You Should Never Put Meat On A Cold Grill. Here's Why
When you think "steak night", surely you conjure up images of rich red wine, roasted potatoes, and deliciously seared meat. Whether you're a novice steak griller hoping to try your hand at the craft or a seasoned veteran at your grill, there are a few tips to improve how you're grilling steak and any other kind of meat that go a long way. Be it chicken thighs, pork chops, or a good T-bone, a few of the grilling techniques and tips remain the same across the board. Even better, you'll notice a huge difference in the quality of your meat if you follow them.
First, when grilling meat, it's important to make sure that your grill is clean. This ensures that you don't end up with any stale flavors from previous meals cooked on the girl. It also makes it easier to flip whatever meat you're currently cooking (via The Spruce Eats). Another tip that is repeated across the board is to make sure you never, ever put meat on a cold grill. But why?
Putting meat on a cold grill prevents the meat from searing properly
One of the biggest no-nos for properly grilling any kind of meat is putting it on the grill while the grill is still cold. This is for a few reasons, the chief among them being that, by doing so, you prevent your meat from achieving the perfect sear. That sear is key for locking in moisture and developing a delicious crust on the outside courtesy of the Maillard reaction. As Kita Roberts of Girl Carnivore told Mashed, "[Cooking on a cold grill is] a classic mistake, and the signature grill marks don't set in and you end up letting too much heat out while trying to manipulate the steak."
Bon Appétit further writes that a "hotter grill will sear the flesh before the fat has time to melt and ignite, which would coat your steak in an acrid smoky flavor." That's clearly something none of us want, especially if we're cooking expensive cuts of meat. After achieving a nice sear, move the meat to a lower-temperature section of the grill to bring it up to whatever temperature you prefer.