How many times do you flip your steak?

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rogan

Fire Starter
Original poster
Feb 15, 2014
55
11
Grande Prairie, Alberta, Canada
Just curious for those out there. How many times do you flip your steak? I've always flipped it many times, basting it with sauce after each flip, usually get about 4 flips for medium rare. Wife gets about 6 for medium. One of the guys I was camping with nearly had a heart attack because of the flipping. He grills one side, puts on the sauce and flips it. To me it looked like leather on the outside, rare on the inside. Cooked over a campfire. I like my steaks the way I do it, just curious what others think. Am I angering the steak gods by flipping too much?
 
I generally do a reverse sear on my steaks anymore. So after I smoke them for bout an hour, I'll sear them usually just flipping twice ! But honestly, I say do what works for you... IMO, there's no wrong way !
 
Just curious for those out there. How many times do you flip your steak? I've always flipped it many times, basting it with sauce after each flip, usually get about 4 flips for medium rare. Wife gets about 6 for medium. One of the guys I was camping with nearly had a heart attack because of the flipping. He grills one side, puts on the sauce and flips it. To me it looked like leather on the outside, rare on the inside. Cooked over a campfire. I like my steaks the way I do it, just curious what others think. Am I angering the steak gods by flipping too much?
I like to have a hot grill and place some cross hatching on mine. About 2 minutes each and work well for me.
 
Technically just once.  

But...  I toss my steaks on for  a total of 4 minutes a side .  On for 2 minutes then turn them 45 degrees on the grate for another 2 minutes to make a good seared check on them. Then do the same on the other side.

Take them off the grill.  Add a pat of butter and a shake or two of Italian herb blend. Cover with foil for 10 minutes.  

Results are You should have juicy medium rare steak,  

b
 
Rogan-

As stated above it depends on how I am cooking them and what type.

Here is my go buy for standard grilling of steaks:

Beef Filet, Buffalo (any cut), or Venison: Flip once on a high heat transfer to pan in 400-450 degree grill

NY Strip: Flip 3 times (each side is on the grill twice) High heat and transfer to pan as above.

Ribeye or any other fatty cut of meat: I cook over a lower heat, allows the fat to render while still keeping the steak medium rare - medium  I flip 3 times and pull.

I always let my steaks rest for 15 minutes, this lets the meat pull the moisture back in, which also brings the smokey flavor through the meat.

When doing a reverse sear, I only flip once no matter the type/cut.  

Smoke ON!

- Jason
 
I try to time mine to get a nice char on each side with one flip... 135` IT for the finish ... my problem is, Kingsford blue doesn't get hot enough... I hate to go buy lump when I have 10 twin packs of KBB from the sales ...
 
My grill has a searing station that gets up to 800 degrees. I Buy most of my stakes where most everyone does, at Sam's Club, ribeyes only they generally come 3 in a package. When I get them I dry rub them with Grub rub and Tonka dust or a mix that I use on brisket. Then I vacuum package them at least over night and sometimes when they are on sale I buy enough to dust vacuum pack and freez, when I grill them I get my grill up to 700 or 800 degrees, dust each side one more time after they are up to room temp. Then it's on to the hot grill they go for 2 min then turn 45 degrees for nice cross sear marks for 2 more minutes then flip once for 1 1/2 minutes then turn 45 degrees for another 11/2 minutes for med rear. Time depends on thickness of stake and weather even at 700 and 800 degrees if it is cold outside I have to increase the times. But I never flip more then once as multiple flipping drys the meat, same with burgers and chops. The rubs I use help to seal in the jucies by creating a thin bark same reason I do it on brisket, buts and everything else I smoke. To me grilling is the same as smoking only hotter.
Randy,
 
Rogan, I'm a flipper.  Tried out Heston Blumenthal's method of flipping every 20 seconds or so.  Need high heat.  That's how I do all my steaks now.  I flip every 20-30 seconds.  I've had really good results.  I did it on a cast iron pan, smoke'n hot.  I've also done it on a gas grill as hot as I can get it, half of it anyway.  Save half for indirect heat just in case. 

Sorry I don't have any pix. 

If I do them on a smoker at 225-250, I don't flip much.  I'll look at the steak to see how much juice is at top(if any) and just "wing it".  low and slow, no flip.  Hot and fast, I say flip often. 

To each their own.

Just my $.02.  keep the change. ;)
 
I tried a couple T-bone steaks last week (sorry no pics) using the 2-min turn, 4 min flip method. Started about 700 degrees, cooled to about 600 last couple min. Ended up medium, I prefer med-rare. My wife likes medium so guess it was 50% successful, still 100% delicious. I definitely liked the caramelization process for the hash marks. I still like my flipping method more at this point. I'll have to experiment more now. Yay [emoji]129303[/emoji]
 
I flip steaks once if high-temp searing (watch for juices to surface as initial indicator to the level of cooking progress), and I never flip steaks when smoking low & slow (for the same reason).

Eric
 
I flip once stakes and burgers, time to flip depends on the thickness of the stake the out side temp and the grill temp. I pre rub all my steaks (rib eyes) vacuume seal them and freeze them because I buy them in quantities. Yesterday I thawed a 3/4" thick rid eye in the refrigerator then went directly to a 650 degree grill it was 70 above and brezzy I did 2 min then turned it for the cross grill marks then I went 2 min more then fliped it for another 3 min on the other side, Then I removed it to rest 5 min befor cutting. It was med rear and every bit of it was so tender you could cut it with a fork.
A lot has to do with the quality of the meat. All my steaks come out good, but this one was exceptional.
 
Most of these methods are describing the Place-Turn-Rotate(flip)-Turn method.  Timing of the four stages, the amount of heat and the thickness of the meat are the variables you have to deal with in order to end up with the doneness desired. While the four stages will give you a great look you also want the results to be correct i.e rare, med-rare etc...

In your example where they ended up medium (btw you did let them rest for 10 min before slicing into them?) a way to consider for med-rare would be to either limit the time for each stage OR forego the last turn. Serve the meat up with the one side that's has cross hatched marks.  When I grill, I always have the butcher cut us steaks that are at a minimum 1 3/4" thick, really prefer 2". I sear on a very high heat section with the above method 2 1/2min each stage then move them to the indirect section until doneness is obtained.  BTW I determine doneness by feel but I've been doing this for 40 years so pretty much have it down.
 
I usually flip my steak 1 - 4 times.   Tend to either sear or reverse sear than cook offset but tend to only flip during the cook once, maybe twice.

Like to treat them like my burgers, flip a couple times and I'm done.
 
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