A quality steak can really make a BBQ stand out and elevate a family meal or garden party, but we realised recently that people are hesitant to put an expensive piece of meat on the barbecue if they aren’t confident of getting it right. Here at WOWBBQ, we want our customers to have the best possible experience with our products, so we grabbed a few steaks from our friends at Goodman and fired up the Weber Summit Kamado Charcoal BBQ so we could put together this quick guide on barbecuing the perfect steak (and have an amazing lunch in the process!).

 

Step 1 – Prep your BBQ

You’ll want to cook the steaks indirectly (IE: not directly over the heat) so as not to burn the outside, so make sure all your charcoal is on one edge of the BBQ, making sure it doesn’t spill into the middle. The best way to do this is with Weber Char-Baskets, so you can position the charcoal where you want it with ease. Light your charcoal and close the BBQ, leaving the RapidFire Lid Damper on the top of the lid (a very useful feature of the Weber Summit Kamado) open to get as much oxygen through as possible and leave the BBQ to heat to around 180-200 degrees C. You can close the Lid Damper shortly before the barbecue reaches temperature so it doesn’t overheat, but make sure the air vents are left open. Use the Lid Damper to adjust the temperature during cooking if necessary – remember, more oxygen means more heat! Use the time while your Summit Kamado heats up to prep your steaks.

Step 2 – Prep your steaks

There are a few simple ways to take your steaks from good to great. Firstly, apply some good quality vegetable oil and salt to the whole surface of the meat (including the sides) and gently massage them in. Further seasoning up to you, but we used a 3 peppercorn rub with some extra pepper for a stronger flavour. Whatever seasoning you choose, use the same process as with the oil and salt – apply a generous amount and then massage in, be sure to cover the sides as well to create a proper crust. Your steaks should be room temperature when you start cooking.

Step 3 – Get Cooking!

This part will require some attention but trust us, it will be worth it!

Firstly, place the Weber Griddle in the middle section of your GBS cooking grate (the Weber Griddle fits all Weber Gourmet Barbeque System – GBS – barbecues, including the Summit Kamado). Place a small amount of oil into the griddle (remember you already have some oil on your steaks) and close the lid of the BBQ to heat, this should only take a short time. Once your oil and griddle are hot, place your steaks onto the griddle (if your steaks are different sizes, start with the largest and cook the smaller steaks for a shorter time) and close the lid. You’ll need to turn the steaks every 30-45 seconds until the outside of the meat is a nice golden brown colour and the seasoning has formed a crust, but make sure you close the lid of the BBQ between turns. Keep an eye on your cooking temperature, adjusting the RapidFire Lid Damper if necessary.

Once your steaks are a nice golden brown, place the Weber stainless steel raised Grilling Rack over the over the cooking grate and griddle (like the griddle, the Grilling Rack fits all Weber GBS BBQs). Place your steaks on the rack and close the lid to cook the inside of the steaks to taste without burning the edges.

The most efficient way to work out if your steaks are cooked the way you like them is with a food thermometer (we recommend the Weber iGrill Mini or Instant-Read thermometers for a fast, accurate reading – you can even control the iGrill Mini from your phone!). Desired internal temperatures for different levels of cooking are as follows:

- Blue: 25-30C

- Rare: 30-35C

- Medium Rare: 38-43C

- Medium: 45-50C

- Medium Well: 52-58C

- Well Done: 65-70C

 

Step 4 – Enjoy!

Once your steaks are ready, grab your sauces and sides (we went for frites and a selection of peppercorn and stilton sauces) and enjoy your perfectly cooked, Weber Summit Kamado steak feast!