Start Your Countdown to Perfectly Grilled Steak

Take your steak out of the fridge about 30 minutes before grilling to bring it to room temperature. A freezing-cold steak won't cook evenly.

Heat up the grill grate before putting the steak on. Searing creates that lovely caramelized crust that gives a good steak its robust flavor and crisp exterior texture.

Let your steak develop a seared crust on the grill before moving or flipping it. If you try to lift the meat before it's ready, it'll stick to the grates and mess up your grill marks.

Master the Touch Test: No doneness test can quite match a practiced knack for the touch test (see item 045). A thermometer can offer scientific backup as well. Still not sure? Err on the side of caution and remove steaks on the early side of doneness to check. You can always throw the meat back on the grill to cook for a few minutes longer.

Let It Rest: It's best to let that sizzling hot steak take a breather before you cut into it. Here's why: As meat cooks, the muscle fibers start to firm up and water gets pushed out. This moisture moves outward toward the surface of the meat (where you'll likely hear it hiss as it drops). When your remove meat from the heat, the moisture still inside needs some time to redistribute back through the flesh. If you cut into it right away, the juices will pool out, leaving the meat quite dry. By letting it rest, the moisture is re-absorbed and the meat remains tender and juicy.