What鈥檚 the best way to grill a steak? There鈥檚 no one answer, but to me, there鈥檚 always been a wrong one. I鈥檝e long considered grilling with gas to be heresy, but it occurred to me that I鈥檇 never actually done a back-to-back taste test between gas and charcoal. Earlier this week, with very excited dogs, I fired up my grills and got down to work.

What’s the difference? Temperature, smoke, and convenience. While natural lump charcoal is able to get much hotter than natural gas or propane, and produces delicious wood smoke, it also takes time to light and bring up to temperature, is messy to use, and can be challenging for beginners to precisely control. In comparison, on a gas grill you simply turn dials and push a button to ignite the flame.

The Experiment: How to Grill a Steak

To control for variables as much as possible, I bought four identical choice-grade New York strip steaks. Not the expensive ribeyes I normally cook, they were maybe half-an-inch thick, and not terribly well marbled. Then, I set out to conduct two tests. First, a cook using the most basic methods possible. I wanted to eliminate any flavor difference created by ultra-hot sears, and just experience the difference in flavor, if any, between fuels. Then, I wanted to take advantage of charcoal’s high temperatures to see if the end result really is superior.

Pulling two steaks out of the butcher paper, I liberally coated each in kosher salt, then set them aside to come up to room temperature. According to Bon App茅tit, before cooking results in a more even temperature听and juicier results.

Grilling Steak: Gas Versus Charcoal

I fired up both burners on my patio鈥檚 built-in Viking grill (it came with the house), and let it heat up on full blast for 15 minutes. 550 degrees was the highest achievable temperature, so I inserted my Meater+ wireless thermometer in the steak, and threw it on the grill, being careful to leave the hood open. The wired probe on my Dot thermometer was throwing error codes and needs to be replaced, and the hottest ambient temperature the Meater+ can withstand is 500 degrees. Leaving the hood open may have allowed some heat to escape, but it also allowed me to monitor the steak鈥檚 internal temperature precisely.

When the steak reached 110-degrees internal, I flipped it over, then pulled it off at 125, setting it aside to rest while I heated up my Big Green Egg (BGE). To make things fair, I also set it to 550 degrees, and left the lid open while I followed the same method.

And the Winner Is…

I actually think I overcooked the BGE鈥檚 steak slightly. While resting, the gas steak reached a high temperature of 132. The BGE鈥檚 reached 136. And you can see that in the side-by-side shots, where the gas steak looks a little more evenly pink throughout.

The difference was stark upon tasting. While an unpleasantly sour taste pervaded every bite of the steak grilled on the Viking, the one grilled on natural lump charcoal just tasted like salt, fat, and heat. I鈥檇 have needed dollops of sauce to finish the gas steak, but could have eaten the charcoal one on its own with a reasonable level of enjoyment.

While that natural gas or propane grills burn their fuels without odor, I鈥檝e never found the taste they produce in steaks palatable. I 诲辞苍鈥檛 know if that鈥檚 simply because I prefer the taste of wood-smoke in steak to steak without the smoke, but I do know I can taste a difference.

With the aid of a leaf blower, I鈥檓 able to take my BGE above 1,500 degrees (this is also very dangerous and is best left to experienced grillers). Of course, that鈥檚 only with natural lump charcoal, which contains nothing but carbonized wood, rather than the compacted sawdust briquettes that are filled with chemical additives. You 诲辞苍鈥檛 necessarily need a multi-hundred-dollar Egg to achieve a perfect steak; just burning natural lump in a standard kettle grill will elevate your flavors, while also facilitating higher temperatures.

Would results differ if I used a more elaborate method, and is it possible to hide the flavor of gas? My go-to grilling method for steak听is to do the hottest-possible sear on the front end, rest the steaks for at least 20 minutes, then put them back on at a low temperature to cook through. At home, I use that Big Green Egg for the sear, then rely on the more consistent temperatures of a pellet grill for the slow cook through. But that method often works just as well on lesser equipment.

Don’t Have a Charcoal Grill? Fear Not.

Because butter withstands higher temperatures than olive oil, and also because I was hoping its sweet flavor could mask the sour aftertaste created on the gas grill, I first salted then seared one of the steaks on my 24,000 BTU Viking range burner, using a Staub enameled cast iron pan. With that pre-heated as hot as possible, I melted some butter, then cooked the steak for a minute on each side, before moving it to a cool cutting board to rest.

To sear on the Big Green Egg, I simply point a leaf blower at the intake from a few feet away, then watch the thermometer dial spin around as a wall of flame emerges from the top. 30 seconds on each side produced a very crispy sear on this strip. I also rubbed the steak with a good quality olive oil听first, to seal in moisture.

After allowing both steaks to rest for 20 minutes, I threw them back on their respective grills, with both of those set at 250 degrees, to cook through to 125. Then rested each again for 10 minutes to come up to something north of 130 before slicing. I again think I slightly overdid the steak on the Egg, simply because I鈥檓 not used to cooking such thin pieces of beef.

The Bottom Line: Just Avoid Gas

With this method, the gas grill produced a more predictable result, but the sear was lackluster and the flavor of the gas was not dissipated at all, even with all that butter. The charcoal steak was a little overdone, but a lot more palatable anyways.

I鈥檒l go back to reserving my gas grill for occasional vegetable-only duty during big dinner parties, and keep my meats as far away from gas-fired grills as possible. Still, the dogs didn鈥檛 seem to care which steak they were given. All four disappeared in only a few quick chomps.

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Foil-pack meals are essentially a cheat code to grilling or cooking hearty campfire meals. For the unacquainted, making a foil-pack meal involves piling either protein or vegetables on to a piece of aluminum foil, wrapping it up, and tossing it on the grill or grate to cook. The ease of the process and the flavorful results have made this method of cooking perfect for outdoor grilling and camping.听

According to legendary cookbook author and American food authority, James Beard, the foil-wrap method was developed way before campers started using it.听听

In 1955 he wrote, “Cooking with aluminum foil is the latest thing in outdoor cookery and yet it is but an adaptation of a very old method-that of wrapping food in wet leaves, husks, seaweed, or even wet clay before cooking,鈥� in , co-authored by Helen Evans Brown. 鈥淭his method keeps the juices in but allows the food to cook evenly. It must be remembered, however, that just as it keeps the juices in, so does it keep the charcoal flavor out.鈥�

Cooking vegetables in a foil is great for camping because of the individual portions you can dole out, as well as the little clean-up and hassle involved in the process. There are a few things to keep in mind when foil-pack cooking: always, and I mean always,听 use heavy-duty foil. The thicker material will withstand high temperatures, especially if you鈥檙e cooking on a grate over a campfire. Additionally, heavy-duty foil holds its pinch better when you seal the packet, eliminating air leaks. The foil won鈥檛 tear while folding the ends over the vegetables into tight seams, nor will it break open if it catches on the grate. And when you play with fire, you 诲辞苍鈥檛 have to get burned! Always remember to poke a small hole in听 the foil when the vegetables are done cooking. This will release a burst of steam so when you unwrap the packet, you 诲辞苍鈥檛 get a face-full of heat.听

Most importantly, 诲辞苍鈥檛 forget to brush your vegetables with olive oil and season with salt and pepper! We 诲辞苍鈥檛 want bland vegetables. You may be cooking outdoors, that doesn鈥檛 mean you have to eat like an animal.

If you want a recipe to make your own foil-pack veggies,

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Over the last couple of months, we鈥檝e talked to a collection of chefs and cookbook authors about grilling tips and barbecuing. Each conversation has yielded several nuggets of advice, and rather than gatekeeping them (and only upping our own game), we鈥檙e spreading the word. Behold, the pros鈥� insights when they fire up the grill or build a cooking fire.

As Aaron Franklin鈥檚 cowriter on the three , Jordan Mackay has become a barbecue expert in his own right. Along the way, from becoming a wine writer to Franklin鈥檚 wordsmith, he鈥檚 encourages everyone to pick up the following habits:

1. Salt and dry-cure your proteins at least a day before cooking. [At this point] I almost feel terrible if I get caught cooking a chicken without brining for a day.听
2. I鈥檝e been gravitating toward slower and steadier cooking, even for steaks. It鈥檚 a huge thing that you should put steaks in a hot pan to sear, but I like to start with them cold and cook them longer. I think [the meat] gets more exposure to the cooking surface.
3. I鈥檝e fallen in love with practicing the most primitive style of cooking: using a fire鈥檚 passive coals and ashes. It鈥檚 really cool that you can create a side [dish] by wrapping them in foil (unless they have a tough skin) and putting stuff in the coals. They 诲辞苍鈥檛 tend to get smoky and they cook in their own water, it鈥檚 such a cool way to cook and you 诲辞苍鈥檛 have to run back and forth from the kitchen to the grill.

Click here for Jordan Mackay鈥檚 barbecue know-how.

This Los Angeles-based chef and restaurateur is riding the wave of her new book , being on the cover of , and appearing on shows like the . Mexican barbecues might be Lopez鈥檚 love language, but her grilling tips are universal.听

1. Make sure you鈥檙e grilling on high heat. Skirt, flat, and flanken steaks take high heat鈥攁bout 6 minutes each side.
2. When marinating meat, 诲辞苍鈥檛 be afraid of salt. I do 1 tablespoon per pound of meat. I like to use sea salt.
3. When doing wood pellets or wood chips, use mesquite, always mesquite.
4. Season your grill grates with a half an onion. It cleans it [onions are antimicrobial] and adds flavor.

Click here for Bricia Lopez鈥檚 ultimate asada recipe.

Rodney Scott literally grew up tending the smoker and stirring the sauce at his family鈥檚 barbecue spot in Hemingway, South Carolina. To say he knows a thing or two about BBQ is an understatement. Here are his grilling tips:

1. Food safety first. Don鈥檛 leave anything out too long. Stay mindful of what you鈥檙e doing as you handle it. There are gauges and thermometers for a reason.
2. Don鈥檛 grill too close to the house and walk away. Things can happen [Scott can attest to this: His family鈥檚 roadside barbecue spot burned to the ground in 2014 and his Charleston location had a pit fire in 2017.] I like to make sure the grill is away from the house. If it is close, get a grill mat to avoid sparks getting on the floor boards.
3. Have fun. Don鈥檛 let the pressure of that critical visitor steal the joy out of what you鈥檙e preparing. You鈥檝e got your music going, you鈥檙e outside grilling, you鈥檙e having fun. Even if you鈥檙e burning it, it鈥檚 fun鈥攋ust add extra sauce.

Click here for Rodney Scott鈥檚 barbecue-sauce gospel.

Top Chef alum, , and owner of and in New York City, Leah Cohen leans on her Filipino roots for grilling inspiration.

1. Add ! Allow enough time to marinate your meat and use ingredients that add deep, rich flavor that go beyond the traditional barbecue flavors like oyster sauce (my preferred brand is Lee Kum Kee) to add umami and sweetness.
2. Make sure you鈥檙e using the right temperature when grilling. Either low and slow or super high. If you鈥檙e choosing to go the super high route, close the lid so the heat doesn鈥檛 escape.
3. Oil, oil, oil! Make sure whatever you鈥檙e grilling is oiled so it doesn鈥檛 stick to the grill when you鈥檙e cooking it and use oils like pure sesame oil or chili crisp oil, to add bold flavor to grilled dishes!

Click here听for Leah Cohen鈥檚 grilled cabbage recipe.听

Celeb chef, YouTube star, and expert outdoorsman Brad Leone is usually off-the-cuff and verbose. But when it comes to grilling tips and rules, he鈥檚 succinct. Short and sweet, just as we like it:听

1. Get the best ingredients you can.听
2. Don鈥檛 be scared to use steel or cast-Iron on fire or coals.听
3. Get a flat top grill.

Click here for Brad Leone鈥檚 tried-and-true grilling tools.

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