Seasonings for Grilling Steak

Enhancing Steak Flavor with Seasonings

Some people wonder why we season our food, but when it comes to seasonings steaks, seasoning is one of the most important things you must add if you want to enhance the flavor of the meat. The idea of seasoning is to not only add great flavor and texture, but to also bring out the existing flavor of the steak and complement its taste. Grilled steak is a great way to enjoy your cut whilst having a slightly less fattening meal.

Salt and Pepper – The most basic seasoning you can add to a steak, but it works beautifully if you really are happy with the cut of meat you have. Rather than overpowering the steak with rich marinades and too many spices, salt and pepper can bring out the flavour of a top grade, prime cut steak but doesn’t detract from its fabulous flavour.

Chimichurri – A South American condiment, this is a great sauce for use on grilled or barbequed steak, it’s made up of olive oil, garlic, parsley, oregano, chilli pepper and vinegar. Ideal for pasting over a steak before grilling, it adds a beautifully tasty and slightly spicy flavour to the meat without overpowering it.

Garlic Rub – Garlic beautifully complements the juicy flavours of a good steak cut. A basic garlic rub recipe is made of approx 8 garlic cloves, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 ½ tsp salt, ½ pepper, ½ tsp lemon zest, 2 tsp stone ground mustard. Salt and pepper ratios can be adjusted to suit taste. The nature of this sauce/rub means that it adds an element of moisture to the steak when applied as well.

Dry Rub – The dry rub is made up of dry ingredients which can coat the steak. When grilled, the dry rub can turn into a crust which adds a slightly crisp texture to the outside of the meat. A basic rub can be made up of salt, pepper, a dash of brown sugar and garlic powder. The salt has the ability to draw out the juices from the steak and the sugar will caramelise when grilled to add a slightly sweeter and stickier outer layer.

Popular spices and seasonings to use on steak fillets

There are a variety of popular spices to use on steaks

• Peppercorn – more intense than just ground pepper, using peppercorns in a dry rub (even a little crushed up in a pestle and mortar) will add a crunchy, tasty crust.
• Chile Pepper – great for a spicy kick to your steak – only if you can handle your spice though. Otherwise, this may overtake the flavour of the meat too much.
• Cayenne Pepper – not too spicy yet enough to add a little extra flavour and just enough sweet-spice to make your taste buds tingle whilst sinking your teeth into a juicy steak.
• Garlic – great when mixed with other ingredients, garlic is a great accompaniment to steak but also stands well on its own as a marinade, sauce or rub. Garlic powder is easier to use as seasoning and is easier to apply to the steak in the quantities you need.