How To Know When To Grill Or Griddle A Steak

There are so many things to love about steak: from its big, beefy flavor to its impressive presentation to, believe it or not, its comprehensive nutrition, from a wallop of protein to all of the needed amino acids (via Verywell Fit). Steak often takes center stage on our plates, whether in the form of a ribeye, a Porterhouse, or a filet mignon.

When it comes to cooking steak, there are plenty of options. Sous-vided then seared, broiled in the oven, and even stir fried are all good choices, but most of us, when getting ready to chow down on a well-marbled piece of beef, are most likely to grill or pan-sear (ie, griddle) it. High, concentrated heat provokes the Maillard reaction in beef, producing an irresistible browned crust and a tantalizing aroma (via Serious Eats). But if you regularly like to cook steak, you may have wondered: How do you know when to grill it, and when to griddle it instead?

Crank up the grill if you've bought a bone-in steak

When you've picked up a beautiful, marbled, tempting steak from your local butcher, how do you tend to cook it? Most of us likely associate steak with the grill — especially come summertime. Many are the occasions on which we've grilled a hanger or flank steak with excellent results, but there might be a better approach to preparing boneless steaks.

According to Taste of Home, a good rule of thumb to follow when deciding whether to grill or pan-sear a steak is to head for the grill if your steak is bone-in — think Porterhouse, T-bone, ribeye, and Tomahawk steaks (via Kansas City Steaks). The outlet notes that boneless steaks — such as hanger, flank, skirt, and sirloin steaks (via Kansas City Steaks) — actually grill more evenly on the flat surface of a pan (such as a cast iron skillet). Some bone-in steaks, like a Tomahawk, would be too large to fit into a pan, anyway. 

Now that you know how to best cook your favorite kind of steak, it's time to line up the side dishes you'll want to make with it.