However, many meat aficionados like to get their flat iron steaks as close to medium (with a dark reddish brown exterior and a cool pink center) as possible to preserve the cut’s subtler notes and keep it from getting rubbery. Doneness is mostly a matter of preference.By contrast, a well-done steak has an almost gray coloring, and will generally be harder to get your knife through. The more raw the meat is, the redder and more translucent it will appear. Make a small incision in the center of one of the steaks and pry it open to get a look at how it’s coming along. Cut into the steak to check the color.For the sake of safety, it might be best to do your poking with another tool, like the edge of your tongs. Keep in mind that the steaks will be extremely hot while they’re on the grill.If you’re particular about how your steaks are cooked, you may be better off going with another method. Texture can only serve as a rough guide.When they’re just right, they’ll have a little give but will spring right back into shape. Undercooked steaks will have a squishy consistency, while overcooked cuts will be tough and leathery. Assuming you’re more of an intuitive grill master, you can simply employ the texture test. Press on the meat to feel how firm it is.For a well done cut of meat with little or no pink inside, aim for an internal temperature of or higher.Medium steaks should fall into the range.If you like your steak on the rare side, the thermometer should read.

Make sure you insert the thermometer into the thickest part of the steak, which takes the longest to cook through and is consequently most likely to be raw.

The spices will coat the outside, giving it just enough kick to make things interesting. Add a few shakes to one or both sides of the steaks. If you’d rather let the flavor of the meat speak for itself, you can dispense with the marinade and stick to basic seasonings like salt, black pepper, and garlic powder.

Season the steaks to taste with mild spices.Flavors like soy, citrus, and garlic will compliment the meat especially well. If you’re marinating your steaks on a plate, be sure to turn them over at the halfway point so that both sides soak up the liquid.Marinating your steaks while they sit out is a good way to kill two birds with one stone. Alternately, you can set the steaks in a shallow dish or on a large serving plate and pour your marinade over the top, using just enough to cover the bottom half. Place the raw steaks in a sealed plastic gallon bag with your marinade of choice and let them sit for 20 minutes to an hour. The longer it remains at room temperature, the more likely it is to spoil. Make sure you don’t leave the meat out for more than about an hour.You can also place them in a cold water bath, adding fresh water every half hour. The simplest way to do this is to just stick them in the refrigerator the night before you plan on cooking them. If your steaks have been stored in the freezer, you’ll need to thaw them out well ahead of time.Leave the steaks in the butcher paper or cover them with a sheet of plastic wrap while they warm up to keep bugs and bacteria out.

Goodway iron