Salt and Pepper Crusted Rib Steak Grilled to Perfection
Keep this grilled rib steak plain and simple for perfectly succulent, juicy meat!
There is a joke that goes like this: For rare steak, cook 3-4 minutes; for medium steak, cook 4-6 minutes; for well-done steak, eat chicken! Real meat “aficionados” don’t consider well-done meat food. It’s not even an option. Though it took me years to get used to the idea of eating rare meat, now that’s how I always make it — I can’t eat well-done meat anymore!
There are some foods — like rib steak or coleslaw — that I feel don’t need recipes. But in truth, it’s these recipes — the ones that we assume are so quick and easy, they’re foolproof — that we mess up the most if we don’t know what we’re doing!
Rib steaks took me a long time to have enough confidence to make on a regular basis. I used to burn them or cook them too long so they were way too well done. In truth, grilling a good rib steak is extremely easy. The trick? Keep it simple. No fancy marinades or sauces needed. Save that for London broil. All you need is salt, pepper, olive oil, and crushed garlic. If you want something extra, you can also rub on some of your favorite spice blend. I really like to keep to the flavor of the meat and allow it to come out while grilling as opposed to heavy flavors masking it so all you taste is barbecue sauce or marinade.
I like to use fresh garlic. I use this garlic press to crush it. You can use frozen cubes or even jarred garlic, but fresh is always best.
Heat your grill to high and then turn it down to medium-high. When the meat hits the grill, you want to hear that fantastic sizzle.
Don’t bother the meat! Let it do its thing. If you keep touching it, flipping it, it won’t grill properly. Assuming your steak is about 1.5 pounds, you want to grill it for 3 minutes per side for rare and 4 to 5 minutes per side for medium. When you take your tongs and touch the meat, if there’s a lot of give (like the meat feels “mushy” inside), then you know it’s not ready yet or it’s extremely rare. It may take a few tries until you get the hang of it.
For salt and pepper, I prefer to use coarse sea salt and coarsely ground black pepper. It creates a crust on the meat and helps it grill better. However, if you don’t have any, you can use regular salt and fine ground pepper and it will be fine.
When I make grilled rib steak, I like to serve it with a good starch — and what better to go with a steak than my homemade oven-baked fries?
Salt and Pepper Crusted Rib Steak Grilled to Perfection
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lb. bone-in rib steak
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil, divided
- 1½ tsp coarse sea salt, divided
- 1½ tsp coarse-ground black pepper, divided
- 1 clove garlic, crushed, divided
Instructions
- Cut scores (shallow lines) on a diagonal across the meat. Repeat in the opposite direction. Drizzle meat with 1 Tbsp oil, and sprinkle on half the salt, pepper and garlic. Rub into the meat very well.
- Flip over steak and repeat the first step on the other side.
- Let sit for about 20 minutes.
- Preheat grill to high. Reduce flame to medium high and immediately add steak. Grill for about 3 minutes per side for rare, 4-5 minutes on one side and 5 minutes on the other for medium, and 6 minutes per side for well done, (Disclaimer: If you choose to grill steak for so long it will probably be tough and I take no responsibility for it!)
- Remove from grill. Cover and let sit for 10 minutes before slicing.
Notes
Recipe by Faigy Murray | https://mykitchenmystudio.com/grilled-rib-steak/
