Sear Zone Vs Finish Zone: Why These Matter For Grilling The Perfect Steak

Grilling steaks can be intimidating, even for seasoned chefs and longtime culinary experts. It's so easy to miscalculate timing, seasoning, and doneness, potentially wasting time, money, and the prestigious status of grill-meister extraordinaire. But one crucial thing that makes or breaks the perfect steak is heat levels on your grill, which can profoundly affects what lands on your plate.

For some insider intel on avoiding tough, dried-out, or unevenly cooked steaks, we consulted an expert on the topic, Chef Barry Miles, Senior Strategic Account Chef at Cargill. He reveals that the most common steak-grilling mistake involves improper heat techniques, specifically using high heat the entire time. "High heat gives you a great crust, but if used too long, it'll dry out your steak," says Miles. "Use two-zone grilling: one side of the grill hot for searing, the other cooler for finishing."

If you've been grilling for a while, especially when researching techniques and hot tips, you've likely heard of this approach. Two-zone grilling is popular across the spectrum of barbecuers, including restaurant chefs, backyard Q' enthusiasts, and professional competing pitmasters. The goal is to achieve the sweet-spot between a sizzling seared crust and a cooked interior that's still juicy and flavorful. That balance is accomplished by setting the distinctly different heat levels in two chosen "zones" of your grill. The same temperature ranges apply whether using charcoal or gas-powered heat, and it also works when grilling turkey, pork, fish, lamb, and perfectly charred chicken that doesn't burn.

With two-zone grilling, there's a dedicated high-heat "sear zone" and an adjacent lower-heat "finish zone," sometimes referred to as an "indirect heat" zone. When maintained at the right heat levels, they work in tandem, allowing grill-chefs to create the perfect steak. In the sear zone, where flavorful Maillard-worthy crust is born, the temps are fiery hot. According to Barry Miles, the ideal heat falls within a range of 450 to 550 degrees Fahrenheit. A separate finish-zone heat of 300 to 500 F allows the meat to cook through without burning. "Use direct heat to sear both sides (about one to two minutes per side)," says Miles, "then move to indirect heat to finish."

Two-zone grilling, also known as a dual-zone fire, has a few other advantages. Apart from getting a crusty sear on a steak without overcooking, it can accommodate additional foods that have different cooking times. For example, grilled potatoes, seafood, and meats can require widely differing amounts of time for doneness, which is true even when cooking inside an oven or in a frying pan.

It's worth mentioning an alternate approach to getting the coveted crunchy crust. It's called the reverse sear. When employing two-zone grilling, you start by slowly cooking the steak in the cooler zone, then transfer it to the sizzling-hot sear zone for the grand finale. Advocates of this approach feel it provides more even cooking and greater control over doneness, especially in thick-cut steaks.