How to Ruin Your Steak Experience

Diablo steaks are such remarkable ingredients, you might almost think they’d be impossible to ruin. As with all really fine and delicate ingredients, though, they require some care. They require respect. They require you to make them a part of your own grilling ritual, as lovingly and as gently as you can.

It really isn’t too difficult. You don’t have to go to great lengths to make your Diablo extraordinary; it’s an extraordinary thing in its own right. Really, your task is to not get in the way. It’s to make sure you don’t do anything to ruin your steak experience.

How are some of the ways in which you might inadvertently ruin your steak experience? Some of the big ones include:

• Not thawing it properly. Perfection takes time. You can’t rush the process, especially not during thawing. Moving your steak from the freezer directly to the kitchen counter is a great way to botch your steak. Instead, you need to move it into your refrigerator, ideally giving it a day or two to thaw. In a pinch, you can submerge your vacuum-sealed Diablo in a sink full of cool water.
• Not cleaning your grill. You want to taste the Diablo—not the remains of the last thing you grilled. And by the way: You also don’t want to be tasting the cleaning product. Use a light cleaning oil that isn’t going to mar the flavor of your beef.
• Overdoing it. Put away your sauces and your rubs. Again, your job in all of this is just to let the steak do its thing, and not to get in the way too much. If your seasoning includes anything more than salt, pepper, and garlic, then you’re doing it wrong.
• Not knowing your grill. Does your grill have some hotspots, or some areas where flare-ups tend to happen? Pay them some mind, and bring a working knowledge of your grill to the Diablo experience.
• Poking, prodding, and flipping. Treat your steak like a lady. Don’t touch it too much with your spatula or your tongs. Let the grill do the work. That’s how you get those great grill marks that are sure to impress your friends and family!
• Cutting into the steak to see if it’s fully cooked. Nobody wants to be served a steak with a big whole in it. If you’re unsure about its doneness, get a meat thermometer.
• Serving it immediately. Your steak keeps cooking for about five minutes after you remove it from the grill. That’s an important part of the process. Let it sit on a warm plate, possibly covered in tinfoil, before serving.
• Rushing the experience. If you’re not sure if you really have the time to devote to a great steak experience—to a full evening, not just a quick dinner—then save it. You don’t want to ruin the experience by looking at your watch all night.
• Thinking it’s all about the steak. The steak experience is about the full evening. You should obviously care for your steak, and show it some attention—but you don’t want to show the steak more attention than the people you’re with.

Respect your steak—and enjoy it. It’s a moment of indulgence, and the fruit of your hard work and success. If you do it right, it’s also an experience you won’t soon forget.