove it from the grill. Don't cut into the meat AT ALL (on or off the grill) until several minutes after grilling. Meat has to set for a few to seal in the juices.

Hope this helps!How can I grill better steaks / Is a cast iron skillet better then a grill?
It might be the cut of steak your buying or the way your cutting it. Always cut against the grain. And you want either rib eye, t-bone, porterhouse, new york strip, filet Mignon or those bacon wrapped mock Mignon's at the gro. store. Sirloin is good but not quiet as tender could be marinated. Other steaks need marinated before you cook them. that will help with tenderness.

Just make sure the grill is super hot, the steaks are rubbed with oil then seasoned( so the seasoning will stick to the steak but the steak won't stick to the grill)Here is exactly how to grill em!

Gas grill: pizza too!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax-bvI-g2鈥?/a>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ifRYVlR4C鈥?/a>

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9U68Z4zov鈥?/a>

Chicken %26amp; ribs:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax-bvI-g2鈥?/a>



Charcoal:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB16Dbjz8鈥?/a>
I take it you are still using the same cut of steak so I will suggest you are doing something wrong.

It sounds like a timing issue to me.



I do not believe in the 'screaming hot' principal

You get far better control with medium high steady heat that you get under the grill in your oven.
Do what Captain Jack recommends. Most of the time too many burners or gas jets are on and too much heat applied quickly dries out the steak.

Cooking over DIRECT heat doesn't allow this to happen, so use only the necessary burners or jets you need to cook 1 or 2 steaks.
The grill is best.



Buy a better cut of meat. Like T-Bone or Porterhouse.



Top Sirloin and Sirloin can be tough at times.



Use some of this for rub on Beef.



http://www.spadelranch.com/
I grill good cuts of meat all the time. Most of the time, it IS the cut of meat. Gas grills don't produce the best flavor, but the end result is the same for the most part. Make sure you leave your meat out on the counter for 30 minutes prior to grilling and cook a bit slower.



I use flames for searing, then move them and let the radiant heat cook the steaks until done (by closing the lid)
I let my steaks get room temperature. Then I rub them with Montreal steak seasoning. I get my grill going full blast on one side. The other side I leave off. I lay them room temp steaks on tha blazing hot grill covering them until they release from the grill usually 4 minutes. I flip em , cover em and wait 4 more mins. I then move my steaks to the cool side of the grill and shut the lid. Let the indirect heat work on them steaks for another 5 minutes (no peaking). I load em into a crock pot and keep em on warm till I eat. If I use a big old black 14 inch skillet I get it screaming hot( I have bacon fat in it,very important). I drop my (room temp montreal seasoning infused) steak on the pan and give it hell for 4 minutes and then flip it. 4 more minutes and then on to the crock pot as afore mentioned. I do one steak at a time. I deglaze by dumping shrooms (liquid and all) into that pan. Add a tad of butter and in a minute er 2 you have a very nice topping fer them steaks. Tater logs and artichoke salad with plenty cheap beer finishes out my fav meal. I have it every thursday night now for 30 years.